423 Appointments to Cooperative Ventures

423.1 Introduction

Cooperative Ventures are an accepted part of church life in New Zealand. It is clear that great sensitivity is needed in ministering in this era of cooperation. Styles of leadership, liturgical expectations and awareness of denominational needs are some of the factors that need to be considered to avoid frustration in ecumenical appointments. The local church itself needs to be aware of the dangers of overlooking the particular needs of its members.

Appointing bodies have a major responsibility to themselves, their minister, their Partners and the Cooperative Venture in making an appointment.

This background paper is offered to encourage trust and responsibility in our work together.

423.2 Ministers

a) Before accepting an ecumenical appointment all ministers should be familiar with Guide to Procedures and share practical concern for unity and mission in the life of the church.

b) Discipline and Ethics:
The appointed minister shall be subject to the discipline of his/her partner denomination, and shall personally sign the Code of Ethics for Pastoral Care at the commencement of the appointment.

c) Appointees should be schooled in the traditions and expectations of all the participating Partners. Participating Partners, who are not of the appointee’s denomination, will appoint an advisor who shall make him/her self available to the new appointee with respect to church procedures.

d) Appointees should share in the work of the regional courts, ministers' gatherings, etc. of the Partners, not regarding this as a low priority.

e) At all times ministers need to be sensitive to the ecumenical nature of their appointment, particularly in office-bearer selection, recommendations on worship life and in channelling communication from church courts and agencies to those concerned.

f) Ministers should be familiar with major denominational decisions and read the journals and principal reports of the negotiating Partners.

423.3 Office Bearers

a) Office bearers have a duty to learn the ethos of their colleagues. A deliberate pattern of creative listening needs to be built into parish life. This is a major priority in any new ecumenical venture. Visits by ministers of different participating Partners should be encouraged to office bearer meetings, public worship, etc. to share this understanding. Such visits should be a regular feature of parish life.

b) In the case of a sexual harassment complaint against a lay person in a Cooperative Venture, any one of the processes of the Partners involved applies.

c) Representatives to regional Partners courts should include office bearers from all the Partners. Reports of such courts should be regularly received at parish council meetings.

423.4 Partners courts

a) In their selection of candidates for ecumenical appointment, the respective authorities should recommend persons whose experience and/or style equips them for the extra demands and opportunities of this work. Parish leaders and members of team ministries should be involved at the earliest possible time. (see 216, 421)

b) Bishops, moderators, superintendents and appropriate committees should exercise a close concern for their people in Cooperative Ventures. In particular, they should encourage the initial orientation of ministers and continue a pastoral interest in their ongoing work. With the approval of parish councils they should visit the parish.

c) As a regular part of their curriculum in ministry and mission, theological colleges are encouraged to include this ecumenical dimension. Departments concerned for in-service training are similarly encouraged.

423.5 Preparation

To ensure that appointees are instructed in the traditions and expectations of the other Partners involved the following procedures are outlined

a) (As early as possible) The appointing body should ensure that the prospective appointee is given a preliminary orientation by the appropriate authority in the other church (es) involved. This would include

b) the reading of appropriate literature on the ethos of other participating Partners

c) becoming familiar with the appropriate forms of worship

d)discussing with responsible officers of the other participating Partners their expectations for ministry in the proposed appointment.

e) The appointee should visit the parish before appointment is finalised to meet parish officials and where applicable the other minister(s).

f) At this meeting the job description for the new appointment and its relationship to total parish life are outlined, expectations of ministry shared and a check made as to whether there was likely to be any insuperable difficulty for a successful pastorate. (see 216)

423.6 Orientation

When a minister has been inducted, the Joint Regional Committee should ensure that adequate orientation takes place. If necessary it may arrange further orientation so that questions of leadership roles, pastoral expectations, and liturgical sensitivity are adequately covered. This may include:

a) a formal two or three day visit to a theological college

b) a one week association with a minister of another denomination

c) discussion with bishop or archdeacon, moderator or superintendent.

Orientation should at least include the appointee's presence at services of worship in the other traditions. This could become a regular event and could also involve key office bearers.

423.7 Clergy/lay dialogue

Three to six months following the induction, the JRC could initiate a clergy-lay dialogue programme to enable a sharing of expectations to take place between the minister and parish leaders.

423.8 Team ministries

(For a checklist on team ministry see 658)

a) A team ministry exists when the people appointed (two or more) commit themselves to support, challenge, and supplement each other as persons and as ministers. Team ministry can be described by the following examples -

Two or more ordained staff are appointed to care for a particular congregation within a parish
A parish which has more than one congregation requests that its ordained staff work as a team (ie across the congregations) rather than by giving each person full responsibility for a particular congregation within the parish
A parish decides to establish a lay-clergy ministry team with lay people working in specified ministry roles alongside the ordained person/s.
Local lay team ministry established by the parish under the oversight of one of the Partners. (See 426)

b) The effectiveness of a team ministry depends a great deal on the team members committing themselves to

meet regularly
engage in open dialogue
develop mutual trust and respect for each other's strengths and limitations.

Team ministries do not automatically happen when a parish has more than one staff member.

Special care must be taken when appointing bodies are seeking to appoint new and/or additional staff to a Cooperative Venture.

c) Existing procedures for the appointment of ministers should be interpreted and exercised with sufficient flexibility to ensure that the parish, existing team member/s and prospective team member/s feel they have a creative role in making a new appointment/s.

d) Care should be taken to acknowledge the specific emphases, needs and expectations of the parish into which a new team member is being appointed.

e) Existing team member/s must be consulted early in the process to ensure that their expectations and skills are acknowledged in the process of choosing a new team member.

f) Prospective appointees should meet with existing staff member/s and parish leaders before any appointment is ratified.

g) As a guide to designation of a new team member, appointing bodies/officials should note the broad personality characteristics that facilitate constructive team relationships.

A high level of self-esteem
An ability to communicate one's own feelings - needs
An ability to develop sustainable relationships
An ability to handle conflict constructively
An ability to accept and understand others.