Calling And Ministry Studies
The credentialing of Church of God ministers is a ministry formation process. In this process, the church partners with the individual in order to help the individual develop the abilities to fulfill his/her divine call and place of ministry. This developmental journey occurs through personal discovery, education, training, and becoming a credentialed minister in the Church of God.
The Ministerial Internship Program is the primary means for completing this ministry formation process. In the MIP, there are two fundamental segments: (1) Calling And Ministry Studies (CAMS), which is a prerequisite to the MIP, and (2) the three essential components of MIP—MIP Ministry Formation Studies, MIP Seminars, and MIP Practicum. The Calling And Ministry Studies (CAMS) assists the individual in discovering his/her divine call and place in ministry and aids the church in assessing the suitability of the candidate for ministry in the Church of God. The three essential components in MIP train the individual with the beginning knowledge and skills to fulfill his/her call and place in ministry.
The purpose of the Calling And Ministry Studies (CAMS) is twofold: (1) to help the applicant determine his/her calling and understand the meaning and practices of ministry, and (2) to help the church assess the applicant’s suitability for credentialed ministry in the Church of God. Fulfilling the twofold purpose is beneficial to the applicant and to the denomination. When one realizes what God has called him/her to do and the individual carries out the calling, then he/she is enriched personally and the church is enhanced. At the conclusion of CAMS, it is anticipated that the applicant and the state CAMS coordinator, along with members of the Ministerial Development Board, can determine the calling of the individual and the applicant’s suitability for ministering in the Church of God.
There are two sections to CAMS—seminars and individual study. The purposes of the seminars are, (1) to identify how an individual knows he/she has a divine call, (2) to explain what the meaning and practices of ministry are, and (3) to assist the applicant in determining what his/her divine call is and in understanding what ministry is. The seminars are attended by both applicants and spouses.
The applicant completes three Certificate In Ministerial Studies (CIMS) courses—Knowing Your Church, Learning the Practices of Ministry, and Understanding Yourself and Others through individual study. The objective of these three courses is to aid the applicant in comprehending the divine call and ministry. In addition, the applicant writes a paper on his/her calling into the ministry and a paper on his/her theology of ministry. The spouses also write papers on their calling into the ministry and view of ministry.
To apply for CAMS, interested individuals should ask their pastors to contact the denominational office in their state or region for an application. Those outside the United States are to ask their pastors to contact their national offices for an application.
