Elder Dennis G. Peterson, Ecumenical Patriarch

The Governors Board of Regents and I, as its chairperson are vested to transact the business of Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, International under authority of its Official Doctrine and Discipline with delegated powers, duties, and privileges to execute administrative governance of all ministerial affairs and agencies concerning faith, order, and discipline. We are empowered to promote spiritual authority, vocational responsibility, and professional accountability; establish fairness, transparency, and accountability regarding institutes of corporate policy, securement of ministerial officers, and the engagement of financial, commercial, and industrial activities. As the collegium licitum of this connectional ministry, we serve as vanguards to defend, protect, guard, preserve, and shield clergy and laypersons engaged in ministerial service who obligate themselves to the success of this organization's purposes by timely attendance, participation, and financial support. We also ensure that all corporate, ministerial, institutional, and connectional agencies of Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries are in compliance to that which is Biblically moral, spiritually ethical, and legally permissible. That being said, no church hierarchy supersedes its spiritual head, the Lord Jesus Christ, or its apostolic foundation - the local Christian Life Fellowship.

Biblically, the Christian fellowship is factually a supernatural entity caused and instituted by God in the midst of a people who perceive the world in which they live through different lenses, understandings, or worldviews (Acts 2:1-21). Despite its multicultural, multiethnic, and multigenerational composite with attendant impediments, the Christian assembly is described as the Lord's building and a vineyard established by God wherein the Lord himself acts on behalf of the believer's redemption both in Scripture and in time/space continuum to confront the social order, its environment, and cultural context through which we, his people, encounter and respond to relational faith in the living Christ (Isaiah 5:1-7; 1 Cor. 3:9). Local Christian Life Fellowships are places where the Word of God is proclaimed and where the sacraments of the Lord's Supper and Baptism are duly administered according to Christ's ordinance in authentic faith. Christian Life Fellowships are places where the elect of God and those searching for a place to spiritually rest and worship may meet in covenant within an attractive and user-friendly environment for equipping, mentoring, and comprehensive ministerial support. Such comprehensive support is inclusively obligatory for the mutual undergirding and benefit of even the humblest member of the holy priesthood of Christian believers who participates in the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and consistently supports the vision and mission of his or her Shekhinah Christian Life Fellowship through prayer, faithful attendance, ministry involvement, and proportional giving (Mark 16:15-18; Matthew 2819; Luke 22:14-20).

Ministerial Roles and Qualifications:
Qualified applicants to Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries are equally afforded appropriate ministerial roles and status in concurrence with their level of preparedness, gifts, talents, skills, and fields of service. We hold no preference for one gender as opposed to the other. Basic requirements for ministerial association involves 1), an attested personal experience and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, resulting in acceptance of Jesus of Nazareth as Son of God, Lord and Savior, and personal redeemer; 2), agreement in principle with our Articles of Christian Faith; 3), regard ones ministry association, affiliation, employment, profession, business, and/or vocation as privileged Christian ministry; 4), demonstrate a willingness to conform to all policies and procedures required of the position desired within Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, International; and 5), possess an established witness within a local congregation and a lifestyle that is consistent with the disciplined example portrayed by Jesus Christ within Holy Scripture.

Ministerial Qualifications:

A. The Ecumenical Patriarch, Executive Connectional Board, Governors Board of Regents, the Commission on Ministry of the Ecumenical Board of Presbytery, Jurisdictional Council on Ministry, Synod Committee on Ministry, and the Annual Conference Board of Presbytery are the guardians and custodians of governmental, corporate, and congregational ministry, respectively, within Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, International. Therefore, Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries reserves unto itself the right to investigate and verify all candidate information regarding past or present personal, moral, social, educational, ethical, religious, political, financial, corporate, civic and/or criminal conduct and also reserves the right to reject, revoke or rescind the application, credentials, association and/or affiliation of any candidate or ministry official who fraudulently represents himself or herself.

B. All ministerial candidates should meet minimum ecclesiastical training and basic academic preparedness before engaging a practicum of ministry within Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, International. Candidates for ministry are recognized and placed in ministry according to their level and area of preparedness and qualification. Current placement however, does not deter future qualified recognition within ministry.

C. As a prerequisite of eligibility toward qualifying to participate in the diaconate or eldership, all ministerial candidates should be loyal, faithful active participants of an approved and accepted local Christian congregation for three consecutive years or more prior to submitting an application to participate in the five-fold ministry of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor/teacher.

D. Ministers of the gospel and professional business persons who desire to associate with Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, International at a Fellowship level should have an attested personal experience and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, resulting in acceptance of Jesus of Nazareth as Son of God, Lord and personal redeemer; 2) persevere to demonstrate a lifestyle of spiritual authority, vocational responsibility, and professional accountability that is consistent with the disciplined example portrayed by Jesus Christ within Holy Scripture; 3) be a certified resident of the State and municipality in which membership is established; 4) be or seeking to become a loyal member of an accepted and approved Christian church or denomination; and 5) maintain a consistent record and witness as a dedicated practitioner of biblical Christian faith within such local congregation of said denomination.

