In the United Church of Christ, we are heirs of the Reformed tradition in which all the baptized are recognized as ministers of and to the church. We are also convinced that some are called to ministries in and on behalf of wider settings of the church – forms of ministry which invite wider church authorization and recognition. In the United Church of Christ, these forms of ministry include ordained, licensed and commissioned ministry – collectively referenced as “authorized ministers.” In each association of the Iowa Conference there is a “Committee on Ministry (COM)” which serves to discern calling to and fitness for these particular ministries.
Any person who senses a call to pastoral ministry – or any other wider church ministry – is strongly encouraged to initiate contact with their own COM and enter into a period of discernment of and potentially formation for that particular call.
Initial contact to begin this process can be either with the conference staff person who supports that particular COM or with the chair of that particular committee. The staff person for each committee is:
- Northwestern Association – Tony Stoik
- Northeast Association – Jonna Jensen
- Central Association – Tony Stoik
- Eastern Association – Jonna Jensen
- Southwestern Association – Tony Stoik
- Southeastern Association – Jonna Jensen
Additionally, each of the 6 associations follows as basic policy the procedures and standards spelled out in the United Church of Christ Manual on Ministry (MOM). Potential candidates for any form of authorized ministry are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the appropriate sections of MOM. The Iowa Conference is committed to processes of fairness and rigor in matters of discerning call. We welcome your inquiry.