2016 Wesleyan Discipline:Educational institutions, general: Ministerial Study Course Agency

2. Ministerial Study Course Agency

2385. Ministerial training within The Wesleyan Church will ordinarily take place in one of the approved educational institutions. However, for those persons whose circumstances make such institutional education impossible in whole or in part, the Education and Clergy Development Division shall provide correspondence courses of study. The correspondence courses shall also be open to others who wish to prepare for Christian service. (Cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3200–3210.)

2388. The Ministerial Study Course Agency shall be maintained at the denominational headquarters to centralize and standardize the keeping of records on all students for the various ministries recognized by The Wesleyan Church and the administering of the correspondence study courses for those ministries (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3200–3210). It shall be directed by the Executive Director of Education and Clergy Development. The duties of the Executive Director of Education and Clergy Development in this connection shall be:

(1) To maintain records on all students for the various ministries recognized by The Wesleyan Church, whether enrolled in educational institutions or in correspondence courses (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3170:1-3), and including students of the lay minister’s course of study (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3210:4; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3420), commissioned minister’s course of study (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3059:1b; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3210:3); the pre-ordination course of study (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3040:2; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3051:1; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3070:3; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3210:1), the courses of study for specialized ministries (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3210:2), and the special worker’s courses of study (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3210:5; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3460-3470). The records shall include transcripts, grades, courses finished, and current standing. The Agency shall exchange needed information with the educational institutions and the local and district boards directing the students, issuing an annual report concerning progress for the year and current standing to each student, a similar report on each student of the lay minister’s course of study to the local board of administration of the local church where membership is held, and a similar report on each student recognized by the district to the home district board of ministerial development prior to the session of the district conference (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1387:2; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1390:2; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3040:2; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3460).

(2) To provide a correspondence course for each course required in each course of study, securing the services of a qualified instructor and approving the choice of textbooks and study plans, providing for the registration of students properly authorized to use the correspondence courses (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3170:3), and providing study guides and instructions as well as examinations which shall be administered through an ordained minister whenever possible (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3200).

(3) To provide suitable transcripts and to issue certificates upon the satisfactory completion of the work assigned (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:6410).

(4) To evaluate any training taken outside the institutions and agencies of The Wesleyan Church by a student for one of the ministries recognized by The Wesleyan Church, to judge the equivalence of such outside training to the appropriate course of study, and to report any conclusions and recommendations to the appropriate local board of administration or district board of ministerial development (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3070:3; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3104:4; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3170:4; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3470).