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Principles for the Orderly Exchange of Ordained Ministers of Word and Sacrament

Policy and Procedures Related to the Availability of Ordained Ministers between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Church Bodies with which a Relationship of Full Communion has been Established.

Background

In accord with the governing documents of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, policy related to the orderly exchange of ordained ministers between the participating church bodies is developed by the Division for Ministry, reviewed by the Conference of Bishops, and adopted by the Church Council. Such policy would apply to ordained ministers of this church who, while being retained on the roster of the ELCA, would serve temporarily in a church body with which a relationship of full communion has been established, and to ordained ministers of a church body with which a relationship of full communion has been established who would serve temporarily in a congregation or other ministry setting of this church.

I. Ordained Ministers of Another Church Body Serving in the ELCA

Occasional Service. An ordained minister of a church body with which a relationship of full communion exists may be asked to preach or administer the sacraments in an ELCA congregation on an occasional basis with the authorization of the synodical bishop.

Extended Service. An ordained minister of a church body with which a relationship of full communion exists may be invited by the synodical bishop to serve as the pastor of an ELCA congregation for an extended period of time, yet remain an ordained minister of another church body. Such a person will be expected to preach, teach, and administer the sacraments in an ELCA congregation in a manner that is consistent with the "Confession of Faith" of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and to live in a manner consistent with the expectations of this church as stated in "Vision and Expectations-Ordained Ministers in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. " Such service shall be rendered only as authorized by the synodical bishop in order to serve the ministry and mission needs of the ELCA or its ecumenical partners in a given situation.

Service in a congregation of this church or employing entity shall be rendered under a contract between the congregation or employing entity and the ordained minister, for a stated period of time in a form proposed by the synodical bishop and approved by the congregation. Extended service is reviewed annually by the Synod Council or Church Council.

Upon the recommendation of the synodical bishop and approval by the Synod Council, the synodical bishop authorizes an extended service ministry.

  1. Upon such authorization the ordained minister enters service in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America through an entry rite to be developed which
    acknowledges the ordained minister's service as pastor in a congregation or other setting of ministry in this church.
  2. The Rite of Installation is not used as that rite is for use only for a regularly called ordained minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
  3. An ordained minister who is approved to serve in an extended service ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America may be granted voice and vote in a synod assembly.

At any time for the sake of the ongoing ministry, the synodical bishop may withdraw authorization for service-or the congregation, employing agency or ordained minister may terminate a contract for extended service-after consultation with the other parties to the contract.
 
Transfer of Roster Status. An ordained minister of a church body with which a relationship of full communion exists who seeks to serve indefinitely within the ordained ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America may apply for admission to the roster of ordained ministers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America under the policy of "Admission to the Roster of Ordained Ministers of Persons Ordained in Another Christian Tradition" for consideration of approval by a synodical candidacy committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Such an ordained minister would then become an ELCA pastor upon receipt and acceptance of a regular call and installation in an ELCA congregation or other approved setting. Roster status in more than one church body at a time is precluded in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

II. Ordained Ministers of the ELCA Serving in Another Church Body

An ordained minister of this church, serving for an extended period of time in a church body with which a relationship of full communion exists, may be retained on the roster of ordained ministers upon the recommendation of the synodical bishop and by action of the Synod Council in the synod in which the ordained minister is listed on the roster.

III. Procedures for Availability of Ordained Ministers

A. Resources. The Division for Ministry recommends resources such as the following to assist synodical bishops in familiarizing ordained ministers of another church body with the life and practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The Book of Concord;
Constitution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, particularly chapters, 2-7 , and 9;
Vision and Expectations–Ordained Ministers in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America;
The Use of the Means of Grace;
Lutheran Book of Worship;
With One Voice;
Christian Dogmatics (Braaten and Jensen);
The Lutherans in North America (Nelson); and
One Great Cloud of Witnesses (Almen).

B. Assessment. Authorization for extended service is given by the Synod Council, on the basis of the synodical bishop's assessment of the ordained minister's suitability for service. The bishop may wish to appoint a panel to assist in this determination. The Division for Ministry recommends that this not be a responsibility of the full synodical candidacy committee, although members of the committee may serve on the panel.

C. Pension and Medical Insurance. A determination of the ordained ministers's medical and disability insurance will be made. (The Board of Pensions of the ELCA is studying the pension and benefits implications for implementation of A Formula of Agreement and will bring recommendations.) It is anticipated that a congregation of this church will be able to contribute to the plan of another church body in order to provide appropriate medical coverage and a pension plan. Similarly, an ordained minister of this church serving in another church body will need to determine that Board of Pensions (or another comparable plan) coverage is provided by the employing body.

D. Accountability and Pastoral Care. An ordained minister of another church body is accountable to the jurisdiction or judicatory in which the ordained minister is "rostered" or in other ways a member. Similarly, an ordained minister of this church serving in another church body remains on the roster of this church and is accountable to the synodical bishop of the synod in which rostered. The synodical bishop is responsible for appropriate pastoral care and leadership for a congregation served by an ordained minister of another church body in the same manner as when the congregation is served by an ordained minister of this church (ELCA constitutional provision l0.31.a..3).

E. Exchange of Information. The assessments, authorizations, and reviews necessary to the orderly exchange of ordained ministers between church bodies with which a relationship of full communion exists require the complete and continuing disclosure to the synod of all information concerning the past and present ministry of ordained ministers serving in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, or of ELCA ordained ministers serving under call from the Synod Council or Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Such disclosure must include any disciplinary proceedings concerning such ordained ministers, including discipline related to conduct during service in the ELCA by an ordained minister of another church body.

F. Source of Call. An ordained minister of this church serving in a congregation, local, or regional ministry setting of another church body serves under a letter of call from the Synod Council in which the ordained minister is rostered. An ELCA ordained minister serving in a national ministry setting of another church body serves under a letter of call from the ELCA Church Council. This call is subject to annual review by the Synod Council or Church Council.

G. Recognized Status of an Authorized Minister. An ordained minister of another church body serving in a congregation or other ministry of this church needs to be appropriately recognized. While not a member of this church nor included in the Roster of Ordained Ministers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, an ordained minister of another church body shall have a recognized status within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Division for Ministry, in consultation with the Office of the Secretary, will develop a recommended nomenclature for this status.

IV. Titles

The usual title "pastor of (insert name of congregation)" would be used for ordained ministers serving in an ELCA congregation. The professional title of "The Rev. " for an ordained minister also would be understood as applicable, in view of that ordained minister's officially recognized status in a church body with which the ELCA has a relationship of full communion.

Adopted by the Church Council
as policy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
April 1998

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