Suggested Guidelines for the Call of a Pastor-in-Training.

The congregation must call the Candidate as their Pastor-in-Training (PiT). The congregation must call the Candidate at a duly called meeting of the congregation. A percentage of those present at the meeting and qualified to vote in favor of the call (the percentage is typically two-thirds of the votes). The congregation must approve a written letter of call which outlines all the terms of a regular letter of call and provides for the PiT’s training as a pastor. The following outline recommends steps congregations may take in the process of calling a PiT. Please also refer to your congregation’s constitution and bylaws, as they may differ from the steps described below. A congregation’s governing documents supersede these suggested steps.

1. The Letter of Call.

a. Model Call Letter. A model or sample letter of call for the call of a Pastor-in-Training (click here to access). The provisions of the letter of call are meant must be structured to ensure that the Candidate receives the necessary classroom education, is given the opportunity to put what he/she has learned into practice and the Candidate’s aptitude and proficiency in the areas of preaching, worship leadership, teaching, pastoral care, administration, evangelism and outreach. The Candidate’s progress is evaluated and affirmed by the Supervising Pastor and the congregation’s Lay Committee. Evaluation forms to be used by the Supervising Pastor (click here) and the Lay Committee (click here). The letter of call is structured to permit the congregation to terminate the letter of call if the candidate fails to take and complete the required seminary courses; and/or he/she does not show an aptitude and proficiency in the areas of preaching, worship leadership, teaching, pastoral care, administration, evangelism and outreach.

There are some very key practical issues that must be considered in drafting the final letter of call, including:

• Is this a fulltime or pert-time call? If it is a part-time call how are the hours of service calculated?

• The amount and nature of the candidate’s supervision by the Supervising pastor.

• The salary, housing allowance, car allowance, and employee benefits paid to the Candidate must be calculated.

• Holidays, sick and other leave days must be stated.

These issues are discussed below.

b. Supervision by the Supervising Pastor. The Supervising Pastor will have general oversight over the candidate’s ministry and congregational life. The purpose of the Supervising Pastor’s oversight and mentorship is to help the Candidate to integrate academic learning into day-to-day ministry, provide guidance in sermon preparation, worship leadership, the administration of Sacraments, time management and provide practical advice and counsel with respect to the provision of pastoral care and parish administration. He/she will also be engaged in the general evaluation of the Candidate’s ministry and his/her personal and professional growth through periodic meetings (in person, by telephone, Skype, Facetime and other social media) and through written in-depth periodic evaluations.

The Supervising Pastor should expect to spend about ten (10) hours per month in face to face meetings with the candidate. The Supervising Pastor is required to observe and evaluate the candidate’s preaching, teaching and pastoral care/visitation. The Supervising Pastor and the candidate are encouraged to make judicious use of the internet (Skype, Adobe Connect and Facetime) and other social media to facilitate face to face meetings. The Supervising Pastor should accompany the candidate one visits from time to time. If the Supervising Pastor is some distance from the calling congregations’ facilities, Worship services may be recorded using Facebook and other social media platforms and reviewed by the Supervising Pastor. The Supervising Pastor could observe the candidate teaching Confirmation and Adult Christian Education using Facetime or similar social media platform. Twenty hours a month should be allocated for the Supervising Pastor’s observation and evaluation of the candidate’s preaching, teaching and pastoral care. At least ten hours a month should be allocated for meetings with the calling Congregation’s council and time allocated to assisting the candidate in unplanned activities (funerals, baptisms and marriages). The Supervising Pastor should be compensated at the rate of between $25.00 to $35.00 per hour.

c. Full or Part Time Call: The first question that must be asked is whether the congregation possesses the resources to call the candidate to an either a fulltime or part-time ministry. Fulltime ministry comprehends at least 40 hours per calendar week. The Congregational Council is encouraged to calculate the salary and other costs of employment. Information on the standard terms of the call is provided in the subparagraphs below.

