Office of Vocation

About the Office of Vocation

The Office of Vocation is the body in the United Church’s structure that supports the accreditation of ministry personnel. Through the Office, these functions previously performed by presbyteries and Conferences have become a permanent part of the General Council.

The Office of Vocation also relates to candidates for ministry through the Candidacy Boards.

Purpose

The Office of Vocation supports the processes for the discernment and training of ministry personnel, the determination of their fitness/readiness for accreditation, the fulfillment of continuing education standards, and the formal processes for oversight and discipline of ministry personnel.

• View the Introducing the Office of Vocation video.
• View the Introducing the Structures of the Office of Vocation video.

NB: These videos were created when the Office of Vocation was first introduced in January 2019. They are still relevant to understanding how the Office of Vocation functions, but the structural organization chart has been updated (see graphic below in Structure), and the membership of the various committee has continued to evolve. 

The Office of Vocation is responsible for establishing standards for ministry personnel (The Manual E.2.2). The Standards for Accreditation Committee oversees this responsibility. These standards are to contribute to the effectiveness of ministry personnel in their leadership in communities of faith and beyond, responding to God’s call. The committee has spent time reviewing and approving standards for training and accreditation for admission of ministers from other denominations and learning outcomes for the professional development of ministry personnel, including mandatory training on racial justice and boundaries for church leaders. Often the standard is an outline of the learning outcomes for an education program. The approved standards are found in the Downloads section of this page.

You can also find out more about the Office of Vocation in Connex issue 60 (Sept. 2019).

Structure

Office of Vocation structure as of October 2019

The Office of Vocation is supported by staff in the General Council Office and deployed Office of Vocation ministers.

To carry out its responsibilities, the Office consists of the Board of Vocation and several committees and commissions:

• Board of Vocation: the elected member body accountable for the work of the Office of Vocation to the General Council. Find out more about the Board in Connex issue 58 (April 2019).
• Standards for Accreditation Committee (Standards Committee): implements the policies set by the General Council by recommending standards to the Board of Vocation in the areas defined by The Manual, section E.2.2
• Credentialing Committee: supports processes for ministry partners, admission applicants, and chaplaincies, and determines and responds to applications from ministry personnel who wish
  • to be readmitted from the Discontinued Service List
  • to be intentional interim ministers
  • to become educational supervisors (see Process for Credentialing as an Educational Supervisor under Downloads, below)
    Find out more about this committee in Connex issue 61 (Dec. 2019), page 3.
• Response Committee: determines the best process to follow with respect to concerns raised about ministry personnel and ensures there are trained and supported reviewers, investigators and conflict resolution facilitators and people with other expertise as required
• Remedial Committee: assesses findings related to the effectiveness of a ministry personnel or investigations about alleged breach of ethical standards, and may initiate formal complaints
• Admission Board: assesses ministers from other denominations seeking to be admitted to The United Church of Canada, deciding suitability and eventual completion of the admission process. Find out more about this board in Connex issue 61 (Dec. 2019), page 4.
• Candidacy Boards: enact the Candidacy Pathway—name candidates for ministry, terminate candidacy, determine readiness for accreditation for commissioning to diaconal ministry, ordained ministry, and designated lay ministry; the Indigenous Candidacy Board serves the Indigenous Church. Find out more about the Pathway in Connex issue 59 (June 2019), page 2.

Videos

• How to OV – Annual Declarations: Explains how to complete the Annual Declarations for Ministry Personnel.
• How to OV - Board vs. Office of Vocation: Explains the difference between these two bodies and how they work together.
• How to OV – Good Standing: A short video about good standing for ministry personnel.
• How to OV - Indigenous Office of Vocation: Explains how the Indigenous OV relates to the OV and the wider church, and how the Calls to the Church relate to the ongoing work of the church.
• How to OV – What Does an Office of Vocation Minister Do? With Tanya Cameron, Office of Vocation Minister.
• Vocational Life of Ministry Personnel: Roles and Responsibilities: Explains how ministry personnel engage with the Office of Vocation and regional councils throughout their vocational life. Please find the Vocational Life of Ministry Personnel: Roles and Responsibilities chart below for reference.
• What Can ChurchHub Do for You?: What ChurchHub is, what it can do, and why you should be excited about using it!

Contact Us

Toll-free: 1-800-268-3781
Local: 416-231-7680
E-mail: Office of Vocation