Continued Ministerial Development
Ministry is a long game. As ministers, we experience seasons of newness and growth. We see signs and wonders, both metaphorical and literal. We can feel motivated and energised. We are encouraged by the presence and pull of the Holy Spirit who inspires our work and confirms our calling. However, we know that these blessings describe only half of our journey.
Ministry also involves conflict, unrewarded graft, setbacks and disappointments. And we are affected by the same health, relationship, and societal issues common to everyone.
So, through the ups and downs, who walks with us? Who listens to us and offers us praise, encouragement, wisdom and correction? And what keeps us fresh? How do we maintain relevance, interest, faith and fruitfulness?
To help us address these questions, the BUGB Ministries Team has created a framework for our Continuing Ministerial Development, or CMD.
Click Here to download the CMD outline
If we distil CMD right down, this is what it is about:
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The purpose of CMD is to sustain the well-being and capability of ministers. We want the practice of CMD to result in blessing for us, our churches, communities and mission settings.
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The basis for CMD is an agreement that as partners in Baptist ministry, we commit not just to Jesus and his kingdom, but to each other and our wider Baptist family.
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The outworking of CMD is the practice of five habits: Learning, Attentiveness, Accountability, Connection, and Review. We will have wide freedom to determine how each of these habits is expressed.
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The progress of our CMD is a matter to discuss annually with a colleague of our choosing. We will each be asked to let the Ministries Team know that this annual 'CMD audit' has taken place, but the content of the discussion will remain between us and our colleague.
"I want to encourage all our ministers to aspire to be all that God created them to be as people and as leaders. These new CMD tools will certainly help ministers to flourish and I hope and pray that CMD will give greater impetus to the many ways in which leaders are already developing."
Lynn Green, BUGB General Secretary
The full handbook with all the detail will be with you in early October and we trust this will answer most questions you have.
Publication of the handbook will be supported by a couple of webinar opportunities to find out more, on Monday 12 October and Wednesday 14 October, both at 1pm. (The content of both webinars will be the same.)
BUGB are also sending an email to all church secretaries and treasurers. We hope that churches will see that giving ministers time and, where possible, a budget for ongoing development will serve the church well in the long run.
BUGB are working on putting together a discretionary fund to help ministers in settings where there is limited or no ability to fund development activities. We will share information about this a little later on.
We in South Wales are working on what we are going to be offering ministers and how we can support you in your Continued moinsterial Development.