DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND MINISTERIAL DEVELOPMENT 
Bishop Dr. Cebert Adamson 
Education & Ministerial Development Coordinator
The Church of God Department of Education and Ministerial Development seeks to provide education to a wide area of responsibilities for training our ministers and for training our laity. We create opportunities to serve ministers and laity who have a strong desire to minister within the church and larger community.
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​The Division of Education and Ministerial Development coordinates the necessary programs for ministry advancement, such as Calling And Ministry Studies (CAMS) and Ministerial Internship Program (MIP).

mobilize
Mobilize is a lay ministry program that is  designed to resource, train, and equip the local church congregation to be effective servants of Jesus Christ inside and outside the church.

Ministerial Licensure

In this ministry formation process, the church partners with the individual to help the individual develop the abilities to fulfill his/her divine call and place of ministry.
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This developmental journey occurs through personal discovery, education, training, and becoming a credentialed minister in the Church of God.
Following are the programs which are the primary means for completing this ministry formation process:
  • Calling And Ministry Studies (CAMS)
  • Ministerial Internship Program (MIP)

Calling of Ministerial Studies (CAMS)

Bishop Nigel Ricketts
​CAMS Coordinator
The credentialing of Church of God in Ontario ministers is  a discovery process. In this process, the local church  partners with individuals in order to help them develop their abilities to fulfill the divine call and place of ministry.
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Calling And Ministry Studies (CAMS) helps interested applicants determine their calling to clergy ministry, as well as providing information about ministry.

The individual study for applicants includes three activities:

  • Holding of personal devotions about calling and ministry.
  • Completing three training courses.
  • Writing  about their calling and understanding of ministry
The spouses will attend the three seminars and will write the papers about their calling and understanding of ministry.  If people are interested in enrolling in CAMS, they should talk with their pastor. The pastor will contact the state office for the application.

Courses include:

Ministerial Internship Program (MIP)

Purposes for MIP are to . . .

  • Provide practical training and experience to the minister and spouse at the local-church level under the supervision of a pastor.
  • Enable the development of scriptural discipline of submission (Romans 13:1 and Hebrews 13:17).
  • Provide commitment between the Church of God in Ontario and the minister.
  • Enable development of the minister in forming the proper attitudes toward the church, the ministry, fellow ministers, and the people whom they serve
  • Support new ministers in discovering their own  gifts and styles for evangelistic outreach, pastoral responsibilities, other areas of ministry, and for determining further training needs.
The basis of the MIP has always been to provide ministerial preparation by practical training on the local-church level,  to include academic self-study and monthly training seminars, that are focused on relevant ​topics for spiritual leadership and ministerial effectiveness.  

MIP is comprised of three parts:

  • Studies on the (1) Bible, (2) Doctrine, and (3) Leadership
    The candidates and spouses follow a daily schedule of spiritual, study, and physical assignments.
  • A supervised practicum with a pastor:
    The supervised practicum affords the supervising pastor an opportunity to prepare the MIP candidates to fulfill their divine call. The supervised practicum experience builds upon the supervising pastor being a mentor and a coach to the candidate. The focus of the relationship is on ministry activities and reflections between the supervising pastor and candidate. The relationship purposefully develops ministry skills in the candidate.
  • Eight monthly seminars:
    The eight monthly seminars cover a range of materials that address ministry topics and issues. The seminars complement and add to the experience of the supervised practicum.

Specializations in the Ministerial Internship Program:

In an effort to broaden the ministerial training experience, specializations in ministries will be offered in the MIP.

The specializations are:
  1. Assistant Pastor Ministry
  2. Chaplaincy
  3. Children’s Ministry
  4. Christian education Ministry
  5. Church Planting, and
  6. Youth & Discipleship Ministry

If applicants want to specialize in one of these ministries, they should contact the state MIP coordinator

Ministerial Ranks

Exhorter
A person who feels called to become a credentialed minister in the Church of God should discuss his/her calling with his/her pastor and ask the pastor to contact the state office. Upon receipt of the Endorsement Form  from the pastor, a New Minister/Calling and Ministry Studies (CAMS)/Exhorter Application will be submitted to the Department of Education and Ministerial Development to the pastor.
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As part of the application process, the individual desiring credentials must submit to a background check. Upon approval, the applicant (and spouse) will be eligible to begin the CAMS program. After completion of CAMS, and upon recommendation of the Education and Ministerial Development Board, the candidate will be ready to purchase an Exhorter Study Guide and will be eligible to take the Exhorter exam.

Ordained Minister
An Exhorter of Church of God in Ontario who desires to advance to the rank of Ordained Minister should contact the Department of Education and Ministerial Development,  and request an Ordained Minister/Ministerial Internship Program (MIP) Application.

After successful completion of MIP, the individual will be ready to purchase an Ordained Minister Study Guide and will be eligible to take the Ordained Minister exam.

Ordained Bishop
An Ordained Minister with the Church of God in Ontario may advance to the rank of ordained bishop when he is twenty-five (25) years of age, provided he has had at least eight (8) years of active ministry, or when he is thirty (30) years of age, provided he has had at least five (5) years of active ministry, if he is otherwise qualified.

A person who meets the above qualifications may contact the Department of Education and Ministerial Development.
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