Frequently Asked Questions   Who is a pastoral minister? What is the focus/work of a pastoral minister? What is the focus/work of a pastoral associate? What are the advantages of getting certified? What are the differences between a pastoral minister and a pastoral associate? Does only the Archdiocese of Detroit recognize the certification? Do I need to take classes and be experienced to get certified? What is the process to get certification? Does the office oversee the certification for all professional ministries?

Who is a pastoral minister? A pastoral minister is a baptized member of the Catholic community, who, by baptismal commitment and through prayerful discernment, expertise and the acknowledged support of the community, both requests and accepts the call to share in the ministry of the Church.    What is the focus/work of a pastoral minister? The pastoral minister is responsible for a specific area of pastoral duties under the direction of the pastor, pastoral associate or other parish team member.  The position has limited program responsibility and decision-making authority.  The pastoral minister is responsible for specific pastoral duties such as visitation of the sick, parish outreach, or other leadership roles dependent on the needs of the parish, the gifts of the pastoral minister and the gifts of other members of the parish community. Top What is the focus/work of a pastoral associate? The pastoral associate is a professional minister who shares with the pastor or on-site pastoral team in the overall care of the parish.  He/She is a member of the parish staff, usually full-time and is accountable to the pastor.  This ministry is comprehensive, relating to all aspects of parish life with designated responsibilities, i.e., liturgy, faith formation and development, administration, pastoral care, and social outreach.  The designated responsibilities of the pastoral associate are dependent upon the needs of the parish, the gifts of the pastoral associate and the gifts of the others members of the parish staff.   What are the advantages of getting certified? The advantages of getting certified are: Receive recognition as a professional pastoral minister in the Church Build a professional support system and network Qualify a pastoral minister locally and nationally for certain positions within a parish or other settings Receive archdiocesan up to date information personally and quickly by way of e-mail Receive discounts at pastoral ministry workshops Top What are the differences between a pastoral minister and a pastoral associate? The pastoral minister most often has responsibility for coordinating and animating ministry, service and programs within a specific area of the church's mission (viz, word, worship, service, stewardship).    The pastoral associate has responsibility for the breath and depth of ministry.  Often the pastoral associate helps to coordinate ministry, in many, if not all of the areas of the church's mission.  The pastoral associate functions and serves similarly to the way an associate pastor serves without the sacramental responsibilities.   Both the pastoral minister and the pastoral associate are responsible to the faithful/the people of God in a parish setting.  They are accountable to the pastor as they share as pastoral staff in the pastoring and spiritual leadership of the parish.   Does only the Archdiocese of Detroit recognize the certification? The United States Catholic Conference Commission on certification and accreditation has given approval to the certification procedures of the Archdiocese of Detroit for the certification of pastoral ministries.  This approval assures recognition of pastoral ministry certification throughout the United States. Top Do I need to take classes and be experienced to get certified? Study in theology and ministry is necessary.  Also, ministerial experience is required.  The depth and extent of study and service depends upon the level of certification required.  Education ranges from introductory courses to Master's Degrees and above.  Equivalencies may also be granted if determined appropriate by the Certification Review Board.  Please see the Certification for Pastoral Ministers information to ascertain the education and experience needed for each level of certification.   What is the process to get certification? The candidate requests an application from the Office for Pastoral Ministries and begins to gather materials that establish competence described in the National Association of Lay Ministry standards.  A portfolio is assembled: letters of reference, official transcripts, materials from programs that the candidate designed and led, and anything else that helps the candidate to prove competence.    The candidate requests an application, submits the complete application form, application fee, and portfolio to the Office for Pastoral Ministries by February 15 or October 15.   The chair of the Certification Review Board convenes a three-person Interview team to review the application and all materials and conducts an interview with the candidate in a non-formal setting.   The Certification Review Board makes a recommendation to the Office for Pastoral Ministries based on the results of the interview team.  The final decision lies with the Office for Pastoral Ministries. Top Does the office oversee the certification for all professional ministries? Presently we oversee the process for pastoral ministries including the general  area of pastoral ministry and in the specialized areas of Liturgy, Christian Service/Social Ministry and Family Life.  The Office for Faith Formation/Catechesis handles the certification and recertification of DRE's and other catechetical ministers.  Youth ministers are certified by the coordinator of youth ministry (contact with those offices will be helpful if you are inquiring about those certifications).   All certification in the archdiocese relies on competency-based National Standards (established by the National Association of Lay Ministries).  The processes are recognized and approved by the certification committee of USCCB (the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops).   The Archdiocese of Detroit has the unique distinction of being first in the nation to have been approved in all areas of certification.   Top