Ghana Baptist Convention Resources
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1. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION, PROMOTION AND DEMOTION
The criteria for evaluation, promotion and demotion, based on Ezra 7:10 and 2 Timothy 2:2, shall be as follows:
Educational Qualification: This relates to cognition/knowledge/the ability "to know"/educating the mind/academic formation.
Ministry Experience: This relates to competence/skills/the ability "to be"/educating the hands/ministry formation.
Christian Commitment: This relates to character/attitude/the ability "to be"/educating the heart/spiritual formation.
The above can be summarized into two criteria.
A. EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT
Two tracks are available for theological eucation in the Ghana Baptist Convention:
ACADEMIC TRACK:. this is theological education acquired from a formal theological institution recognized by the Ghana Baptist Convention. This track produces professional ministers.
DENOMINATIONAL TRACK MINISTRY (DTM):. this is a theological education at an informal level for bi-vocational ministers from the Ghana Baptist Convention's recognized DTM Centres. This track produces bi-vocational ministers.
B. MINISTRY REQUIREMENTS
The following factors will be used as indicators of faithful (the heart) and fruitful (the hands) ministry experience.
CALLING: a clear objective and subjective affirmation of a call to the Christian Ministry.
CHARACTER/FRUITING: a positive testimony in the home, the church and the community of a maturing Christian character demonstrated by the cultivation of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
CHARISMA/GIFTING: a demonstration of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which are related to one's area of ministry, e.g, as an Evangelist or Pastor or Bible Teacher or Ministry Administrator or Minister of Music.
COMPETENCE: having the capacity to function efficiently and effectively as a Minister of the Gospel in the Lord's vineyard.
PRODUCTIVITY: yieelding qualitative and quantitative fruit/results from one's ministry.
LENGTH OF SERVICE: the number of years of ministry experience.
PROFESSIONAL BODY INVOLVEMENT: evidence of active participation in the Baptist National Ministers' Conference, the Baptist Association Ministers' Fellowship, Associational Meetings and Convention Annual Sessions.
POSITIONS OF SERVICE: the positions held at Baptist Associational, Sector and Conventional levels, as well as in other organizations.
CONTINUING THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION (CTE): evidence of continuing theological education through participation in Theological Educations Board's (TEB) CTE programmes as well as in other theological or ministryseminars, workshops, conferences and personal theological studies. Continuing Theological Education (CTE) credits will be awarded by the TEB's Informal Theological Education (ITE) council in the above programmes.
MULTI-MINISTRY SUPERVISION: evidence of the successful supervision of several growing churches or the successful supervision of several ministry departments within a growing church or ministry organization.
2. IMPLEMENTATION BODY (WHO GRADES?)
The Ministerial Recognition Committee will grade Ministers with inputs from the local Baptist Church or ministry organization, Association, Sector Executive Committee, Baptist ministers Conference, Local Baptist Ministers' fellowship and any other relevant body.
Caution: care must be taken to ensure that the Implementation Body does not abuse or misuse the power through "grading politics".
This grading scheme is a national grading scheme. Each local church may have its own grading scheme.
3. BASIS FOR MINISTRY REQUIREMENT
Promotion to a higher grade my take place through one or two pathways:
1. Through the acquisition of a higher educational qualification.
2. Through the acquisition of more years of faithful and fruitful ministry experience. This gives an opportunity for EVERY MINISTER to climb up the promotion ladder. However, candidated with higher educational qualifications move up faster since their higher qualification provides them with more knowledge and skills for ministry.
The possesion of a bachelors degree or masters degree or doctorate degree automatically places a candidate in the next grading category. This is because the candidate has now gained more knowledge and skills for ministry.
Since we are living in the twentieth century, an age of information technology, the Diploma in Theology or its equivalent is used as the basic educational qualification. All other qualifications above and below the Diploma in Theology have a FOUR YEAR gap in between them.
For each educational qualification, promotion to the next grade may take place after every FOUR YEARS of faithful and fruitful ministry.
This is to ensure that ministers are challenged to be faithful and fruitful in ministry.