Privilege of Call or Member in Discernment? – April 2025 Featured COMma Article

Privilege of Call or Member in Discernment?

Privilege of Call is a process by which a minister ordained in another denomination seeks to relinquish their credentials in their original denomination and obtain Ordained Ministerial Standing in the UCC. The Member in Discernment process is for individuals who are not ordained in another tradition and who are discerning a call to ordained ministry in the UCC. The MID process may also be used for ordained ministers for whom the Privilege of Call process is not applicable, for example, those whose credentials cannot be verified, who were ordained in a congregation that isn’t part of a denomination, or who were ordained by an online denomination.  

MESA frequently receives phone calls from Committees on Ministry (COMs) and Conference and Association staff asking how to discern which of these processes is appropriate for a particular candidate. Because both processes share a number of similarities in terms of assessment and documentation required, it can be confusing to know which process makes the most sense when a situation is complex. Because both processes require an initial Marks of Faithful and Effective Ministers assessment of the candidate to discover the COM’s sense of the candidate’s competencies for ministry, that is often a first good step for discernment. If a great deal of preparation and formation is needed for this candidate to be eligible for ordination in the UCC, then the MID process is appropriate. If the candidate is ordained in another recognized denomination, in good standing in that denomination, and has substantive experience in ordained ministry, then the Privilege of Call process is likely appropriate, particularly if they demonstrate many competencies in the Marks.  

Frequently, however, the discernment is not so obvious. Here are some additional questions that a COM can use to aid in their discernment: 

1. Is the individual ordained in a denomination with which the UCC has a formal agreement, or which has a connection to a national or global council of churches, and/or did the candidate’s formation for ministry resemble the UCC’s formational process? If yes, and if the individual is in good standing in that denomination as verified by a judicatory reference check, then Privilege of Call is likely appropriate. An emphasis on building competence in the “Nurturing UCC Identity” section of the Marks is likely a key part of the candidate’s preparation, along with other categories in need of growth.  
2. Was the individual ordained by a local church or independent body with little or no preparation for ministry and/or ongoing oversight? If so, then Member in Discernment is likely the appropriate pathway. The Marks Assessment can highlight the categories of the Marks in which the candidate most needs to gain competencies. That said, some Baptist traditions ordain ministers in a local church, but those candidates often have formation processes that resemble the UCC’s and several Baptist denominations are part of the National Council of Churches, so in such instances a COM may discern that Privilege of Call is still appropriate. 
3. Does the individual hold a lay form of authorization in another denomination? If so, then Member in Discernment is the appropriate pathway, because Privilege of Call only applies to ordained ministers, not those who hold a lay authorization. If that individual wishes to retain their lay authorization in the other denomination, Lay Ministerial Standing may also be an appropriate pathway for service in the UCC. 
4. Has the individual been ordained by The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, and are they in good standing with TFAM? If so, a Marks assessment will be the key determining factor for whether to use the MID or Privilege of Call process. Some additional factors to consider include the amount of ministry experience the candidate has, as well as any connections they or their local church may have with the UCC. Many churches and clergy in TFAM also have an affiliation with the UCC; TFAM understands itself to be not a denomination per se but a transdenominational fellowship – but TFAM does ordain clergy and it has accountability processes as well. Information about the unique relationship between the UCC and TFAM can be found on p. 42-43 of the 2018 Manual on Ministry. 
5. Was the candidate ordained by and still hold standing in the UUA (which is not explicitly a Christian denomination, although there are many Christian UUA clergy)? It depends! Their formation process has comparable rigor to the UCC. In these instances, Privilege of Call is probably appropriate, with an emphasis on both the “Nurturing UCC Identity” category, as well as the candidate’s understanding of the nature of Jesus Christ and the Trinity.  

Please note that that there are other possible outcomes such as Dual Standing (a temporary form of authorization for an ordained minister from another recognized denomination who is currently serving in the UCC) or Ordained Ministerial Partner Standing (a temporary form of authorization for an ordained minister from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) or the United Church of Canada serving in the UCC). Check out the Manual on Ministry webpage for more information.

Questions for Reflection: 

1. How have you dealt with ecumenically authorized ministers seeking standing in the UCC in the past? What have you learned from those experiences? 
2. What situations currently present discernment struggles or challenges for your COM?   
3. What questions about Privilege of Call vs. Member in Discernment still remain? What further learning on these topics would be helpful to your COM?