If the congregation can only bear the costs of a half-time ministry, the Congregational Council must establish, together with the candidate, a vision for the part-time ministry. Council should ask and answer these questions:

• How many Sundays in given month do you want the candidate to preach every Sunday? How often is he/she willing to preach?

• How often do you want the candidate to lead Christian adult Christian education each month? How often is he/she willing to lead Christian education?

• Do you want the candidate to teach confirmation?

• iv. Do you want the candidate to meet with the congregation’s council and committees each month?

• How much time do you want the candidate to devote to visitation per month.

• Do you want the Candidate to be involved in community events on behalf of the congregation (This could take up to 5-6 hours each month.

• Funerals are unexpected. These happen from time to time to time. A funeral involves meeting with the family/funeral home, planning the servic, preaching at and conducting the funeral service.

Below please find suggested terms and references and an estimated allocation of hours for a parttime call for a Pastor-in-Training:

d. The Base Salary: CALC has calculated the annual compensation for a fulltime (40 hours per week) and half-time (20hours per week) candidate in the Pastoral Ministry Certificate (PMC) program. It assumes annual increases in the annual salary.

Fulltime Parttime

Year 1 28,475.00 14,238.00

Year 2 29,300.00 14,650.00

Year 3 30,200.00 15,100.00

Year 4 31,075.00 15,538.00

Year 5 31,950.00 15,975.00

Year 6 32,900.00 16,450.00

e. Housing Allowance: In addition to the Base Salary, the congregation must provide either: (1) a housing allowance which reflects the realities of the rental surrounding community and falls within limitations imposed by the Canada Revenue Agency; or (2) a parsonage, together with utilities. If a housing allowance is paid in cash, the housing allowance paid for a half-time ministry is 50% of the market rental.

f. Car Allowance. The car allowance is either (1) a flat monthly rate paid by the congregation; (2) calculated by the candidate each month, or other reporting period agreed to. The pastor submits a written record the kilometers he/she has driven in the conduct of ministry and is reimbursed at a per kilometer rate. Canada Revenue Agency  (CRA) sets the per kilometer rate. Pease check the CRA website for the applicable rate.  

g. Holidays. The number of paid holidays, paid sick days and paid bereavement days for each calendar year. Suggestions for paid holidays are found in the model letter of call.

h. Employee Benefits. Employee benefits may include: payment of the premiums under applicable provincial medical insurance programs for the candidate  and his/her dependents; provision of extended medical and dental insurance coverage for the pastor and his/her dependents; provision of life and disability insurance coverage for the candidate; and/or the provision an employer/employee funded pension plan or contribution to an RRSP. If any employee benefits are offered to the candidate, the congregation and the candidate  must work out in advance the portion paid byt he congregation and portion paid by the candidate of any premium or payment due for the applicable employee benefit.

i. Moving Costs. The call of a PiT may require the candidate to move to accept the letter of call. The congregation generally pays the costs associated with: (1) loading a candidate’s household goods and personal effects into a moving van, transporting the same to his/her new home, and unloading the same; and (2) the costs associated with traveling from the candidate’s previous location to his/her new home including, fuel, meals and lodging. The congregation can agree to pay the candidate a fixed amount towards such costs; or, the lowest of three bids for the costs of moving and the actual travel costs.

2. call of the pit special congregational meeting

Congregational constitutions and bylaws typically declare that the congregation, voting at a duly called congregational meeting, has the authority to call a pastor. Typically at least a two-thirds majority vote of members present and voting at the meeting must be achieved to call a pastor. A majority of the Congregational Council can call a special congregational meeting. The notice for the special meeting must specify the purpose for which the special meeting is to be held, and no other business can be transacted at the meeting. Congregants are entitled to notice of the special congregational meeting. Notice is generally deemed given when the date, time and purpose of the meeting is announced and printed in the bulletin at the services of worship on the preceding two consecutive Sundays or by mail to all voting members at least ten to fourteen days in advance of the date of the meeting.

