Required Items for Endorsement

After you have connected with your regional liaison for endorsement, you can use this page as a guide to prepare all required items for consideration of endorsement for specialized ministry.

  • Your regional liaison can guide you through the endorsement process and will ensure that you have the forms needed to complete your endorsement application.
  • In the endorsement process, you are responsible for securing the required documents, and doing so on a timely basis. Endorsement applications are reviewed by the Committee on Specialized Ministries and the Circle of Directors three times each year: in February; July; and November. Your Regional Liaison can provide information about the current application deadline.
  • Note that if you are requesting documentation from individuals or institutions (e.g. letters of recommendation, transcripts), professional courtesy dictates that you provide the requested parties adequate time for their responses.

Endorsement Application and Payment

Submit your application and payment online through Realm.

Application fee is $90.00
If you were commissioned by FCM prior to July 2014, there is an additional $60 fee for a background check.

Provide a succinct life history that identifies and illustrates the ways in which the events and relationships of your life have served as preparation and motivation for your seeking to minister in this specialized setting. This should be a minimum of three (3) pages. This can be updated from your CPE Life History Statement.

Provide a paper describing your faith journey. This can be updated from your CPE Faith Journey Statement and should be 2-3 pages.

Provide a statement of your understanding of ministry especially as it pertains to ministry in the setting for which you are seeking endorsement. This should be a minimum of one (1) page.

A paper describing your understanding of being a representative of FCM in this ministry setting. Maximum of 2 pages.

Provide four (4) letters of reference from the individuals noted below.

Provide full name, title, and contact information for the references. (If you are actively involved in ministry, one of the references should be your manager/supervisor, who can attest to your practice of ministry and your ability to meet the requirements of the certifying body.)

  • Your FCM Regional Vice President
  • Your FCM Ministerial Colleague
  • Two (2) other individuals who are familiar with your ministry

 

CPE evaluations are not required but are extremely helpful to the interview and endorsement recommendation processes of the Specialized Ministries Committee.

Please submit your self and supervisor/educator’s evaluations from your 1st unit and your latest unit.

Local interview committee report which includes:

  • Presenter’s Report
  • Narrative Report
    • which consists of the notes/synopsis recorded by Recorder of interview discussion and touches upon the Six Interview Guidelines for evaluating the readiness for Endorsement. Present both the candidate’s strengths and limitations with respect to the guidelines. Any pastoral or growth recommendations to the candidate may be added to this evaluation which the interview committee feels would be useful to the FCM National Committee for Specialized Ministries and the FCM Circle of Directors.
  • Completed FCM Specialized Ministries Regional Interview Committee Endorsement Report
  • Signed copy of the Guidelines for Examination of Applicants for FCM Specialized Ministries Endorsement from each committee member

Provide the college and seminary transcripts supporting the graduate level of theological education or its equivalent required by the certifying organization.

Contact your FCM Regional Liaison for Specialized Ministries to determine where these transcripts should be sent.

Signed copy of the Consent and Declaration statements.

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