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R&R1a
Application to be Recognised and Regarded
as a presbyter or deacon in the
Methodist Church in Britain
APPLICATION FORM 2017
Section 1. PERSONAL DETAILS
Please ensure that the names you provide match exactly those listed in your passport.
TITLE
SURNAME
FORENAMES
DATE OF BIRTH
(DD/MM/YY)
NATIONALITY
PASSPORT NUMBER
DATE OF EXPIRATION
For current UK residents: IMMIGRATION STATUS & VISA DETAILS (with dates of expiry)
How long have you been resident in the UK?
POSTAL ADDRESS
CONTACT DETAILS
(If appropriate,
indicate dates
available for contact.)
TELEPHONE NUMBER(S):
EMAIL ADDRESS
Are you in a legal relationship (marriage or civil partnership)? YES / NO (please delete as appropriate)
NAME OF SPOUSE (if applicable)
DATE OF BIRTH (DD/MM/YY)
NAMES OF CHILDREN (if applicable) – please
indicate any dependent children
DATE(S) OF BIRTH
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Section 2. MINISTRY & PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
Date of Baptism
Date of Confirmation into Church Membership
Date of Authorisation to Public Ministry: ..........................................
Was this by ordination?
YES / NO
(Please circle or delete as appropriate)
Was this ordination by prayer and the laying on of hands, and with permanent intent?
YES / NO
Please attach a copy of your Ordination Certificate and details of Ordination Service
TRAINING FOR MINISTRY
Institution
Qualification
Date of
Qualification
If none of the institutions above teaches in English, please provide details of your English language
qualifications.
FORMAL EDUCATION
Institution
Qualification
Please attach copies of your certificates.
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Date of
Qualification
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE (including Ministerial Service) since leaving full-time education
Present denomination / conference and details of current appointment and status ():  Presbyter
 Deacon
PREVIOUS APPOINTMENTS AND EMPLOYMENT
DATES
EMPLOYMENT DETAILS
(Name of organisation and location, if
applicable)
POSITION HELD & RESPONSIBILITIES
(with reason for leaving)
Section 3. DETAILS OF BRITISH METHODIST EXPERIENCE(S) (if applicable)
Order of Ministry:
District
 Presbyteral
Circuit
Dates
Type of experience
District
Circuit
Dates
Type of experience
District
Circuit
Dates
Type of experience
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 Diaconal
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DO HAVE YOU A CRIMINAL RECORD?
YES / NO (please delete as appropriate)
If ‘yes’, please give details (on a separate sheet if you prefer)
Please note that all recommended applicants, both presbyteral and diaconal, are required to complete a
criminal record check done by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in England and Wales or Protecting
Vulnerable Groups (PVG) in Scotland, or they have to provide a criminal record check from their country of
origin prior to being stationed.
Our policy on admission to Training Programmes and for the Selection and Appointment of Presbyters
and Deacons with a Criminal Record is set out in APPENDIX 1 to this form. Please read this document and
retain for reference.
HAVE YOU PREVIOUSLY APPLIED TO SERVE IN PRESBYTERAL OR DIACONAL MINISTRY WITH THE
METHODIST CHURCH IN BRITAIN?
YES / NO (please delete as appropriate)
If ‘yes’, please state year of application:
Section 4. PERMISSION
The Officer in your Church or denomination responsible for oversight of relationships between
Churches, from whom we will seek permission to take your application forward
Name:
Post title:
Postal Address:
E-mail Address:
Telephone Number:
Section 5. REFEREES
As far as possible we try to work electronically but it is helpful if you can provide us with as many
methods of contacting your referees as you can in case we have difficulty with e-mails.
Among your referees, we need to hear from a) someone to whom you report as part of your work
(referee 1), b) someone who is responsible for your District or Diocese (referee 2) and c) someone
who knows your work (referees 3 and 4).
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REFEREES
1. Your Circuit Superintendent (or equivalent)
Name:
Telephone Number:
Postal Address:
E-mail Address:
2. Your District Chair (or equivalent)
Name:
Telephone Number:
Postal Address:
E-mail Address:
3. A lay person who knows your work
Name:
Telephone Number:
Position/role in church/community
Postal Address:
E-mail Address:
4. An ordained ministerial colleague
Name:
Telephone Number:
Postal Address:
E-mail Address:
5. One further referee (lay or ordained)
Name:
Telephone Number:
Postal Address:
E-mail Address:
Signature ………………………………………………………………………………………………
Date ..........................
Please return the following forms before 15 January 2017 to [email protected]
-
Completed R&R1a application form
Completed R&R1b declaration form
Completed R&R2 personal statement
Completed medical form.
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APPENDIX 1
Policy and Guidelines for admission to Training Programmes and for the Selection and Appointment of
Presbyters and Deacons with a Criminal Record
BACKGROUND
The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 states that certain offences may be regarded as ‘spent’ after set
periods of time, and ex-offenders are not required to disclose their convictions unless the role for which
they are applying is one which is deemed exempt from this provision. Exemptions relate to roles where
there is unsupervised or regular contact with children, young people or adults who may be vulnerable, or
where the role involves the supervision of people who have this contact. Within the Methodist Church the
roles of presbyter and deacon are ones for which the exemption applies, and so full information is
required.
Those seeking to apply for, candidate for, or to be appointed to the role of presbyter or deacon are
required to obtain an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in England and
Wales or Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) in Scotland (or its equivalent in the country of residence)
before the appointment is confirmed. The Disclosure will include details of cautions, reprimands or final
warnings, as well as all convictions (both spent and unspent) and other relevant information.
The Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church (CPD), Standing Order 010(2), provides
further detailed information on ‘Qualification for Appointment’.
PRINCIPLES
1. Having a criminal record, in itself, does not necessarily prevent a person from having an office or
appointment within the Methodist Church. It is illegal to discriminate against an ex-offender on the
grounds of a ‘spent’ conviction Each person will be treated according to their merits and to any special
criteria applying to the particular office or appointment (for example, people with convictions or
cautions for particular offences may not undertake work caring for children and vulnerable adults,
under the provisions of Standing Order 010.).
2. Questions may be asked as part of the selection process prior to the commencement of the training
programme, office or appointment about criminal records in order to ensure that people with such
records are not inadvertently placed in vulnerable positions within the organisation.
3. The Methodist Church has a duty of care to the people with whom it works. Where it is judged,
therefore, that a recent or serious offence might mean that an individual presents a risk to children or
vulnerable adults, or could cause damage to the reputation of the Methodist Church, then that
individual will not be accepted for training programmes or for ordained ministry in the Methodist
Church.
4. Discrimination either in favour of or against persons already accepted, who have disclosed their
criminal record is not permissible (unless the offence prohibits them under SO010 (2) – see 1 above).
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5. Information relating to disclosure of criminal records will be treated as confidential and restricted to
those who are entitled to see it as part of their duties, (such as Connexional Secretaries for Presbyteral
and Diaconal Ministry respectively, Warden of MDO, the Connexional selection panels, i.e. the
Ministerial and Diaconal Candidates’ Selection Committees, Connexional Safeguarding Adviser).
6. Training programmes for Ministerial Candidates Selection Committee, and Diaconal Candidates
Selection Committee and the relevant Connexional Team members, as above, should include
information on how to manage the selection and oversight of persons with a criminal record.
GUIDANCE

