Presbytery Committee Resources

The Pastoral Development Ministry Team has several resources to help candidates, ministers and presbytery committees.

Forms and Gifts

These forms are completed by the presbytery Committee on the Ministry/Preparation or Clergy Care Committee whenever a candidate is received or licensed, when a minister is to be ordained, or a minister retires. PDMT will send the following gifts when the appropriate form is received –

  1. Candidates receive the book “An Introduction to Christian Ministry” by Dr. Morris Pepper.
    [PDF]
  2. Licentiates receive the book “The Bible and the Calendar: The Minister’s Guide to Pulpit Planning” by Dr. Thomas Campbell.
     [PDF]
  3. Newly ordained ministers receive a portable communion set.
    [PDF]

The chairperson of the committee will download and complete the appropriate form linked below and send to Team Leader, Pam Phillips-Burk.

Certificates

Certificates are available from the Resource Center for milestone. Click on the link to purchase them.

Candidate Certificate

Licentiate Certificate

Ordination Certificate

Recognition of Ordination from Other Denomination Certificate 

Committee & Pastor Resources

  1. Interactive PDF-  this resource contains hyperlinks to all the resources available for committees and minister on the PDMT webpage. Download and save for easy access.
    [PDF]
  2. Ordination Record/Checklist
    – Sample from North Central Presbytery – Download
    – Sample from Red River Presbytery – Download
  3. Annual Evaluation – use this resource to conduct an annual evaluation and goal-setting for the shared ministries of the church. This evaluation tool is for both the pastor AND session. – Download

Books

The Pastoral Development Ministry Team has written three books that committees will find helpful in their work with inquirers, candidates, and ordained clergy.

The first is a book entitled Understanding God’s Call to Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church: Guide for Inquirers. This resource intended to be helpful for persons who are considering ministry as a vocation.

Download a PDF of the GuideSpanish Version

A second is a book entitled Understanding the Process for Ordination in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church: Handbook for Presbyterial Committees on the Ministry or Preparation for Ministry. This resource is intended to be useful for presbyterial committees in working with persons who are making their way through the probationary process toward ordination.

Download a PDF of the HandbookSpanish Version

The third book in the series is designed to assist a presbytery in their ongoing care and oversight of the ordained clergy.

Download a PDF of the ManualSpanish Version

Another helpful resource for committees who work with clergy is Covenant of Trust: Ministerial Ethics for Cumberland PresbyteriansThe Covenant of Trust is a study guide developed for the ministers and congregations of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church to define ethical standards of ministry that are clear to the ministers and congregations; help the session and congregation better understand stresses in the ministry and the parameters of accepted ministerial conduct; and help congregations explore ways they can healthily support their ministers.

Download a PDF of the book

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