CRC Launches Credentialing Program

Note: This article references a program that has since been disbanded. Contact information for the program has been removed since the original publishing of the article.

Bryan Keeley, Cyndee Viel and Joy Koning are among the first people to receive credentials to serve in ministry as part of a new process now underway in the Christian Reformed Church.

Even before receiving credentials, the three have been involved in ministry at Third Christian Reformed Church in Kalamazoo, Mich.  Viel is  part-time director of children’s ministry; Koning is part-time worship coordinator; and Keeley is the church’s full-time youth pastor.  

Rev. Ken Baker, senior pastor of the church, says he is grateful that the CRC’s Pastor-Church Relations Office has developed the program, offering credentials to qualified applicants who have gone through an individualized program of study.

 “I welcome the credentialing program because it affirms the gifts, qualifications and experience of valuable members of our ministry team,”  said Baker.

“It is too easy to under-appreciate the professional ministry skills cultivated by these staff members over the years.  They have no ‘diploma’ on the wall that identifies their training for their work in ministry.  Now they have something to hang on the wall and hold to their hearts …”

The credentials are available for those who are seeking formal training and recognition for performing ministry in the Christian Reformed Church.

This avenue for credentialing has been many years in the making.

In 2005, the CRC formally began this process after discussing the need to create a path of credentialing for those already involved in ministry as non-ordained church ministry staff.

Credentialing was identified by denominational leadership as an important objective in the scorecard, which was an important element of measure in the CRC's ministry plan.

The last step in making this program a reality came in September of this year when the CRC's Board of Trustees endorsed the Credentialing for Church Ministry Staff Program, says Jeanne Kallemeyn, staff ministry specialist for the Pastor-Church Relations Office.

Along with this endorsement came the decision to inform classes and congregations of the BOT’s support of the program.

In addition, the BOT recognized the credentialed status of the 28 church and staff ministry leaders who had already been provisionally credentialed by the Pastor-Church Relations Office, says Kallemeyn.

"This program is for those who are recognized as having the knowledge, skills and character to do this well,” she says.

“It is for those who have a Reformed perspective and wish to apply and use it in their ministry work."

The credentialing process is focused on each individual's background, capabilities and aspirations.

Individual learning plans are developed for each applicant, and a series of questions relating to required criteria need to be filled out before a credential can be awarded.

Those who do have a credential are able to take it and use it when applying for a position at any Christian Reformed Church congregation.

Many of the people who have been credentialed or who are likely to consider applying for a credential are already involved in ministry in their church.

"These are people who already playing and can play a huge role in faith formation in their congregations. They are involved in the nitty-gritty work that reaches into their communities and their churches.

“This process is very timely as to what the denomination is trying to do at this time," says Kallemeyn, referring to the emphasis that denominational officials have begun to place on helping to further faith formation in congregations.

Among those who are already credentialed are worship and music directors, youth pastors, directors of children's ministry, education directors, evangelism directors and church administrators.

“The credentialing process made me review what I have done in the children’s education area of our church and denomination.  I was able to reflect on the changes and improvements that have been made since I began this journey with my church children and young families,” says Viel.

“It was a blessing to me to pause and reassess what I am doing for the children of my church. It acknowledged that I have the professional background, and experiences to accomplish the job that God has called me to do.”

Bryan Keeley says the credential recognizes a relatively new reality--the expansion of congregation-based youth ministries.

“Church life is changing from what it used to be 50 years ago,” he says.  The position of youth pastor is  a relatively new position in many churches as churches are becoming more dependent on trained staff to undertake ministry.

“The credentialing process gives a level of professional recognition to my calling at Third church,” he said.  

On a personal note, he says, he was recently engaged and his fiancée is applying to med school.

“If that med school isn't in Kalamazoo, then the credentialing I have received here will definitely help me find a youth ministry job somewhere else in the denomination,” he says.  

When Pastor-Church Relations considers accepting someone for the credentialing process, it looks first and foremost at the applicant’s character.

“One of the most important dimensions a person brings into ministry is his/her character,” says Kallemeyn.  

“Each person has visible and latent strengths of character, as well as visible and latent weaknesses. The purpose of this area of the credentialing process is to assure that character is affirmed by others and that there is self-awareness and growth in knowledge, acceptance and development of character.”

For those wishing to be employed in a ministry position for the CRC, knowledge is another important aspect of the process, and this includes knowledge of the beliefs of the Christian Reformed Church, and basic Bible knowledge.

Education and training and evidence of ministry skills are part of the application.

"We want to let people know that this process is now available and we are putting it into place for those people who either have or are seeking to have broader responsibility for ministry in their churches,” says Kallemeyn.