445. Continuing Education and Spiritual Growth--1. Clergy shall be expected to continue their education and spiritual growth throughout their careers, including carefully developed personal programs of study augmented periodically by involvement in organized educational and spiritual growth activities.
2. In most cases the ordained ministers' continuing education and spiritual growth program should allow for such leaves at least one week each year and at least one month during one year of each quadrennium. Such leaves shall not be considered as part of the ministers' vacations and shall be planned in consultation with their charges or other agencies to which they are appointed as well as the bishop, district superintendent, and annual conference continuing education committee.
3. An ordained minister may request an educational and spiritual growth leave of up to six months while continuing to hold a pastoral appointment. An annual conference may make such leaves available to its ordained ministers who have held full-time appointments for at least five years. Such a leave must be with the approval of the committee on pastor-parish relations, the administrative board/council, and the district superintendent.
4. Financial arrangements for continuing education and spiritual growth shall be negotiated in the following manner: (a) for pastors it shall be done in consultation with the district superintendent and the committee on pastor-parish relations; (b) for district superintendents, with the district committee on superintendency; (c) for conference staff, with the appropriate committee of the council on ministries; (d) for others in appointments beyond the local Church, with the appropriate persons in their agency.
5. Pastors shall be asked by the district superintendent in the charge conference to report on their programs of continuing education and spiritual growth for the past year and plans for the year to come. The district superintendent shall also ask the local church to describe its provision for time and financial support for the pastor's program of continuing education and spiritual growth.
6. Clergy in appointment beyond the local Church shall give evidence of their continuing education and spiritual growth program and future plans in their annual reports (443.2a).
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 445
1996 United Methodist General Conference