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Appendix E-12: Statement of Relationships in Ministry Training
(Adopted by Commission of Assembly 1993; amended 2002)
1) Statement of Relationships in Ministry Training
The Church is called to ensure and safeguard the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the building up of its people in faith and life. The whole people of God exercises ministry and within this ministry the Church ordains some to be ministers of Word and Sacraments.
Under the authority of the General Assembly the training and theological education of ministers of Word and Sacrament and lay leaders, is entrusted to the Council of Assembly, the Equipping the Leadership Policy Group, and the School of Ministry (SOM); each has particular functions.
The functions of the Council and the Equipping the Leadership Policy Group are set out in Appendix E-20 in the Book of Order.
Within the mission priorities of the Presbyterian Church, and as required by the General Assembly and the Council of Assembly, the functions of the ‘Equipping the Leadership’ Policy Group are to:
Review and develop policy on:
- Training and theological education of ordained and lay leadership in Presbyterian Church including recruitment standards;
- Continuing ministry formation;
- Relationships with other teaching institutions;
- Ministry of word and sacrament.
Within the School of Ministry, the Principal is the Service Team Leader. There are also two bodies with overlapping membership but distinct functions. They are the Senatus and the Teaching Staff.
2) The Senatus
The Senatus consists of the Principal as convener, teachers of the School of Ministry who are members of the Service Team, the Registrar, the Master of Knox College and two students elected by the School of Ministry Student Union (SOMSU) one of whom must be an ordinand of the Presbyterian Church.
Representatives of the Equipping the Leadership Policy Group and the National Assessment Work Group will from time to time be associated with the Senatus for specific purposes. Mission Resource Team Co-Directors may be associated with the Senatus for the consideration of training relating to Local Ordained Ministry and ordination for Local Ministry Teams.
Functions of the Senatus of the School of Ministry are to:
2.1) Fix the dates of terms and vacations.
2.2) Organise public functions, ceremonies and events such as:
2.2.1) Inaugural lecture and closing ceremony;
2.2.2) Special lectures or courses.2.3) Approve study programmes for:
2.3.1) All students for ordained ministry whether in the School of Ministry (residential or dispersed) or engaged in foundational studies;
2.3.2) Lay training offered by SOM;
2.3.3) Continuing Ministry Formation offered by SOM.2.4) Monitor student progress:
2.4.1) Require repetition of modules not satisfactorily completed or completion of an alternative;
2.4.2) Determine whether or not a student’s year is to be sustained;
2.4.3) Issue a Diploma in Ministry (Presbyterian Church) to National Ordained Ministry students whose final year is sustained.
2.4.4) Issue a letter of authorisation to Local Ordained Ministry and Local Ministry Team students whose pre-ordination study has been satisfactorily completed.2.5) Establish and maintain a complaints procedure in accordance with Schedule A of this appendix;
2.5.1) Publicise the complaints procedure within the School of Ministry.
3) Principal
The Principal is a member of the Presbyterian Church Service Team and accountable to the Council of Assembly through the Assembly Executive Secretary.
As Service Team Leader within the School of Ministry the Principal's functions are to:
3.1) Develop and maintain within the School of Ministry a climate supportive of spiritual development, learning, mutual respect and cooperation;
3.2) Co-ordinate development of SOM programmes for learning, teaching, evaluation, feedback and assessment;
3.3) Lead the staff in implementing the policies of the Church for equipping the leadership of the Church;
3.4) Convene the Senatus;
3.5) Ensure implementation of Student Regulations in accordance with national policy guidelines;
3.5.1) Provide for pastoral care of students;
3.6) Ensure adequate procedures for administration of SOM;
3.7) Maintain communication and appropriate working relationships with Te Aka Puaho, Pacific Islanders Synod, presbyteries and congregations of Presbyterian Church;
3.8) Work closely with Equipping the Leadership Policy Group, National Assessment Work Group, and Introduction Work Group;
3.9) Maintain professional resources and contacts.
