Authorized and Lay Ministers

Requirements for Authorized Ministerial Standing
  • Membership in a PNCUCC congregation
  • Annual Information Review completed and returned
  • Annual Meeting attendance or excused
  • Authorized and Lay Ministers in the Pacific Northwest Conference shall have a Committee on Ministry approved Boundary Training once every three years in order to maintain their standing. Good professional boundaries allow ministry and those who do it to thrive with health and wholeness. Through the lens of clergy wellness, authorized ministers will renew their understanding of and develop skills for maintaining boundaries in an ever-shifting ministry landscape.
    • The Initial Boundary Training is to be an orientation course, more comprehensive than the follow up Boundary Trainings. Most Boundary Trainings are available by Zoom. The orientation training should be interactive, rather than self-directed.
    • Trainings approved by the Committee on Ministry include:
      • Convergence Colab Use code PNWUCC if you register for a discount. If you scroll to the bottom of the Convergence Newsletter you will see the current listing and discount:
        Convergence Boundary Training:
        Here’s what you’ll learn:
        Boundaries in Pastoral Relationships with Adults
        Boundaries in Pastoral Relationships with Children & Youth
        Boundaries with Finances and Church Business
        Boundaries with Social Media
        Boundaries for Self-Care
        $199 (use code BOUNDARY for 35% off)
      • Southern New England Conference of the UCC, 1.0 (2.0 is for follow up)
      • All other initial trainings must have prior approval by the COM before registering.
      • Following Boundary Trainings, after the initial training, are required every three years. Trainings approved by the Committee on Ministry include:
        • MESA (Ministerial Excellence, Support and Authorization a national team of the UCC) trainings for Retired Minsters and Specialized Ministers, offered occasionally throughout the year at no cost. (Dates are in the PNC Weekly eNews)
        • Boundary Training from other United Church of Christ Conferences.
      • There may be other boundary trainings of interest to you. These must be approved by the Committee on Ministry prior to registering.
      • Upon completion of the Boundary Training , please send your Certificate of Completion to office@pnc.org to be recorded and placed in your ministerial file.
  • In support of the General Synod Resolution and the PNC’s Anti Racism Vote, the Committee on Ministry is including a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) training requirement for all Authorized and Lay Ministers (parish, specialized, retired, dual standing, privilege of call) to maintain Standing in the PNC UCC. DEIB trainings are designed to help create an environment where “all” community members feel supported, able to grow, thrive and advance. Training to meet this requirement must be completed by the end of 2026, with certificate of completion sent to the PNC office, to maintain Standing. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Training requirements (posted 05/31/2025)
Additional DEIB Trainings approved by the Pacific Northwest Conference

Committees on Ministry (May 6, 2026) with a reminder all Authorized Ministers (with the exception of Exempt Ministers) are required to have a DEIB Training by the end of 2026 and every three years after this.

Contact your COM Chair if you would like to have another Anti-Racism considered for approval.

Rocky Mountain Conference

You are invited to Culturally Responsive Ministry Training (CRMT) on Race, a six-hour learning experience designed to give pastors a better understanding of the importance of culture as we strive to better communicate a message of God’s love and acceptance for all. The CRMT on Race provides pastors with the tools to be more culturally responsive not just to new people exploring our churches for the first time, but also to long-standing members who come from various cultural backgrounds. The training concludes by breaking participants into racial affinity groups where white folks learn about the deep impact of microaggressions on our siblings of color, while people of color have the opportunity to check in about their ministry in a predominantly white denomination, and the impact of race/racism on it.

This training will be split between two evenings: Monday, May 18th at 4-7PM MDT, and Friday, May 22nd at 4-7PM MDT. Please click here to register via Zeffy.

Please note that these sessions will happen via Zoom. You will be emailed a Zoom link plus additional information the week before your session.

$50 for clergy not from the Rocky Mountain Conference.

Enkei Resolutions

Please visit the Enkei Resolutions website at enkei-resolutions.com to learn more about their offerings, or you can click on the links below to learn more about specific trainings:

Level 1 Racial Justice Trainings: Please click this link to sign up for either of the trainings listed below.

  • August 24th & 26th, 2026

Level 2 Racial Justice Trainings: Please click this link to sign up for any of the trainings listed below.

  • August 11th & 18th, 2026
  • October 6th & 13th, 2026
The Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ

Please visit the website for the Southern New England Conference of the UCC at sneucc.org to learn more about their many educational opportunities. You can also learn more about specific trainings by clicking the links listed below:

Scholarships

There are three scholarship funds available for financial support on an as-needed basis for clergy and MIDs. The Conference Minister administers the Clergy Education Fund for PNCUCC clergy for PNCUCC required trainings to enhance professional development. The Committee on Ministry (COM) with the Stewardship Committee administer the Mayer Family Endowed Scholarship Fund which supports PNCUCC ministers pursuing graduate or doctoral studies in ministry and/or theology. COM administers the Members In Discernment Fund for educational expenses for those preparing for ministry. Annually COM will contact all eligible MIDs to inform them of this opportunity. Community of Practice (COP) Scholarships are administered by the Coordinator of COPs. The Committee on Ministry chairs (East and West) can connect you with the COP coordinator.