All recommended applicants are required to complete a DBS application form before they can be
considered for stationing. Those who are not or have not been resident in the UK will be asked to
provide an equivalent criminal record check from the country where they are currently serving.

Confirmation of acceptance for training, office or appointment will be subject to a satisfactory
disclosure being obtained from the DBS.

If either the individual or the Disclosure reveals convictions or other relevant information that either
automatically prohibits the person from taking up the training, office or appointment under SO010 (2),
or suggests that to do so would represent an unacceptable degree of risk to children, young people or
adults who are vulnerable, then consideration will be given as to whether the appointment can
proceed. Advice should be sought from the Safeguarding Adviser for the Methodist Church.

A decision to reject an applicant because of, or partly because of a criminal record should relate to one
of the selection criteria, which is seen to be unmet, or to specific offences which debar someone from
the appointment (see below).

Generally, an applicant is rejected should be advised of the reasons.

An applicant who is rejected on the grounds of a safeguarding concern will have a right to appeal to the
Safeguarding Advisory Panel.

An applicant who is recommended and stationed and who subsequently is shown not to have disclosed
relevant information may be suspended and subject to disciplinary action.

It is the responsibility of the Ministerial Coordinator for Oversight of Ordained Ministries and the
Assistant Secretary of Conference to ensure that the guidance above is followed.
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