4) Teaching Staff
4.1) The teaching staff includes all those who teach full or part time in the SOM.4.1.1) The relationship between full time teaching staff is collegial, unless seniority is specified in a job description.
4.2) All members of the teaching staff are accountable to the Principal.
Functions of teachers are:
4.3) To develop and teach courses within the policy guidelines of the Church and subject to the approval of Senatus;
4.4) To share in the professional and spiritual development of students;
4.5) To exercise tutorial responsibility as required by the Principal;
4.6) To maintain high professional and personal ethical standards including:
4.6.1) The principles of the Code of Ethics for research practice;
4.6.2) Guidelines for Ethical Behaviour as set down in the University of Otago Staff Handbook.4.7) To attend regular staff meetings, except by prior arrangement with the Principal.
Schedule A: Complaint Procedure for School of Ministry, Knox College
General
1) Any member of the School of Ministry community who has a complaint (other than a complaint covered by Appendix E-9) concerning the conduct of any person or persons who are also members of the community may have recourse to this procedure.
1.1) Sensitivity, confidentiality and respect for the principles of natural justice are expected from all parties involved in this procedure.
2) The Senatus shall appoint four contact persons, two female and two male, who shall be independent of the School of Ministry or any body described in the Statement of Relationships. Contact persons shall:
- Be appointed for two years, and may be available for reappointment;
- Be available to any member of the School of Ministry community who believes he or she has a complaint;
- Provide advice and support in an informal way to the complainant, and, if requested by the complainant, provide a link between the complainant and the bodies involved at all stages of this complaint procedure.
3) The Senatus shall appoint a Complaint Sub-committee consisting of:
- One member of the teaching staff nominated by the staff;
- One member of SOMSU nominated by SOMSU;
- One other member who is neither a member of staff nor a student at the SOM, nominated by the Moderator's Committee of Dunedin Presbytery
4) The Senatus shall maintain a panel of no fewer than two mediators who are:
- Independent of the School of Ministry community;
- Available for resolution of complaints by mediation;
- Appointed for two years, and may be available for reappointment.
5) Notice of complaint shall be given in the first instance to the Complaint Sub-Committee, who shall, if appropriate, refer the complaint to mediation.
6) Mediation
6.1) The Mediator will convene a meeting or meetings of all persons affected by the complaint for the following purposes:
- To agree on the procedure to be adopted;
- To attempt to resolve the situation.
6.2) Where unanimous agreement is reached between all parties to the procedure, whether as to some or all of the issues, the agreement as to those issues will be final and binding on all parties.
6.3) If the complaint proceeds to a formal hearing, no information, statement, or admission disclosed or made in the course of mediation shall be admissible before the Hearing Committee, or any court of the Church or otherwise.
7) Formal Hearing
7.1) Where a complaint is not finally determined by mediation, or where mediation has been considered inappropriate, the Complaint Sub-Committee shall determine whether the complaint should be resolved by formal hearing. If so, it shall appoint a Hearing Committee of up to five persons, whose members shall not include any person who is a member of any of the bodies described in the Statement of Relationships.
7.2) For the purposes of any such hearing, the members of the Hearing Committee shall determine which member shall act as Convener.
7.3) The Hearing Committee shall, in conducting a hearing into the complaint:
a) Identify and cite all relevant parties;
b) Invite all such parties to appear and be heard;
c) Otherwise determine its procedure as it thinks fit;
d) Determine the outcome of the complaint and instruct the parties accordingly;
e) Lodge a copy of its report and findings and all documents in the case with the Senatus.
8) Appeal
8.1) A party in a case determined by the Hearing Committee shall be entitled to appeal the final determination of that Committee to the General Assembly.
8.2) Any such appeal must be instituted by lodging notice of appeal with the Clerk of the General Assembly, within 10 days of the date of receipt of the report and findings by the appellant.
8.3) The appeal shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Book of Order.
9) A complainant may, as an alternative to the procedure above, elect to proceed with the complaint under the Disciplinary Regulations of the Book of Order, but only if there has been no recourse to the above procedure.