Committee on Preparation for Ministry

COMMITTEE ON PREPARATION FOR MINISTRY MEETING MINUTES September 22, 2016, 9:15 A.M. El Montecito Presbyterian Church, 1455 East Valley Road, Santa Barbara, CA 805-969-5041

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Present: Katy Griffin, Chair, [email protected] Mary Currier, [email protected] Gary Hanson, [email protected] Erik Wiebe, [email protected] (corrected)

Excused: Robert Ohman, Clerk, [email protected] Rachel Tobler; [email protected]

Ex Officio Carol Bridgeman, Presbytery Administrator [email protected] Alan Stones: [email protected]

CALL TO ORDER

Chair Katy Griffin called the meeting to order at 9:20 A.M. and led in prayer. She requested ex-officio member, Alan Stones, to serve as temporary clerk to record the minutes of the meeting in Bob Ohman's absence.

COMMITTEE INTERVIEWS

1. David Justin Anderson (9:35). David was warmly welcomed by the committee as well as his substitute Session liaison, Patti Yomantas, filling in for Bill Randolf. David has been married ten years and has three children, ages 8, 5 and 2.

David is a Certified Lay Pastor serving on the paid staff at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church of Thousand Oaks. The church has two Sunday services, which run concurrently, one traditional and the other contemporary. David preaches each Sunday and alternates with the Interim Pastor, Craig Williams, between the traditional and contemporary services. He enjoys serving at Emmanuel even while it tackles the challenges of its current time in transition.

David last met with the Committee at its March 17,, 2016 meeting and was recommended for advancement to candidacy status. At its May 21, 2016 meeting at Monte Vista Presbyterian Church, the Presbytery enthusiastically approved David Anderson to be taken under care as a Candidate. At the May meeting our Committee made the motion to Presbytery to waive the time

1 requirement of candidacy under G-2.0602 ("at least one year") for David upon (1) his passing of all ordination exams, (2) the recommendation of the Session of Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, and (3) his fulfillment of all the requirements for final assessment by the CPM to be certified as ready to receive a call.

Led by his Committee liaison, Gary Hanson, members of CPM reviewed with David updates on his Form 3 with note taken that he had now passed all five of the standard ordination exams. He preached an engaging sermon on "What Is the Gospel, the Good News?" in an extempore fashion, which involved his listeners and utilized his excellently researched exegetical work on Acts 17:16-34. He presented his thoughtful and theologically comprehensive statement of faith, submitted appropriate responses to the nine questions for ordination, and showed competence with and conformity to the essential tenets of Reformed faith. While he was excused, his Session liaison, Ms Patti Yomantas spoke well of his assets and how much the congregation has appreciated his ministry at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church along with the recommendation of the Session.

MSC (Hanson/Griffin) to certify that David Anderson has successfully completed his final assessment and is ready to receive a call and authorized to complete and circulate his PIF.

The committee then gathered around David, and with the laying on of hands asked for God’s continued blessing on him, his wife and children, and his ongoing ministry.

2. Jared M. Del Dosso (11:00). Jared was warmly welcomed by the committee as well as his substitute Session liaison, Patti Yomantas, filling in for Don Morgan. Jared is 25 and married, and last week he and his wife welcomed their first child, Clementine, into the world. They have attended since 2010 and became members in November, 2013 at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, where Jared is now serving as Director of Youth Ministries and his spouse, who has earned an MFT degree, is Director of (pre-school, ages 0-6) Children. Jared immensely enjoys engaging in his relational style of educational, nurturing ministry with junior and senior high school students. He also loves getting to know the young families of the children he ministers to. In addition to the above, Jared serves on the Pastor Nominating Committee at Emmanuel Pres. and relishes being engaged with its members in the search process.

As a remarkable contrast Jared is intently fascinated with translating and studying the biblical texts from the Hebrew and Greek languages of the old and new testaments, respectively, as well as reading Christian scholars like N. T. Wright, Richard Bauckham and Richard Hays.

Over a five year period Jared took courses of study at Moorpark, Cuesta (in San Luis Obispo), and Ventura community colleges and maintained a 3.5 GPA while earning an AA in Humanities. Between August 2010 and May 2014 he earned a Bachelor of Biblical Studies with a 3.9 GPA at Eternity Bible College (regional accreditation to be ascertained). For one quarter (Sept. - Dec., 2014) he attended classes in an M.Div. program and then in June, 2015 to the present time he has been attending Fuller Seminary (with 3.5 GPA) to complete the M.Div. degree, perhaps by 2019.

Jared brings a winsome manner and an astute mind to the inquiry process wherein he trusts God to lead him toward clarity about ministry in the Presbyterian Church USA. While currently he does not see himself as a pulpit preacher or pastor in a congregation, he is open to a specialized ministry having pastoral and/or teaching dimensions.

