Ministers: Serving Communities and Equipping Congregations
There are around 250 accredited ministers in the Baptist Union of Scotland. The majority are based in local churches, some are chaplains and a number are retired.
Members of the National Team are responsible for overseeing and supporting the development of ministers. They are supported in the pastoral care of ministers by Regional Pastors based around Scotland, most of whom are retired ministers who freely give their time to supporting colleagues.
Our pattern for continuing ministry development (CMD) is facilitated by our CMD Lead. This includes peer mentoring, a programme of workshops and conferences, an annual review of CMD and a high level of support for ministers in the first three (pre-accredited) years of ministry.
The National Team provides a ‘settlement process’ for churches seeking accredited ministers and accredited minsters seeking churches. This begins with a review of the ministry needs of the church and then introduces the church to ministers who are open to a new challenge and may be suitable to serve that congregation.
The Board of Ministry is a team drawn from across our churches who are responsible for discerning whether a person is called, suited and equipped for accredited ministry.
The Ministry Handbook
People have all kinds of questions about ministry in Scottish Baptist churches. These may include:
- What is accredited ministry?
- How can I prepare for ministry
- How do we as a local church call and support a minister?
- What happens at an induction service?
- What about a PVG Disclosure for a minister?
The Ministry Handbook is the main resource for finding answers to these questions. If your questions about ministry are not answered in the ministry handbook, feel free to contact Andrew Clarke, Leadership Development Lead.
andrew@scottishbaptist.org.uk