Procedures

Calling a Minister

Before doing anything else about calling a minister,
please read the Procedures for Filling a Vacancy – 2015.

 

Terms of call

Before a congregation may call a minister, it must gain approval for the remunerative package it proposes to provide. This package, called the terms of call, is summarised on the Terms of Call Form

The terms of call must be approved at a congregational meeting and the form must be sent (in triplicate) to the presbytery. When the presbytery approves the terms of call, it will forward one copy to the Ministry and Mission Committee for final approval which will be notified to the Clerks of both the presbytery and the session concerned.

Approval for terms of call lasts only for twelve months. If a minister is not inducted in that time, the terms of call must be reconsidered and resubmitted to the presbytery and the Committee for approval.

A church cannot insert a minister’s name in a call unless its terms of call have current approval (i.e. unless they have been approved within the last twelve months).

Before submitting the Terms of Call Form, please ensure that every item is completed accurately and, in the narrative section on the first page, please follow the form of words indicated. Please note that this is a legally binding document setting out the basis on which a minister will agree to come and serve your church.

The above flowchart can be downloaded here.

Call forms

When a congregation wishes to call a particular minister, it inserts his name in a Call Form.
Communicant members of the congregation then have the opportunity to sign the call.

• Call to minister form for communicant members

Adherent members have the opportunity to sign the Form of Concurrence.

• Concurrence in Call to minister for adherents

Please note: a call may be issued to a person who is qualified to be a minister but who has not been previously ordained (e.g. a graduating student). In that situation, please use the Form of Call to a Licentiate or, for adherents, the Form of Concurrence in a Call to a Licentiate.

• Call to Licentiate form for communicant members
• Concurrence in Call to Licentiate for adherents

Use this call cover sheet when call documents are collated for presentation to the presbytery.