At its March 17, 2016 meeting the CPM asked Rachel Tobler to be Jared's committee liaison. In her absence the Committee reviewed with Jared his Form 1A and commended him on the transparency and completeness of his responses in the document. Bob Ohman, the CPM clerk is to verify his Form 1B endorsement of the Emmanuel Presbyterian Session as well as copies of his college and seminary transcripts, and psychological evaluation as being in his file.

While he was excused, his substitute Session liaison, Ms Patti Yomantas, spoke well of his gifts, manner, and how much the congregation has appreciated his ministry among children and teens at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church along with the endorsement of the Session.

MSC (Hanson/Griffin) to receive Jared Del Dosso as an inquirer under care of the Committee. With assistance from his Committee liaison, Rachel Tobler, Jared is to complete the Form 4 and note the requirements of the Committee for his period of inquiry for the next year, namely: (1) Attend two Session meetings; (2) Attend two Presbytery meetings; (3) and, if ready for advancement to candidacy, prepare and register with the PCUSA to take the Bible Form and Content Exam in the coming year and have the results sent to the CPM Clerk, (4) fill out Form 3 and submit it at least two weeks before the next meeting, (5) complete the Form 5A application for candidacy and obtain the endorsement on Form 5B from the Session of Emmanuel Presbyterian Church. (6) He is to complete the Form 4 with review by his CPM liaison, Rachel Tobler.

The committee took a break to order sandwiches and drinks for a brief lunch at 11:45 a.m. and resumed the agenda to interview the next applicant.

3. William Pearce Bartlett (1:15 p.m.). The committee welcomed Inquirer William (Bill) Bartlett, who was accompanied by his Session liaison, Milton Jantzen. Bill was received as an inquirer under care at the January 24, 2013 meeting of the Committee, then under the sponsorship of the Grover Beach Presbyterian Church. Bill received approval from the Grover Beach Session to transfer his membership and sponsorship to the First Presbyterian Church of San Luis Obispo in 2015

The CPM last met with him on March 17, 2016 to discuss his requests for accommodations to time and certain course requirements for candidacy as well as the Presbytery's Standing Rule for an M. Div. degree, especially in view of his age (54) and experience in the specialized ministry in the prison and hospital settings. He comes before the committee with the endorsement of the First Presbyterian Church SLO Session to be considered for advancement to candidacy.

He is a graduate of the University of Maryland (B.A., English) and Fuller Theological Seminary with the M. Th. degree (March, 2016). In the past couple of years he has been an outside sponsor and volunteer in the Twelve Step Program at the California Men’s Colony, San Luis Obispo. Currently Bill is in the second part of a 2-year CPE (16 units) program offered through a satellite program of Stanford University in the Community Regional Medical Center of Fresno. Until recently this has necessitated Bill commuting to Fresno from his home in Arroyo Grande,

3 however now, with 1,600 hours already accomplished, he is completing the 4 Quarters of CPE (for a total of 2,000 hours) as a chaplain intern at the Marian Hospital in Santa Maria, much closer to home. When completed he will become a Board Certified Chaplain.

However, Bill's goal and sense of calling is to be a chaplain at the Men’s Penal Colony where he has been volunteering, and it is anticipated that on the retirement of the current Protestant chaplain within the year an opening for his replacement will occur. In order for Bill to be eligible for the position, the State of California now requires that he be ordained.

The committee reviewed with Bill his Form 3, his responses to the six questions for candidacy, and his statement of faith, all of which were quite satisfactory. CPM members also conducted an inquiry about his spiritual disciplines personally and in his ministry as a volunteer chaplain and also conducted a preliminary theological examination.

Bill is asking for an accommodation from CPM and the Presbytery to waive for him the M. Div. requirement in its Standing Rules. The Book of Order no longer specifically requires an M.Div. degree but "a transcript showing graduation from a theological institution accredited by the Association of Theological Schools acceptable to the presbytery…", showing an appropriate course of study including facility in using biblical languages and satisfactory grades.

Given his gifts, experience, sense of calling by the Holy Spirit, and Christian commitment, the Committee at its March 17, 2016 meeting moved, seconded, and passed a motion to wave the M. Div requirement in view of his M. Th. with satisfactory grades at Fuller Theological Seminary and to recommend to Presbytery that William Bartlett be advanced to candidacy status at the September, 2016 stated meeting.

*It is therefore MSC (Hanson/Griffin) that William Bartlett be recommended to advancement to candidacy and recommend to Presbytery that the Presbytery Standing Rule for an M.Div. be waived (requiring a 3/4 vote of the Presbytery).

