Specific Guidelines for a Mentor

1. Review the credentialing and paper requirements with the candidate to be sure they have read them and have an understanding of each of the categories and what is expected.
2. For the Certificate of Christian Ministry, the Certificate of Ordination and the Transfer of Ordination, it is important to emphasize that this paper carries additional theological understanding and thus, it is one of the most significant steps in a candidate’s call to ministry, and it should be taken seriously. Thus, the paper needs to be well written, with clear and concise sentences, with good grammatical structure, accurate spelling and proofed for grammar, spelling and typos.
3. Candidates need to state clearly their convictions about each of the areas with biblical support.
4. Drafts of their paper will be sent to the mentor who becomes a proof reader making sure all the requirements are included. This is most effectively accomplished by dividing the paper into several sections, as opposed to sending the whole paper at once.
5. Areas that are not treated adequately in the paper are reviewed with the candidate. A mentor may challenge the candidate’s thinking in regard to any of the SOF categories or the pastoral issues He may call for more clarity or expansion or inclusion of areas that have been neglected, including suggestions for further reading in areas where there are weaknesses.
6. The mentor must be careful not to force the candidate to conform to the mentor’s specific views. Instead, the mentor ought to help the candidate develop personal biblical and theological conviction. He should also provide insight into the theological parameters in the EFCA.
7. It is important to continue the process outlined above until the candidate has a paper that is ready to be submitted to the District council.
8. The goal is to mentor. In this process, there is a danger of over mentoring in such a way that one “teaches to the test.” If that occurs, it will become evident in the Council as a candidate will be unable to interact orally with their own paper.
9. Though it is always best to mentor in person, much of this can be done through email and the phone.