Uniting Church Regulation 2.2.2: The Ministry of Pastor is a specified lay ministry of the Church and means a lay person commissioned by a Presbytery, Synod or the Assembly, to minister within a Congregation, community or Church based organisation for the purpose of undertaking one or more of the following tasks:
(i) teaching the beliefs and practices of the Church; and / or
(ii) pastoral oversight of members and / or groups operating under the auspices of the Church; and / or
(iii) leadership of worship in congregations or faith communities of the Church; and / or
(iv) evangelism or service beyond a gathered congregation but which is exercised under the auspices of the Church.
No appointment of a person to a remunerated position, which involves the exercise of the responsibilities outlined above, shall be made without prior consultation with the Presbytery (or Synod or the Assembly in the appropriate case).
The Presbytery shall consider designating a ministry location as appropriate for the ministry of Pastor when lay persons are making a significant contribution of their gifts to the Church by fulfilling any of the tasks set out above in ministry locations designated as appropriate for the ministry of Pastor (See Reg. 2.6.9).
Collection of the Regulations for the Ministry of Pastor (single A3 page, current to August 2017) compiled from the updated Assembly Regulations.
Competencies for the Ministry of Pastor are assessed by the relevant presbytery and include the Uniting Church’s ethos and commitments to ethical ministry, and various competencies related to the specific ministry context.
