Requests for New Extension Ministry Appointments and for Deacons’ Appointment Settings Beyond the UM Connection
To request a new appointment in extension ministry/beyond the UM connection, contact your District Superintendent and the Center for Clergy Excellence.
For those appointments beyond the UM connection and not covered by endorsement, an application (link below) and interview process will be conducted by the Extension Ministries committee of the Board of Ordained Ministry. The Committee meeting schedule is available through the Center for Clergy Excellence. All application materials must be received by the Center not later than two weeks before the meeting at which a clergyperson will be interviewed.
Extension Ministry/Appointment Beyond the UM Connection Application
In order to see a list of the application steps before you apply please download this document for more information.
Download the “Questions to Answer for the Extension Committee” here. Then upload them to your application.
Submit your application here.
Annual Reports
Once your extension appointment is approved, you have the responsibility to provide a report on your ministry each year, as indicated below.
Deacons and provisional deacons
As an appointed deacon, or provisional deacon, serving beyond the local church, please see the further information found on the Order of Deacon web page.
Elders, provisional elders, and local pastors
As an appointed elder, provisional elder, or local pastor to an extension ministry in the Virginia Conference, the Discipline requires annual reporting on the official report form to your local church charge conference, the Bishop, and the Board of Ordained Ministry. All Extension Ministry annual report forms are due to the Center for Clergy Excellence by January 15 of each year. The Center will forward your report to the Board of Ordained Ministry and the Bishop. You are responsible for submitting your report to your local church charge conference.
The Virginia Conference has moved to digital submission of all charge conference report forms, automatically filling in contact information you have previously entered and sending the report to all who should receive a copy*. Go to https://unity.vaumc.org/ to login or for assistance visit https://vaumc.org/unity-web-video-assistance/.
If you cannot use UnityWeb, you may request a paper copy of the form from the Center for [email protected]. Remember to mail a copy of this form to all those persons or agencies listed at the bottom of the form.
* If your ministry setting is outside the VA Conference, you will need to send a printed copy to the Bishop of that area.
*If you are endorsed by the UM Endorsing Agency, you will need to send a printed copy to the UMEA at PO Box 340007, Nashville, TN 37203-0007.
Endorsement
The Christian as Minister shares that “Endorsement is the process established by the church to ensure clergy possess the skills, capabilities, and are appropriate representatives of the denomination to serve in specialized ministries.”
Learn more about what Endorsement means for prison, military, hospital and other institutional chaplaincy ministries and how United Methodist clergy would apply for Endorsement through the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.