September 13, 2009

The Ordained Ministry of the Moravian Church in the Eastern West Indies Province is understood as Ministry to the whole person through the gifts of the Holy Spirit and by the direction of Jesus Christ our Chief Elder. This Ministry is carried out through an individual who has:

Ø  Been called of God into full-time service,

Ø  Been examined and accepted as a candidate for Ministry by the Provincial Elders Conference,

Ø  Gone through the necessary training at an institution approved by the PEC and satisfactorily completed a required course,

Ø  After a period of probation in which the spiritual, mental, and physical development of the individual is taken into consideration, been ordained and called into a specific pastorate.

“The Ordained Minister remains a Servant of Christ and the Church as a whole, not merely of the Congregation or Ministry to which he/she has been called. Even as Jesus Christ came not to be Ministered unto but to Minister, so His Servants should be willing to Minister wherever the Church calls them under the leading of the Holy Spirit”.(Church Order of the Unitas Fratrum, 2002).

The following functions are reserved for the Ordained Ministers:

Ø  Confirmation Service

Ø  Infant and Adult Baptism

Ø  Marriages

Ø  Celebrant at the Holy Communion, except in a case where the elements have already been consecrated by an Ordained Minister.

The care of members is a vital aspect of the ministry of the Church. The Minister must ensure that careful thought and planning be given to the care of the members under his/her care. The following are to be done in conjunction with the Board of Elders:

Ø  Visiting of the elderly and shut-ins

Ø  Visiting of members, generally

Ø  Attending to members in moments of crisis

Ø  Ensure accessibility to members

In addition, the Minister is the Chief Worship Leader in the Congregation and should be prepared to organize and lead the worship experience of the Congregation, preach, teach, lead bible studies, organize office hours for guidance and counsel of members and others, and generally make himself/herself available to offer guidance to all the groups and organizations within the congregation. ( To be continued…)