Ordination

From Rites & Rituals - 2011

Section 4 - Ordination

Please note that Ecumenicon Fellowship does not require any candidate to give up any prior affiliations to any other organization, nor bar any candidate from pursuing training under any other program.

Subsection 4a – Qualification

All petitions should be sent to trustees@ecumenicon.org for review by all Trustees in office.

1. The petitioner must have clearly demonstrated the capacity to function in worship as a religious leader, as follows:

• Ritual construction and presentation.
• Presentation of religious education in one’s path.
• Presentation of instruction at the annual interfaith retreat.
• Demonstration of continuing religious education.

2. The petitioner must be accepting of faith paths not his/her own.

3. The petitioner’s capabilities to function in the desired office must be recognized by the ordaining body, the Trustees.

4. The petitioner must have been a member in good standing (dues-paying member) of Ecumenicon for a year and a day before petitioning for ordination and throughout the duration of the candidacy (if prolonged more than a year and a day).

5. As a demonstration of his/her qualifications, prior to ordination, the petitioner must have functioned in the desired office for a year and a day.

Evidence of prior qualifications from another organization shall be considered, as long as the petitioner has been a member, in good standing, of Ecumenicon for a year and a day.

6. The petition presented to the Trustees must include:

• The title of the appointment the petitioner seeks;
• The qualifications he/she believes necessary to perform in that position; and,
• His/her demonstrated ability in fulfilling those qualifications. The demonstrated ability portion of the petition will include formal class room training/degrees, seminars, pathway training in the subject, and on-the-job training, as well as actual experience in the field.

7. All petitioners are asked to produce a service project during their minimum year and a day intern period, documenting their qualifications and activities appropriate to the office. The records of this service project are kept in archival copies so that future interns have models to follow.

8. All interns are expected to take a minimum of 3 hours of continuing education in ethical counseling per year. Classes may be from many sources, but approval for any single class is being handled by Trustee Rev. Rik Fire at rikfire11@aol.com who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. If there is any question about counseling courses, contact Trustee Fire for final decision.

9. The above are minimum requirements. Other activities may be individually assigned by the Trustees.

Subsection 4b – Clergy ResponsibilitiesWhile all clergy may not be trained in the same office, nor have the same focus of ministry, they all have certain rights and responsibilities conferred upon them by state custom and by legal jurisprudence.

1. Clergy Identification Cards. As clergy are often called upon in emergency situations, a Clergy Identification Card will be produced by Ecumenicon Fellowship to uniformly identify those who choose to serve as clergy within the Fellowship and the wider world. This card will have, at minimum, the clergy’s name, picture, the legal address of Ecumenicon Fellowship, and a contact phone number and e-mail address. We will sustain confidentiality by providing blind e-mail addresses through the Web site if requested.

2. Right of Witness to a marriage, handfasting, handparting, divorce, child blessing, house blessing, or other rite of Ecumenicon Fellowship. If called upon as the representative of Ecumenicon Fellowship, they are expected to create records as called upon in the above sections to identify all such rites.

3. Hospital Visitation. Any clergy in Ecumenicon Fellowship will be identified to public health officials if any such person contacts the Trustees or Board of Directors for verification of status.

4. Prison Visitation. Any clergy in Ecumenicon Fellowship will be identified to legal enforcement officials for prison visitation if any such person contacts the Trustees or Board of Directors for verification of status.

5. Chaplaincy. Clergy within Ecumenicon Fellowship are encouraged to apply for chaplaincy programs at hospitals, military posts, or other appropriate venues. Ecumenicon Fellowship will do everything in its power to enable a candidate for such an office in appropriate education or letters of referral.

6. Responsibility of Confidentiality. Clergy confidentiality for persons under their counseling care is sustained; however, in accordance with public policy, Ecumenicon Fellowship is fully considered a mandatory reporter in respect to proven and reported child abuse or sexual abuse. Child abuse or neglect is any recent act or failure to act: resulting in imminent risk of serious harm, death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation of a child (usually a person under the age of 18, but a younger age may be specified in cases not involving sexual abuse) by a parent or caretaker who is responsible for the child’s welfare. Also see Section 8. Banishment.

7. Uniform Rates. So that clear responsibilities are maintained and Ecumenicon Fellowship does not become perceived as a “marriage mill,” a uniform rate for witness to a marriage will be required by all clergy, with a portion of the monetary fee reserved as a donation to Ecumenicon Fellowship as the ordaining body. Clergy are considered self-employed under the current tax code and all other income beyond Ecumenicon Fellowship’s portion are considered taxable income. State laws vary on how much a justice of the peace charges, and discussion will be necessary on this matter for each occasion and its location.

8. Continuing Education. All clergy must demonstrate continuing education to maintain their licensure within Ecumenicon by taking a minimum of 3 hours of continuing education training in pastoral ethical counseling per year from a qualified trainer. Training classes will be offered from time to time within Ecumenicon and for the wider interfaith community to enable our clergy to sustain this requirement. Proof of this continuing education must be forwarded to the Trustees in the form of a signed letter/certificate by the educator or educating body.

9. Tax Deductions and Ecumenicon Clergy. Ecumenicon clergy and officers, in the performance of their duties, may need to expend funds for travel, education, or supplies. Moneys unreimbursed by Ecumenicon may be receipted for tax purposes by sending a copy of the receipts and an itemized list to the elected Treasurer, an appointed Fiscal Officer, or a Trustee. A clergyperson or Trustee may not self-certify but must have another agent counter-sign any deductions taken for official duties including continuing education that are specifically registered in Ecumenicon Fellowship’s behalf. Such records are considered confidential to the Trustees in the performance of their duties, but may be released to legally recognized tax authorities in the appropriate jurisdictions (local, state, federal). An archival copy will be kept in the locked central archive under the person’s name and appropriate identification. (PASSED BY THE TRUSTEES – January 2011)

10. Clergy Service Participation. Ecumenicon Fellowship Clergy do not serve in a vacuum and are expected to be involved In the ongoing activities of the church. A clergyperson is in service to a wider community, and demonstrating this through participation in Ecumenicon-sponsored activities is a requirement. All clergy are expected to serve on at least one service committee beyond their own ministry or, an elected office, or Trusteeship per year (see appointments). For service project approval contact the Trustees at trustees@ecumenicon.org (PASSED AT CLERGY CONFERENCE, August 2011)