In March 2009 CBOQ conducted a complete review of the Accreditation Manual (Blue Book) which necessitated numerous updates and changes. In order to help you in scanning the edits made to the Manual, we offer you a listing of key issues we sought to address. Our hope is that this will help the Manual be more user  friendly, as well as bring our practices and written policies in line with each other.

1. The changes suggested by the Chaplains group as discussed at the last MRC meeting: these changes show up throughout the document, trying to use language that is more open-ended so as not to overwhelmingly favour local church ministry. These changes include:

   • Changing “pastor” to “minister” in most cases – this also serves to include those in our churches whose roles are not specifically called “pastor,” even though they are clearly serving in a vocational minister role. The choice of “minister” is an attempt at using the most all-encompassing term for vocational ministers. Acknowledgement has been made in the preamble that we understand all believers to be ministers, but that in this document we are specifically addressing vocational ministers.

   • This also creates a few changes like “pastorates” to “local church positions,” so as to distinguish local church roles from those in para-church or institutional settings.

   •  Interview/application questions which speak of specific functions of ministry have been broadened to leave more room for the applicant to interpret in light of his/her own ministry setting. Rather than specifically focus on preaching, for example, the new version speaks of “communicating God’s word.” I have tried to soften the language of “proselytizing” while still asking how one communicates the gospel message, and how one relates to those of varying or no faith background.

   • Including a reference to specialized training or accreditation based on the ministry setting. While we do not need to include it as our requirement, we can acknowledge that whatever specific requirements are present in the ministry setting should be scrupulously met.

2. Changing all BCOQ references to CBOQ. This also, at times creates some surrounding edits to match with appropriate prepositions and verb forms.

3. Seeking to make all language gender-inclusive throughout.

4. Grammar edits and rewrites to make some instructions and ideas clearer.

5. Removal of the “requirement” of a two year mentorship. While we still will promote mentoring and will, over time, take more concrete steps in this direction, at present we do not have any formal method for either creating mentoring relationships, nor for tracking them. To require this without being prepared to support it concretely seems inappropriate. There are still strong statements of encouragement of mentoring in the document.

6. Removal of the requirement to demonstrate competency in premarital counselling. Once again, we do not have a mechanism to track this effectively. But beyond this, since we do not have “competency proofs” for any other task of ministry, e.g. worship planning and leading, it seems strange to single this one area out as being the only one which is a litmus test of one’s ministry qualification. Once again, a strong encouragement statement is present, just not a requirement.

7. Page numbers now go all the way through the document for ease of use when discussing items with applicants, committees, etc.

8. Addition of the Accreditation Process Flowchart and the Credentials Record Tracking Form. These are meant to give quick reference for those using these materials. The tracking form is the one Elaine uses in each file.

9. Office of Leadership Development becomes Department of Leadership Development: we didn’t like the acronym OLD.

10. Simplification of the Transfer/Re-accreditation form and requirements. Given that this is intended to be a simple process, particularly with those coming from our other Baptist groups, there were more “hoops” than seemed appropriate.

11. Cleaned up numbering system of forms, etc., and made it consistent throughout.

12. Created the Retired Minister’s Future Ministry Form.