Members of the Ministerial Vocations Committee (MVC) and Presbytery Ministerial Committee Chairs met together in the General Assembly office on Monday, September 10.  As MVC addresses ministerial issues at the national level and Presbytery Ministerial Committee Chairs at the presbytery level, “meeting together to discuss common issues and concerns was extremely beneficial,” according to EPC Assistant Stated Clerk Ed McCallum.

Items of interest coming from the 2012 General Assembly included Assembly actions addressing Terms of Call, the Position Statement on Presbytery Development, and the approval of the Chaplains Work and Care Manual.  There were four descending overtures concerned with the oversight of ministers: associate member status, the transfer of lay pastors from other Reformed bodies, receiving candidates from other Reformed bodies who accept calls from EPC congregations, and terminating jurisdiction.

Ministerial Chair Mike Glodo (Presbytery of Florida) presented a power point, “Helping Search Committees Work More Effectively.”  Ed McCallum did a presentation on pastoral health and vitality resources, which included a report from Dan Stewart about Broomtree Ministries.  He also gave an update on the work of the Constitutional Review Committee and led a discussion on the restoration process for those under church discipline.  EPC Stated Clerk Jeff Jeremiah updated the joint meeting on developments across the EPC and beyond.

After the ministerial chairs departed on Monday afternoon, the MVC, chaired by Fred Lian (Presbytery of the West), met on Tuesday.  The MVC discussed further resources for pastoral health and healing, which included an interview with Roy Yanke, a member of Pastor in Residence Ministries.  A proposed amendment to the constitution addressing non-ecclesiastical ordinations was one of the Assembly referrals which the MVC addressed.   MVC also met with Brently Jordan and Greg Gunn, two candidates who have received extraordinary status from Midwest and Florida Presbyteries, respectively.

EPC Asst. Stated Clerk Ed McCallum;
Bob Wilbur (Central South)

Bob Barnett (East)

Rus Howard (MVC); Rich Halmekangas (MVC);
Jim Farrell (East); Dean Weaver (Alleghenies)

Al Bennett (Midwest); Doug Walker (Midwest);
Olin Morris (MVC)

Steve Renegar (Mid-Atlantic); Jim Colemand (West)

Michael Wright (West); Mike Glodo (Florida); Fred Lian (West)

Dana Opp (Alleghenies); Dave Brogren (Pacific);
Dan Borgelt (Rivers and Lakes); Matthew Everhard (Florida); Jeremy Bedenbaugh (Mid-America)