Notice of the Meeting: The following is a sample of a notice of Special Congregational Meeting which can be announced and printed in a service bulletin:

Notice of Special Congregational Meeting:

To: All members of ___________________ Lutheran Church.

On _______________, at _____ PM a Special Congregational Meeting will be held in the Sanctuary of our church for the purpose of voting to issue a call to ____________________ to serve as the part-time pastor in training of our congregation on the terms and conditions to be disclosed to the congregation at the meeting.  Our constitution states that authority to call a pastor shall rest in the congregation. Such authority to call shall be exercised by not less than a two-thirds majority vote of members present and voting at a meeting legally called for that purpose.

On behalf of Congregational Council

__________________, Chairperson and ___________________, Secretary

3 . Conducting the Special Congregational Meeting.

Determine Who is Entitled to Vote. Well in advance of the call meeting the congregational council should review the congregation’s membership list and determine who is eligible to vote under the terms of your congregational constitution.

The congregation’s constitution will define the members eligible to vote at the special meeting. Typically constitutions describe eligible voters as in “members in good standing.” A member in good standing is typically required to have attend a set number of worship services, have received Holy Communion  and made an offering to the church in the past year. A member’s name cannot be removed from the congregation’s membership roll until certain conditions are met. Typically, in response to a member’s absence for two years, the pastor or other members of the congregation’s leadership, must contact the member and encourage their return to congregational life. Typically, if the member does not return to life of the congregation with some period (typically 2 years), the congregational council can remove the member’s name from the membership roll.  

Determine the Quorum for the Meeting. The congregational council should review the congregational constitution and bylaws to determine the quorum, or number of voting members that must be present at the special congregational meeting for the meeting to be valid. By way of example: Some congregational constitutions require a fixed number to be present at a meeting for it to be valid. The constitution may require 30 members to be present. Other constitutions require a percentage of those eligible to vote to be present. The constitution may require 10% of the voting membership to be present. For this reason the congregational council should develop a list of voting members so that an accurate quorum number can be presented to the membership. If the congregational council determines that the voting membership of the congregation is 150, the quorum for the quorum would be 15 (10% of 150 voting members).

The congregational Secretary should prepare a congregational sign in sheet. Every member of the congregation present at the special congregational call meeting should sign the sheet. In this way the Congregational Council has a record of the voting members of the congregation who were present who was present at the meeting. Below is a sample of a form that can be used.

Quorum Sign-in Sheet Rose of Sharon Lutheran Church, Rocky Hills, Alberta Special Congregational Meeting – June 1, 2020

Print name Sign name

1. __________________________________ ___________________________________

2. __________________________________ ___________________________________

3. __________________________________ ___________________________________

Attainment of Quorum and Call to order. The meeting cannot come to order until a quorum of voting members is present at the meeting and the posted time for the meeting has elapsed. The congregation’s Secretary should carefully monitor the quorum sign-in sheet and regularly count the signatures for the purpose of determining when a quorum is reached. When the required quorum is reached and the start time for the meeting has elapsed, the congregational chairperson calls the meeting to order and welcomes all present. The chairperson then asks the Secretary to announce the necessary quorum for the meeting and then the actual number of people present at the meeting (which must at a minimum be equal to the required quorum). Once the quorum has been established and the meeting has been called to order, a prayer should be offered.

Appointment of Scrutineers. The chairperson will appoint two scrutineers who will be responsible for the distribution of ballots for a vote on the motion, the collection of the completed ballots and the count of the ballots.

Presentation of the Candidate and Terms of the Call. The congregational council should lay out the process that was followed which resulted in the candidate’s name being put forward. A representative of the congregational council should explain the basic terms of the call. The Treasurer should ideally explain the financial aspects of the call. The chairperson should then call for a resolution calling the candidate. The following is a sample of a resolution which may be used at a congregational meeting.

