Advocacy Ministry Team

I. PURPOSE

The Advocacy Ministry Team shall empower persons serving in the church’s educational ministry by lifting up the educator’s significant role in the life of the church, promoting standards for ministry, and interpreting APCE’s mission. Empowering educators and advocating for educational ministry is an ongoing and critical activity of APCE and its constituents.

II. MEMBERSHIP

  • The Advocacy Ministry Team shall consist of nine current members of APCE who will be selected by the Governance Ministry Team, to ordinarily include at least one member from our denominational partners and the Certification Course Coordinator.
  • The term of the nine current members of APCE shall be in three rotating classes of three members per class, and shall serve for a maximum of two terms.
  • The Moderator of the Ministry Team shall ordinarily be elected by the Ministry Team for a two-year term and shall preside at all Ministry Team meetings. The Moderator may be re-elected for a one or two year term.
  • A Vice Moderator of the Ministry Team shall ordinarily be elected annually by the Ministry Team and shall preside in the absence of the Moderator. The Vice Moderator does not automatically succeed the Moderator upon the completion of the Moderator’s term.
  • A Certified Christian Educator will be selected as the APCE Liaison to the PC(USA) General Assembly’s Educator Certification Committee(ECC), preferably someone who is currently serving on the Advocacy Ministry Team. That person would ordinarily serve a three-year term on the ECC.
  • The Advocacy Ministry Team may create Task Forces, comprised of current members of the team and individuals not currently serving on the team in order to accomplish specific tasks for a limited duration to be determined by the Advocacy Ministry Team.

III. MEETINGS & QUORUMS

  • The work of this Ministry Team is ongoing in order to accomplish its responsibilities.
  • The Ministry Team shall meet face-to-face meeting in conjunction with the Annual Event. Additional meetings may be held by means whereby all persons participating in the meeting can hear and speak to one another.
  • A majority of the members of the Ministry Team shall constitute a quorum.
  • Minutes of all Ministry Team meetings will be maintained and placed in the appropriate designated file storage system folder within 30 days of each meeting. Additional recommendations, actions and other matters the Ministry Team deems appropriate shall be reported to the Coordinating Council.
  • Moderator is responsible for sending news and information to the Historian.

IV. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Support the efforts of educators within partner denominations for status, rights, fair compensation and benefits, accountability, ability to hold office, access to support, and voice and vote in denominational bodies.
  • Work through existing governing bodies’ structures to establish recognized and
  • effective standards for church educators, lay or ordained, volunteer or paid
  • Consider and implement ways to interpret the importance of educational ministry and educators to denominational staff and governing bodies, presbytery/classis staff, and committees, pastors, and elders
  • Provide interpretive materials for member denominational meetings of General Assemblies/General Synods, APCE Annual Events, and other events as requested
  • Keep the membership informed of all bills, overtures, and committee reports being considered by all member denominations that affect the work, status, or relationships of church educators
  • Working in collaboration with the President or the President’s representative, provide the channel through which APCE transmits its concerns and proposals to the denominational entities, General Assemblies/General Synods
  • With the appropriate accrediting body and the Awards and Scholarship Ministry Team, help plan recognition of newly certified/endorsed educators at the Annual Event

V. OVERALL GOALS

  • Increase the number of educators who are certified or credentialed.
  • Develop an intentional mentoring program for new educators (those who have served fewer than four years)
  • Create a plan to develop consistent policies for fair treatment of educators within the denominations, including persons who are lay or clergy, volunteer or paid.
APPLICATION