Accreditation and Supervision

Accreditation

People enter into ministry in response to a gracious call from God and the Church. It is this call that requires Pastoral Leaders to carry out their responsibilities in a faithful, professional and accountable manner. As Scripture says: “See to it that you fulfil the ministry that you have received from the Lord” (Col 4:17). Pastoral Leaders have been given a significant role within the life of the church. They are called upon to exercise leadership in its worship, preaching, mission, pastoral care and training; they also serve as Christ’s representatives in the world (Matt 28:18-20). As Pastoral Leaders live out their call to ministry in positions of power and influence, they will seek to express the love and character of Christ in all their relationships. The call to serve as an example of Christian faith and living is an essential part of the Pastoral vocation (1 Peter 5:3, 1 Timothy 4:12-16).

The BUV’s vision is to be a union of 500 flourishing churches, committed to making disciples and transforming Victoria. To fulfil this vision, the BUV provides a strong support network through its accreditation process, which is designed to help pastors flourish. Accreditation is a requirement for all pastoral leaders linked to their current ministry appointment in a Baptist ministry setting.

Accreditation has a two-fold benefit – it ensures up to date training and a supportive framework for pastoral leaders, as well as a level of comfort and protection for the church congregation or agency that the pastor is committed to ethical and professional practice.

Pastoral leaders are required to complete regular training and fulfil certain requirements as listed below to obtain and maintain current BUV Accreditation

  • Signed BUV Code of Ethics
  • Annual Review of ongoing Pastoral Health and Growth Covenant 
  • Minimum of three(3) and a maximum of ten (10) Professional Pastoral Supervision sessions per year with a BUV approved Supervisor
  • Attend at least one (1) Professional Standards Workshop (PSW) annually
  • A recommended annual Pastoral Review undertaken by your current church/agency within the past 3 years
  • A Police Check (within the last 2 years) that is attached to your current church/agency 
  • A current Working with Children’s check
  • Ten (10) hours per year of personal support and accountability (including PPS)
  • Ten (10) hours per year of collegial support and accountability
  • Forty (40) hours per year of pastoral development (i.e. Nourish, conferences, courses, books etc.) for Ordained & Pastoral Leaders
  • Marriage Celebrant Training within the past 5 years (if holding a Marriage License)

If accreditation requirements are not fulfilled and no effort is made to meet them within a nominated period, the BUV may remove accreditation.

For more information regarding Accreditation, please email accreditation@buv.com.au or contact your Regional Pastor.

Professional Pastoral Supervision (PPS)

Professional Pastoral Supervision (PPS)

PPS is a regular, planned intentional and boundaried space in which a trained and paid practitioner skilled in supervision (the supervisor) meets with one or more other practitioners (the supervisees) to look together at the supervisees’ practice.

PPS is a requirement of BUV’s Accreditation for Pastoral Leaders, designed to support the development of healthy, vibrant, and effective pastors. This requirement aligns with the recommendations of the 2017 Royal Commission report, which apply to all religious institutions in Australia, and specifically to pastoral leaders.

Recommendation 16.45

Consistent with Child Safe Standard 5, each religious institution should ensure that all people in religious or pastoral ministry, including religious leaders, have professional supervision with a trained professional or pastoral supervisor who has a degree of independence from the institution within which the person is in ministry.

Note Child Safe Standard 5 reads… “People working with children are suitable and supported.”

The recommendation calls for the Baptist Union of Victoria to ensure that all people in religious or pastoral ministry, including religious leaders, have professional supervision

Professional Pastoral Supervision is:

  • a relationship characterised by trust, confidentiality, support and openness that gives the supervisee freedom and safety to explore the issues arising in their work
  • spiritually/theologically rich – works within a framework of spiritual/theological understanding in dialogue with the supervisee’s world view and work
  • psychologically informed – draws on relevant psychological theory and insight to illuminate intra-personal and inter-personal dynamics
  • contextually sensitive – pays attention to the particularities of settings, culture and world view
  • praxis-based – focused on a report of work and / or issues that arise in and from the supervisee’s pastoral practice
  • a way of growing in vocational identity, pastoral competence, self-awareness, spiritual/theological reflection, pastoral interpretation, quality of presence, accountability, response to challenge, mutual learning
  • attentive to issues of fitness to practice, skill development, management of boundaries, professional identity and the impact of the work upon all concerned parties

Note the above definition is taken from the Association of Pastoral Supervision and Educator in the UK

For more information regarding PPS, please email pastoral.support@buv.com.au or contact your Regional Pastor.