Through our work we support pastors in all stages, from Members in Discernment to seasoned leaders, to retiring clergy. We work closely with Committees on Ministry to help form and support congregational leaders.
The Indiana Kentucky Conference has a Unified Committee on Ministry (IKC UCOM) with five teams which provide support, connection, resources, procedures, and processes uniformly across our conference. These Teams include the Authorization Support Team, Congregation Support Team, Ministers Support Team and Fitness Review Team. The Indiana-Kentucky Conference’s Unified Committee on Ministry is committed to strengthening our covenant, connections and faith communities as we fulfill our mission to “live in covenant connecting and equipping local ministries to love and serve like Jesus.”
Email the Rev. Dr. Monica J. Ouellette about COM resources
The Authorization Support Team works with individuals discerning a call to authorized ministry in the United Church of Christ and with ecumenical partners seeking authorization and ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. The processes assigned to this team include:
Ø Traditional and Non-Traditional Members-in-Discernment (MID): this process is intended to engage all discernment partners (Member-in-Discernment, local church, Authorization Support Team, Association Discernment Committee, Advisor, Mentor, and Seminary,) in reflection, conversation and assessment, so that the need of the Church for excellent and faithful ministers may be met. A Traditional Member-in-Discernment is engaged in a Master of Divinity program at an accredited Seminary. A Non-Traditional Member-in-Discernment explores other paths to formulate an educational plan and obtain formative ministry experiences.
Ø Privilege of Call: this process is designed for an ordained minister who desires to leave their denomination of original authorization and become an Ordained Minister in the United Church of Christ.
Ø Dual Standing: this process is for an ordained minister of another denomination called to serve for a season in a ministry setting of the United Church of Christ. Dual Standing is a temporary standing in the United Church of Christ, valid only for the duration of the call.
Ø Ordained Ministerial Partner Standing: this process is designed for ordained ministers in good standing in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) or in the United Church of Canada. Ordained ministers with OMPS have access to the UCC’s profile system.
Ø License or Lay Ministerial Standing: this process authorizes a lay person in a local church to serve as their pastor. Licensing is a temporary, accountable covenantal relationship among the Association, the lay member, and a local church of the United Church of Christ. Licensing is limited to a single setting and needs to be renewed every year.
This Support Team works collaboratively with the Association Discernment Committees for Members-in-Discernment: the ministry of the Authorization Support Team includes guidance and administration, and the ministry of the Association Discernment Committee includes spiritual support and accompanying the MID through the process.
Resources:
The Congregation Support Team works to build meaningful relationships and support local congregations and their leaders. The processes assigned to this team include:
Ø visiting each congregation in the conference as part of the ‘Listening to Our Churches’ process,
Ø supporting congregations through the process of affiliating with the IKC and UCC,
Ø engage in Situational Support Consultations (in collaboration with the IKC Conflict Mediation Team) (MOM, section 2.6),
Ø resourcing congregational Pastoral Support Committees,
Ø meeting with churches considering leaving the denomination,
Ø send out a Congregation Yearly Review form to each congregation across the Conference,
Ø maintain and transfer Congregational Standing,
Ø maintaining a pulpit supply list for each Association.
Resources:
The Ministers Support Team works directly with authorized ministers through relationship building and processes of supportive oversight to facilitate health, wellbeing, preparedness, and professionalism among authorized ministers. The processes assigned to this team include;
Ø sending out minister’s yearly review forms for active, specialized and retired ministers,
Ø initiating and receiving requests for ministerial transfers of standing,
Ø engaging in minister’s three-year periodic support consultations, section 3),
Ø encouraging participation in Clergy Communities of Practice,
Ø partnering with the Boundary Awareness and Anti-Racism Teams to provide access to yearly training offerings,
Ø maintaining ministerial files,
Ø reviewing authorized ministers’ 3- or 4- way covenants,
Ø working with an authorized minster seeking endorsement,
Ø engaging in discernment meetings with a minister seeking a change to their standing due to life circumstances, such as occurs when seeking a leave of absence or change to Exempt Standing.
Resources:
3 year Periodic Review form 2025
Retired Exempt Standing Application Form
The Fitness Review Team acts in and on behalf of the United Church of Christ to ensure faithfulness and integrity in the deliberation of persons’ ministerial standing when questions or concerns are raised by individuals or congregations regarding an authorized minister’s fitness for ministry. The Manual on Ministry’s Ministerial Code (the ethical code for those who have ministerial standing in the UCC) governs all authorized ministers.
There are two entities that function within The Fitness Review Team: The Response Team and The Adjudication Team.
When there is a question regarding a minister’s fitness to serve in and on behalf of the United Church of Christ, that information is requested to come to both The Fitness Review Team and the Conference Minister. It is received as a blind case study – a narrative of what happened from the individuals involved, that articulates the fitness matter clearly – and is then reviewed by the Adjudication Team to determine whether it is, in fact, a fitness matter, a Situational Support Consultation, or without merit. If it is determined that it is a fitness matter, a detailed process document is generated, and the blind case study is handed over to The Response Team.
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