- Are You Called?
- Candidacy: Starting Out
- Candidacy: Moving Toward Provisional Membership
- Provisional Members
- Licensed Local Pastors
- Ministers of Other Denominations
- Orders and Fellowship
- BOM Officers & Contacts
- District Committees on Ordained Ministry
- Ministerial Education Fund (MEF)
- Retirement
- Certified Lay Ministry
- Clergy Wellness
- DCOM Tips and Tricks
- Deacon Appointments
- Extension Ministry
- Plagiarism
Extension Ministry
Persons interested in serving in extension ministry should start by reading paragraphs 343 and 344 of the Book of Discipline. Extension ministry is open to:
- elders
- provisional elders
- associate members
- licensed local pastors
Clergy seeking an appointment in extension ministry should consult with their district superintendent before any interviews related to that position.
Extension ministry in the United Methodist Church is divided into four categories:
- ¶344.1a: clergy serving within the connectional structure of the UMC (examples would be conference staff, persons serving as faculty or staff at a United Methodist-related school, or those appointed to positions at a United Methodist camp or retreat center).
- ¶344.1b: clergy who are endorsed by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM); typically these are chaplains, but other roles may also be endorsed, such as spiritual directors or pastoral counselors).
- ¶344.1c: clergy who have been commissioned as missionaries and are serving through the General Board of Global Ministries.
- ¶344.1d: clergy in any other type of extension ministry. These appointments, which are considered "a true extension of the Christian ministry of the church," must be approved by both the Cabinet and the Board of Ordained Ministry.
Extension Ministers must establish a charge conference relationship with a local UMC, and must submit an annual report to the Board and to their charge conference.
To apply for an extension ministry appointment, use this online form.