The CWCOM Profile Series

Over the next several weeks, the Conference Wide Committee on Ministry (CWCOM) will share different aspects of our work in an effort to clarify different roles and responsibilities and point towards resources for additional information.  If there are particular topics you would like included in this series, please email Ronda Connaway, Accountability Subcommittee co-chair at acs@rmcucc.org.

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A Fitness Review is an Ecclesial process specific to the United Church of Christ, not a legal process.  The purpose is to determine whether or not an authorized minister has lived up to the UCC Marks of Faithful and Effective Ministry (aka Marks, sometimes referred to as our code of ethics. See the UCC Manual on Ministry (MOM) p.10-14 for more details).

When a complaint or concern related to the conduct of an Authorized Minister is received by the Accountability Team (ACS) of the Conference Wide Committee on Ministry (CWCOM), the first step is to determine whether or not it is a matter for the local church to handle or it refers to one or more Marks.   The guiding question for the team is this:  If this concern/complaint is true, are there Marks that are not being met?

A Fitness Review is initiated only if the complaint/concern calls into question an Authorized Minister’s failure to meet one or more of the Marks.  

Following the initiation of a Fitness Review, and with the support of the Conference Minister, interviewers and process guides are identified and trained to assist in the work of collecting relevant information related to the allegation.  Statements from the complainant(s) and the Minister in Question are also gathered.  At each stage of the process, the complaint/concern remains an allegation until the information collected and the deliberation results in a decision.

The complete process followed by ACS in conducting a Fitness Review is laid out in detail in the Manual On Ministry (see MOM p.125-130)

All information gathered in the Fitness Review process is provided to ACS for the purpose of careful review and assessment.  Following the review and assessment, there are six possible conclusions outlined in MOM (p. 130-134) ranging from an Affirmation of Standing to Termination of Standing.  In all cases, there is special care exercised in seeking an outcome that provides opportunities for the minister’s growth.

In situations where existing relationships between the Minister in Question, the ACS team and Conference members jeopardizes impartiality, the Fitness Review process and adjudication is conducted by another Conference.

In cases where the concern/complaint involves a Conference Minister, the Fitness Review is conducted by National UCC representatives.

To learn more about the CWCOM and to get in-touch with its various subcommittee co-chairs, please visit the RMC’s CWCOM page.