FOR PASTORS
Accreditation
We are eager to identify and encourage women and men who are being called to be pastoral leaders in life, ministry, and mission of our church communities.
If you are exploring such a calling, the following information will provide some guidelines for discerning a way ahead to enter into that calling. While every person who explores with us is taken on an individual basis, there is a ‘base-line’ pathway that usually forms the framework for our exploration.
3 Phases of learning and development
1
Completion of a degree in Ministry or Theology
2
Progress through our Accredited Ministry Formation process
3
Continuing Accreditation

Start with a degree
Completion of a Bachelor of Ministry, Master of Divinity or equivalent is the usual, necessary foundation for ministry leadership in a Baptist church.
The following units of study are recommended:
- Biblical studies
IncludingOld Testament and New Testament overviews, hermeneutics, and two exegesis subjects - Theology
Including an introductory subject, church history, and two further subjects - Ministry
Including preaching, leadership, a cultural awareness subject, a local mission subject, two pastoral care subjects and at least two semesters of Supervised Field Education
Accredited Ministry Formation
This process gives attention to:

Head: A body of knowledge
Learning via formal courses (four post-graduate intensives taken for credit or audit), peer group, supervision and ministry experience.

Hands: Competencies
Ministry skills are developed with attention paid to 4 particular areas:
- Pastoral care
- Leadership
- Communication/Self-leadership
- Mission

Heart: Character and Spiritual Formation
Attention to the whole person, who you are and who you are becoming. This is about intentional formation via a range of means including Spiritual Direction, attention to spiritual disciplines, prayer retreats, theological reflection, exploration of character growth and emotional intelligence. Normally a candidate takes a minimum of two years to engage all the elements of this process satisfactorily.

The application process will involve:
1) Written responses
2) References
3) Interview with Accreditation and Ordination Committee
4) Psychological Assessment
Continuing Accreditation
On completion of the Accredited Ministry Formation process, a person can be accredited as a minister of the Baptist Churches of South Australia.
Every minister is expected to engage in ongoing learning and professional development.
