The Ministry Recognition Committee primarily works with those who are exploring a call to accredited Baptist ministry across the EMBA. It is comprised of representatives from the regional team, EMBA ministers, and others who have been appointed by our churches.
The MRC meets several times a year to discuss with candidates what their next steps might be.
If you sense that God might be calling you please speak initially with your minister/church leaders, and then with your Regional Minister. They would be able to offer advice and guidance in the initial stages of exploring a call.
In addition, the EMBA works with the Yorkshire Baptist Association and St Hild College to periodically host explore your call events where we can meet and chat with those who believe that God may be calling them into some form of ministry.
The Baptist Union currently recognises and accredits two broad groups of ministers:
Nationally Accredited Baptist Ministers
Accredited Baptist ministry, as recognised by the Baptist Union, signifies a minister who has undergone specific training and formation, and whose calling to ministry has been affirmed by the wider Baptist church, ensuring they are equipped and supported for their ministry role.
These are both exciting and challenging days to be a Baptist minister. Our understanding of what ministers are called to do is changing along with the place of Christian faith in Britain. Communicating the gospel today will include creative approaches to ministry that go beyond the established model of the minister who leads, pastors and preaches to a church congregation. Across the Baptist family, women and men are following God’s call into very different forms of ministry.
Some focus on specific areas of church life such as evangelism or children, youth and families. Others increasingly serve God in the public sphere as chaplains in health, education, prisons, industry, leisure and the armed forces. Still others are called to be pioneers for the gospel in wholly unchurched communities, living as a light for Jesus among people who otherwise never get to hear of him
So we now define accredited Baptist ministry not according to a role description or by the practice of particular skills such as preaching or worship leading. Instead, we look for a common set of characteristics and motivations among all our ministers. We call these the Marks of Ministry. They are the traits we seek to foster during training and sustain for the duration of each minister’s service, however different the expression of ministry may be.
Accredited Recognised Local Ministers (RLM)
Recognised Local Ministers are trained to a lower level than Accredited Baptist Ministers, but nevertheless play a vital role in serving local churches and mission projects across Baptists Together.
With our Recognised Local Minister programme, we aim to equip, support and recognise those who are committed to ministry in their locality, yet who feel that national accreditation is not for them.
A Recognised Local Minister is someone who:
- serves their local church or community by practising ministry or engaging in mission;
- can articulate a sense of calling to that local setting;
- has received an introduction to theology and the practice of ministry;
- has undergone a measure of testing and formation of their character and calling, and
- connects with the wider Baptist movement, mostly through their regional association.
Please note that each word in the term Recognised Local Minister is carefully chosen.
They are a ‘minister’ because they are entrusted by a Baptist church with the spiritual oversight of that church or the mission that emerges from it. This broad definition encircles at least those who are church pastors, pioneers, chaplains, evangelists or children’s, youth and families’ workers.
They are ‘local’ because it is their fitness to serve their particular ministry setting that is recognised. Their training aims to enable them to serve that setting. Their recognition relates ‘to this role, in this place, at this time.’
They are ‘recognised’ because, a) they have completed a programme of training that is common across Baptists Together and, b) their call, character and competence has been tested and affirmed by their regional association.
The recognition given to an RLM is awarded regionally but against a nationally agreed standard. Because it is for local ministry, recognition is not portable from place to place. An RLM who moves church or ministry setting asks their association to re-affirm their recognition for their new setting. This is hopefully a formality, but the association might ask the RLM to undertake a further aspect of training, or receive some coaching for their new position, for example.
You may also find these documents useful:
An Introduction to Accredited Baptist Ministry
An Introduction to Recognised Local Ministry
Exploring a Call to Accredited Baptist Ministry in the Baptist Union of Great Britain