Ministerial Disclaimer:
Whereas, ordination constitutes a commission to practice Christian ministry, it does not create an employment contract with Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, International. All ministers are solely responsible for their own actions and, by acceptance of licensure, ordination, or consecration, automatically agree to practice ministry according to the Official Doctrine and Discipline of Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, International and shall indemnify and hold harmless Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, its affiliates, churches, agencies, corporations, ministries, conferences, boards, councils, officers, members, associates and employees from all actions performed in their capacity as Christian ministers. It is the responsibility of every Christian cleric to know and adhere to laws governing the practice of Christian ministry within the geo-political boundaries wherein ministry is practiced.

HOW TO APPLY:

Ministerial Applicants
As an ever-changing and growing institution, Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, International ministerial opportunities constantly enlarge and become more available. Therefore, depending on the pool of applicants, it may take a week, a month or longer for selected candidates to be contacted. However, ministerial applicants are encouraged to apply for ministry opportunities in which their gifts, talents, skills, and professional preparation are best suited. Presently, we do not have an online application process; however, to begin you may submit a hardcopy letter of request and inquiry to:

Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, International
C/o Department of Human Resources
The PERSER Institute
P.O. Box 12861
Durham, North Carolina 27709-0962

An individual's membership in Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries does not automatically include or accrue to his or her ministry, mission, or para-church organization, or business. Should you desire your ministry, church, business, etcetera to be affiliated with Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries you should contact the Executive Connectional Board to the care and attention of the Secretary General at the aforementioned address.

Ministerial Documentation:
The following procedure with attendant documents and information are annually required of all applicants and registrants, both resident or transfer, for Licensed, Commissioned, and Ordained ministry who desire to serve or advance their commission within the ministerial ranks of Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, International:

Applicants:
1). Letter of Request and Inquiry; 2). Application; 3), Application Fee; 4), Resume'; 5), Ministry Portfolio (optional); 6), Ministry Proposal (optional); 7), Proof of Age; 8), Background Investigation; 9), Academic Experience; 10), Equivalent Life Experience (Candidates who have accumulated professional knowledge through life experience); 11), Church Membership (Applicant should be from an accepted and approved Christian denomination; maintain a consistent record and witness as a dedicated practitioner of biblical Christian faith within a congregation of said denomination) ; 12), Personal References; 13), Ministry Experience (i.e. professional knowledge regarding vocational competencies for ministry; 14), and certified Health Status within the past three months.

Registrants:
1). Registration Fee; 2), Resume'; 3), Ministry Portfolio; 4), Ministry Proposal (optional); 5), Proof of Age; 6), Updated Background Investigation; 7), Academic Experience; 8), Equivalent Life Experience (Candidates who have accumulated professional knowledge through life experience); 9), Church Membership (Pastoral Recommendation from registrant's current pastor or overseer; maintain a consistent record and witness as a dedicated practitioner of biblical Christian faith within Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, Pastoral Ministerial Summary Evaluation) ; 10), Personal References; 11), Pastoral Experience (i.e. professional knowledge regarding vocational competencies for pastoral ministry; 12), and certified Health Status within the past three months.

CORPORATE ASSOCIATION:
An Applicant Congregation, Society of Congregations, Mission, Ministry, Partnership, Trust, Foundation, or Organization becomes affiliated and associated upon pre-qualifying for tax exempt status under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code, completes an accepted Application and Covenant of Association/Affiliation with Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries' Executive Connectional Board, and annually registers with Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries through purchase of a Corporate Association Package.

Criterion for Corporate Association: A qualifying Nonprofit Congregation, Society of Congregations, Mission, Ministry, Partnership, Trust, Foundation, Limited Liability Company, or other forms of ministry or tax-exempt business organization may become an affiliate associate of Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, International when the "Covenant" along with an annual registration fee is accompanied by notarized copies of:

A. Articles of Incorporation, articles of organization, partnership agreement, trust documents, a vision, mission, doctrinal and/or ethics statement, and other governing documents, as applicable;

B. A complete list of all directors and officers of a corporation, church, ministry, mission organization, all general and limited partners of a partnership, members of a limited liability company, or trustee(s) and beneficiaries of a trust, foundation, etc., as applicable;

C. A Federal Identification Number or Employer Identification Number;

D. A video, audio and/or power point presentation of the church, ministry, mission, partnership, trust, corporation, limited liability company, or other forms of ministry or business organizations;

E. Updated information concerning any change in shareholders, directors, officers, partners, members, beneficiaries and/or trustees, as applicable; and

F. Shareholders, directors, officers, partners, members, beneficiaries and trustees, as applicable, of an Applicant Congregation, Society of Congregations, Mission, Ministry, Partnership, Trust, Foundation, Limited Liability Company, or other forms of ministry or business organizations attest and certify to be bound and governed by the "Covenant" and the Official Doctrine and Discipline of Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, International and its abridgements and/or amendments as authorized by the Executive Connectional Board and Governors Board of Regents of Shekhinah Christian Life Ministries, International.