Resolved: The congregation of ___________Lutheran Church  call __________________ as our part-time pastor in training upon the terms of a letter of call disclosed to those present at the meeting with the following general terms:

(Check the appropriate option and fill in the amounts were applicable.)

Base Annual Salary: $__________________________

 Annual Housing allowance: $__________________ or

 Parsonage plus utilities ( Plus annual equity payment _________)

Car allowance:  $___________ per year  per kilometer rate set by Revenue Canada.

Annual paid holiday: ____ weeks council to secure pulpit supply for Sundays during your absence

 Paid Sick Days: ____ days per year.

 Paid Bereavement Days: ____ days per year.

 Employee benefits package: including life insurance, AD&D insurance, disability insurance, extended medical, dental and vision insurance. Premiums paid: 50% by the congregation and 50% by payroll deduction.

 Pension Plan through ____________________. Contributions paid 50% by congregation and 50% by payroll deduction. or

 Contributions to RRSP established at:_________________________________________. Contributions paid 50% by congregation and 50% by payroll deduction.

 This call shall initially be for successive one year terms, provided the Candidate takes and passes the required educational courses and receives evaluations from a supervising pastor and lay committee that he/she is developing essential ministry gifts and aptitudes. Upon completing the required educational requirements and together with positive evaluations, this call becomes a regular call of this congregation when accepted by a pastor shall constitute a relationship, which shall be terminated only on the terms and conditions set out in our congregation’s constitution and bylaws.

If a resolution to call the candidate as pastor of the congregation is made and seconded, the chairperson calls for discussion. The congregational council may request that reasonable rules of order be followed in the debate and the discussion on the motion to call the candidate as pastor in training.

Rules of order for the debate and discussion on the motion include:

• Only members of the congregation eligible to vote may speak to the motion.

• Visitors and adherents may be granted the privilege of speaking if a majority of the voting members present vote to allow them to speak. Adherents those who are involved in the faith and life of the calling congregation but have not become members.

• Only those recognized by the chair may speak to the motion.

• A microphone shall be set up on the convention floor for those who wish to speak to any motion. All recognized speakers must use the microphone.

• Those who approach the microphone must identify themselves by giving their full name, their status (member, adherent, visitor), and they must declare whether they speak for or against the motion or have a question regarding the motion.

• Those authorized to speak to the motion may speak for a maximum of four minutes. Authorized speakers may speak only one time unless a question is addressed to them by another speaker and a response is requested. Speeches made in response to a question are limited to three minutes.

• The chairperson may rule a speaker out of order and ask the speaker to step away from the microphone if the content of a speaker’s speech is repetitive, argumentative, irreverent or not on topic.

• The chair will entertain a request to call the question, or call a vote if the dialogue on the motion becomes repetitive, argumentative, irreverent or not on topic.

The Vote: The vote is typically by secret ballot. The scrutineers will distribute the ballots. The ballots should ask the member to vote in favor or against the motion to call the candidate as pastor. Two-thirds of the members present and voting at the meeting must cast in favor of calling the candidate for the motion to pass. A sample ballot is found below.

 I vote in favor of the motion calling Martin Freeman as our part-time pastor-in-training.

 I vote against the motion calling Martin Freeman as our part-time pastor-in-training.

4. Final Steps.

Delivery of the Letter of Call. If the motion to call the candidate passes, the congregational council may issue a formal letter of call. The congregational council fills out the Letter of Call and gives it to the candidate. Delivery can be accomplished by hand delivering the Letter of Call to the candidate, faxing, emailing, or couriering the Letter of Call or mailing it in the Canada Postal system. The candidate has thirty days from the date of his/her receipt of the Letter of Call to accept it.

Installation. If the Candidate accepts the call as pastor-in-training, the Candidate is installed as the Congregation’s pastor-in-training and the Supervising Pastor as interim pastor by CALC’s President using a rite developed by CALC.