Continuing Education Units for Clergy

Clergy Continuing Education "A Right and a Responsibility"

Clergy education has been characteristic of the Methodist movement from the beginning and continues to be vital for effective ministry. The experiences of God's love give us impetus to explore new information, to gain a better understanding, and to communicate more skillfully with the world. Clergy are lifelong learners. Continuing our education means we continually discover our God-given potential and develop it to its fullest, for empowering the awareness and development of the God-given potential of others.

The Discipline provides these details about clergy continuing education:

  1. A clergy member's continuing education and spiritual growth program should include such leaves at least one week each year and at least one month during one year of every quadrennium. Such leaves shall not be considered part of the minister's vacations.
  2. Clergy shall be asked by the district superintendent in the charge conference to report on their programs of continuing education, formation, and spiritual growth for the past year and plans for the year to come.
  3. A clergy member who has held full-time appointments for at least six years may request a formational and spiritual growth leave of up to 6 months while continuing to hold an appointment in the local church.
  4. Associate members and clergy members in full connection who have been serving in a full-time appointment for six consecutive years may be granted a sabbatical leave for up to one year, for a program of study or travel.
  5. The Board of Ordained Ministry shall provide support services for the ordained ministerlEUR™s career development, including personal and career counseling, continuing education, formation in servant leadership and continuing spiritual growth in Christ, assistance in preparation for retirement, and all matters pertaining to clergy morale.
  6. The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry shall provide guidance and resources or the continuing education, spiritual formation, and career development of faithful and effective pastors, deacons, chaplains, diaconal ministers and persons certified for specialized ministries serving in local churches, extension ministries, and other appointment settings in the church and world.

GBHEM fulfills its responsibility for guidance, in part, by specifying these tasks for the BOOM of each Annual Conference:

  • Establish minimal standards and guidelines concerning quantity, quality, goals, and financial assistance.
  • Ensure availability.

At its February plenary, our conferences BOOM adopted the standards and guidelines suggested by the Division Of Ordained Ministry of GBHEM. These are as follows:

  • Each clergy member should complete eight units of continuing education (CEUs) every quadrennium.

There are two styles suggested for continuing education:

  • A supervised or leader-directed activity
  • A self-directed activity that has a clearly-defined plan including an accountability person or group to whom the learner relates while implementing the learning activities. For equivalency purposes, 1 CEU = 10 contact hours
  • CEUs need to be registered with the BOOM-elected registrar for Continuing Education, Rev. Bridgette LeConey, P.O.Box 308, White Sulpher Springs, NY 12787. Her telephone number is 845-292-6517. A formal certificate/transcript is not required, but a written acknowledgement is necessary. For the convenience of NYACs clergy, BOOM has developed a reporting form. Forms are available by contacting Rev. LeConey or by download below.

Click here to download the Continuing Education Units Reporting Form.

Coordinating continuing education for clergy is an aspect of BOOMs responsibility to develop systems for clergy support and accountability. The Board of Ordained Ministry is available and ready to serve the clergy and diaconal ministers of NYAC through continuing education opportunities.

Continuing Education Resources

  • AACC - American Association of Christian Counseling www.aacc.net. (Provide training in the area of pastoral and professional counseling.) World Conference Sept 11-14, 2013 Opryland Hotel, Nashville, TN - AACC 2013 "Our Time is Now." Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this." Esther 4.14b. There are 23 tracks of training to choose from. They also have trainings via webinars and DVD guided programs. All information is available on their website.
  • Your ChurchResources.comfor information regarding "Church Law and Tax Report" and "Church and Clergy Tax Guide" published by Christianity Today.
  • 21st Century Strategies, Inc.: Effective Church Strategies effectivechurch.com/. Since 1987 our consultants, Bill Easum and Bill Tenny-Brittian, have directly served more than 1,000 churches, trained hundreds of thousands of church leaders.
Board of Ordained Ministry (BOOM)