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Continuing Education

INTRODUCTION

The Free Methodist Church in Canada is creating a learning environment to equip leaders for ministering in a fast changing world. There is no greater mission than to tell the story of Jesus Christ and we need leaders who can make that message clear and comprehensible. There is no tougher challenge than to call people to walk in an alternative reality from the dominant culture around us, and still show how His call is reaching out to that culture, personally in each life. We need leaders who are prepared to tackle the task with courage.

One of the 7 Core Values of The Free Methodist Church in Canada is learning. One attribute of a good pastoral leader is a commitment to being a life-long learner. Growing and learning is at the heart of Christian discipleship. The kind of leadership that we must have for our future is men and women who have a distinctive focus on improving the way they serve and walk with Jesus Christ.

Healthy pastoral leaders must grow in order for congregations to be healthier. Personal health precedes corporate health. Since we want our congregations to follow leaders who are growing we propose that each member of the Free Methodist Church in Canada (FMCiC) enter a life-long commitment to learning (LLL). It is called: "Continuing Education." It will provide MEGaP and our leaders a system for keeping accountable for exposure to new learning, which will help us keep the love of Christ fresh.

The Continuing Education Program provides a systematic way to account for professional development that helps to ensure quality continuing education. This system,

This initiative has been mandated by General Conference 2002. It suggests a minimum requirement for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) per year. Those who are already committed to LLL will find it less challenging. The intent is to encourage growth in all ministers and raise the awareness of biblical call to excellence. John Wesley himself required all his ministers to be constantly growing and the same is true today. The National Ministerial Education, Guidance and Placement team encourages you to take seriously your need to grow.