Guidelines for Pastors

Credentialing Guidelines for Pastors

• Credentialed members must accept and practice the values that define Life Church International.
• Credentialed members must endeavour to live according to the ethics as outlined in the ethics statement of the church family.
• Credentials will be given to functioning pastors based in or ministering from an established and viable Life Church (i.e., pastoral and other gifted ministry). This can include those involved in cross-cultural mission work away from the normal influence of the local church and those with established ministries in a location where no Life Church is present.
• A credentialed member can hold credentials with another church family, movement or denomination, but they must be functioning in or out from a viable church that is a member of Life Church International.
• As Life Church International is built by relationships, all new applications for credentials must be sponsored by a current Life Church International accredited member.
• All new credentials will be issued provisionally for the first 12 months and presented at the regional gathering; where there is no region established, new credentials will be sent to the member.
• Provisionally credentialed ministers will be supervised by a fully credentialed Life Church International pastor. The terms of accountability will be established at the beginning of the provisional period.
• All applications for credentialing are to be endorsed by the regional leadership they will be relating with. Where no such leadership exists, the credentialed member will be endorsed by the international leadership team.
• All credentials will be reviewed annually.
• The regional leadership team will have the discretionary power to withdraw credentials if the above credentialing criteria are not adhered to, or if the credentialed person ceases to function in or be based out of a Life Church.
• At the discretion of the regional leadership team, provision will be made for ministers to be in fellowship with Life Church International, and to have the opportunity of attending regional gatherings, ministry training schools and conferences, while not holding Life Church International credentials.
• The international leadership team will have the discretionary power to credential an applicant who does not comply with the above criteria.
• Both husband and wife are to apply for credentialing separately. It will not be automatic for the spouse to be co-credentialed.

Pastoral Response

Life Church International is a fellowship of ministers and a family of churches, each being self-governing and self-supporting yet giving access to recognised apostolic and prophetic fathers who have been released to advise, counsel and encourage them. Therefore, in accepting credentials, each Life Church International minister enters into the following agreement:

• I am willing for my church and I to seek advice and counsel from my regional leadership team.
• In the event of any conflict not being resolved at local church level, I agree to refer such conflict to my regional leadership team for their deliberation and counsel.
• In matters of substance concerning my tenure of ministry, my church and its future and assets, I agree to seek the counsel of the regional leadership team.
• I understand that membership in Life Church International requires each church to pay an annual levy based on a percentage of their tithe income to the regional leadership team vision fund and that the percentage amount is set by each region in consultation with the churches in the region. I agree for my church to pay this on a regular basis and to submit an annual set of accounts to the central office.
• I accept that credentials will be reaffirmed annually.

General Accounting Guidelines for Life Church International Pastors

• Proper internal controls and accounting systems should be in place.
• Pastors should avoid handling the day-to-day administration of church finance. This should apply to his family as well.
• Pastors should countersign cheques only when absolutely necessary.
• Proper accounting systems should be in place.
• Qualified people should advise on statutory requirements.
• A pastor should be meticulous in providing receipts or supporting documents for every expense claimed.

Life Church International credentialed ministers are expected to be responsible in areas of pastoral direction. A pastor should give pastoral direction in the area of finance because all resources, including financial resources and their allocation, will be determined by the vision of the church. Checks and balances should be in place, however, by other competent people.

Guidelines for Handling Relational Issues

“If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall” 1 Corinthians 10:12, “Flee the evil desires of youth” 2 Timothy 2:22.

• Neither a pastor nor his staff should visit a person of the opposite sex in their home alone. Either they take their spouses with them or see them at the office at a time when others are present in the vicinity.
• As much as possible, men should counsel men and women with women.
• A pastor should be accountable to 2 or 3 mature Christians or a mentor who could ask straight questions to guard against immorality.
• The best protection against infidelity is a healthy relationship with a spouse.
• Build in other margins of safety.

No practising homosexual or lesbian person shall be appointed or function as a minister of a Life Church International church or ministry. On disclosure of such conduct, they would be expected or requested to relinquish credentials and stop functioning in their ministry.

Guidelines for Marriage Celebrants

Life Church International upholds the historic Christian understanding of marriage as the loving, faithful covenantal union between one man and one woman and a unique image of the relationship between Christ and His Church. As such, marriage celebrants registered under the name of LCI are not permitted to preside over same-sex “marriages” or civil unions. Neither may LCI-affiliated churches allow their premises to be used by any other parties for conducting same-sex “marriages” or civil unions.