If the Presbytery concurs, (ed. note -- the above was approved after some discussion, without dissent, at the Stated Meeting on Saturday, September 24, 2016) Bill will be eligible to be considered as ready to receive a call when he satisfactorily completes the following requirements:

a. Pass the Bible Form and Content exam in the next year. b. Prepare himself either through personal study of the Book of Order and theological works, tutorials, or by online courses from a seminary in the areas of Presbyterian History, Presbyterian Creeds, Reformed Theology, and acquire facility in using the Greek and Hebrew languages as well as the ability to engage in exegesis in both languages, all in order to: c. Pass the four standard ordination exams in Exegesis, Polity, Theology, Worship and Sacraments. d. Submit a Form 3, a sermon, exegetical notes used in supporting the sermon, a polished statement of faith on a single sheet of paper, responses to the nine ordination questions, an updated checklist, and be conversant with the Essential Tenets of Reformed Faith. e. Attend two Presbytery meetings and two session meetings in the next year.

The committee gathered around Bill and with the laying on of hands prayed for him and his spouse and the fulfillment of his calling. His CPM liaison, Bob Ohman, is to verify receipt of Bill's Fuller Seminary transcripts, showing graduation, graduation date, and final GPA. Also, the Committee needed verification of signatures on Bill's Form 5B and the last page of Form A.

4. Adam J. Ogg (3:15 p.m.). Adam was warmly welcomed by the committee as well as his Session liaison, Tyson Babayco, Associate Pastor at Ojai Presbyterian Church. Adam reported that he graduated with the M. Div. degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, Saturday, May 21,2016 (with a 3.3 GPA). During his third year at Princeton he served as an intern in youth ministry at Grace Presbyterian Church in Jenkinstown, PA, an experience he found to be very formative and challenging. Adam has been serving this summer and fall as an interim youth minister at Devon Presbyterian Church, located in a suburb of Philadelphia. This congregation has expressed interest in him for an associate pastor position in youth ministry.

Adam has passed all of the ordination exams with the exception of the Bible Exegesis exam. He has three times received an unsatisfactory grade in the exegesis exam, but with some guidance in preparation and close scrutiny of the written exam evaluations , a couple of minister members of the Committee are prepared to assist him for his next attempt at passing the exam.

The Committee reviewed the updates on Adam's Form 3 and took special note of his receiving an award in preaching following an eleven week preaching class led by Dr. Cleo LaRue at Princeton Seminary. He commendably completed courses providing solid Reformed theological grounding in the History and Theology of John Calvin as well as Augustine's Confessions, along with practical courses in leadership and conflict, stewardship/fundraising, and young adult ministry. He was disappointed with the haphazard structure and presentation of his O.T. Exegesis course, but found the exegetically-oriented Parables of Jesus class more helpful.

He preached a sermon titled "Something Is Going On" based on the text of Luke 4:38-44, centering on Jesus' healing and exorcizing ministry in Galilee. The Committee was very impressed with the content, thoughtfulness, and applicability of the message to our contemporary situation. CPM members made helpful and encouraging suggestions concerning his sermon presentation as well as tips to improve his exegetical notes. Adam presented a thoughtful and theologically comprehensive statement of faith and submitted cogent responses to the nine questions for ordination. He articulated competent answers to questions regarding the essential tenets of Reformed faith.

While he was excused, his Session liaison, Rev. Tyson Babayco, spoke well of his gifts for ministry and ability to express his evangelical faith as well as serve compassionately in socially challenging settings. He is appreciated at his home congregation, Ojai Presbyterian, and comes to the final assessment process with the recommendation of the Session there.

5 MSC (Currier/Wiebe) to certify that Adam J. Ogg has successfully completed his final assessment and is ready to receive a call, PENDING his passing of the Bible Exegesis ordination exam. He has registered with the PCUSA vocations office for the next examination date. He is permitted to compose a personal information form (PIF) for circulation. The Committee offered suggestions on addressing the evaluations of his previous efforts on the exegesis exam. He is to assemble these documents and review them with his Committee liaison, Robert Ohman, as well as Rev. Erik Wiebe and Alan Stones.

In the next months Adam is to complete a Form 4 with review by his CPM liaison, Robert Ohman.

The committee then gathered around Adam, and with the laying on of hands, asked for God’s continued blessing on him, his current and future ministry, and the successful passing of the exegesis exam.

COMMITTEE BUSINESS

MSC to approve the minutes of the May 19, 2016 meeting.

MSC to adjourn the meeting which was closed with prayer by the Chair Katy Griffin at 5:30 p.m.

Next Meeting: October 27, November 3 or 10, 2016. Members please send preferences to Katy.

REMINDER: CPM LIAISONS – IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO COMMUNICATE AGENDA SCHEDULES TO YOUR INQURERS & CANDIDATES, INCLUDING THE REQUIREMENT TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY THEIR SESSION LIAISON.