Ministry and Church Vocations is a department of the Life and Mission Agency, serving as a resource to the whole Church and supported by Presbyterians Sharing....

Our Church's professional church leadership.

To provide caring, competent and appropriate support to professional church leaders and to the Church courts that are in covenant relationship with them.

• work in partnership with our 3 theological colleges and the Committee on Theological Education
• assist presbyteries in their decisions re candidates for ministry by providing guidance conferences and by sharing with presbyteries the cost of psychological testing of candidates for ministry
• participate in Starting Well, an ecumenical pilot project to support new ministers
• participate in the planning of an ecumenical program for retiring ministers
• offer continuing education grants for professional church leaders
• publish articles in Equip and Women's Perspectives
• stimulate theological reflection about ministry (providing Together in Ministry, a document outlining the theology and practice of ministry in The Presbyterian Church in Canada)

• manage a feedback loop for the Church as it follows the Policy for Dealing with Sexual Abuse and Harassment, gathering and interpreting responses to the policy based on experience and proposing revisions
• research and monitor changes in the Church and society and the requirements for leadership. Current topics include procedures for calling a second minister; guidelines for multi-minister teams; standards and pay scales for lay staff; standards, educational programs and responsibilities for lay missionaries; recognition of lay persons in specialized ministries; women in ministry; theology of ordination; ordination to ministry of Word and Sacraments bases on a position in camping ministries or chaplaincy
• establish and identify resources to support the work of crisis intervention and conflict resolution across the Church, particularly through participation in "Called to Covenant: Strengthening Congregation-Presbytery Relationships" (project of Life & Mission Agency)

• facilitate the placement of professional church leaders by providing a congregational and personal profile system. The list of ministry opportunities is available on our Church's website.
• coordinate the work of special committees, such as the Committee on Education and Reception, Women in Ministry, the editorial board of Women's Perspectives
• help equip presbyteries for their decisions re calls, appointments, benefits, by publication of resources
  
• serve as a resource and a sounding board on ministry issues, as requested
• maintain effective and confidential networks with synods, presbyteries and individual professional church leaders