Trainings and Events for Ministers
Below is a list of some upcoming trainings and events specifically for Ministers. Click on the links to be directed to more information about each event.
Multiple Options Now Open For Ministry Training Requirements
Spring & Summer 2025 Courses
The Christian Church in Ohio, through its Commission On Ministry, seeks to ensure that all those in its care maintain the highest level of excellence for the Order of Ministry. One of the ways in which we do this is to require several courses and trainings to enter into ministry, and then to require regular refresher courses to maintain ministerial standing to keep these skills and perspectives fresh.
We require a Disciples History & Polity course for all of those seeking standing in ministry. For those who attend a Disciples of Christ seminary, this course is often easily fulfilled in their seminary’s regular course offerings. But for persons attending non-Disciples seminaries, for clergy seeking to transfer their standing to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), as well as for Commissioned Ministers, it may be more difficult. The Commission seeks to make obtaining this important course easier for everyone.
Additionally, the Commission On Ministry requires that all clergy complete a Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism Course as well as a Clergy Healthy Boundary Course, and that these be updated every five years. We are once again offering the first training here in the Christian Church in Ohio, now completely redesigned and called our Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism “Awareness Conversations.” They are held in person/on-site at Camp Christian and we plan to offer them twice a year. We are working towards offering the Clergy Healthy Boundary Course in person/onsite as well. Clergy Healthy Boundary Trainings are only available on-line at this time.
We are eager to offer more accessible and more frequently available trainings in both of these areas.
We recommend that individuals attend the PR/AR Commission Awareness Conversations, which are held twice a year, or attend one of the other programs approved by the ARPR and posted on the Regional Church’s website.
From our Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism Commission to the Ohio Commission on Ministry:
In regards to parameters for the Anti-Racism training component of Ministerial Standing, we recommend that individuals attend the PR/AR Commission Awareness Conversations, which are held twice a year, or attend one of the other programs approved by the ARPR and posted on the Region’s website.
These may include trainings by one of the following entities:
• DOC/UCC Seminaries
• DOC/UCC Regional overview training
• General Ministry offering such as those at General Assembly
If an individual has attended a basic training we recommend that a more in depth training on Anti-Racism be accepted.
We also suggest that the Commission on Ministry look at other curriculum submitted for Standing Request and use their best discretion as to whether or not it meets the requirements. A certificate of completion should be required to be given to Regional Office upon completion of training.
The Commission on Ministry has decided that we will promote and recognize both the on-line and in-site classes and trainings that are being offered by our Disciples seminaries as well as by the Crossroads Institute (for Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism Training) and the Lewis Center for Church Leadership (for Clergy Healthy Boundary Training). All these trainings, upon certification of completion by the institution, fulfill the requirements necessary for ordination, commissioning, and the recognition and maintenance of standing in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Ohio.
It is the responsibility of each individual to research the requirements and pay for the costs for each program and to inform the Regional Church Office of completion. If there are questions about these options or you have concerns about costs, please reach out to the Commission On Ministry, via Rev. Allen V. Harris, at AHarris@ccinoh.org for more information.
PLEASE MAINTAIN YOUR OWN RECORDS OF WHEN YOU COMPLETE EACH TRAINING. The Regional Church Office has limited staff time to look up each clergy person’s records in order to fill out standing forms.
Disciples History & Polity
Phillips Theological Seminary
Basic Disciples History & Polity - March 3 - April 7, 2025 - Instructor: Rev. Jeff Gill
This course will present an overview of the history and practices of the Stone-Campbell movement as foundational to its current forms of Disciples worship, missions, and ministry: denominationally, ecumenically, and culturally.
*Please note this course week runs from Sunday-Thursday. The start date for class will be March 2.
The online course is from March 3 - April 27, 2025. The price of the course is $100. Click here to register.
Future Dates: Session 1: June 23-August 17, 2025; Session 3: October 13-December 7, 2025
Lexington Theological Seminary
- Disciples History & Polity I (IP 570), Professors Barnes & Dorsey, May 5 - May 31 (online)
This course is an overview of the history and polity of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) from its beginnings on the American frontier to the present day.
- Disciples History & Polity II (IP 670/870), Professor Oliver, June 13 - June 16 (On-Site Course)
For more detailed information and to register, please go online to:
- Here is the schedule: https://lextheo.edu/academics/academic-schedule/
- Here are course descriptions: https://lextheo.edu/academics/course-descriptions/
- The application link: https://lextheo.mycampus-app.com/app#login/apply
Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism Training:
NEXT Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism Awareness Conversation: March 28 & 29, 2025
Note: Both Friday evening and Saturday full program are REQUIRED
UPCOMING DATES: Friday, October 17th and 18th, 2025
Attendees will gather for rich spirit-led conversation to help raise awareness about Pro Reconciliation and Anti-Racism and how each of us can effect change. We will discuss various aspects and experiences of Racism and provide a safe place to start conversations in hopes of moving each of us forward in our Pro- Reconciliation and Anti-Racism Ministry commitment.
This workshop is designed for new and current ministers wishing to gain or maintain standing with the Christian Church in Ohio. United Church of Christ and other Ministers are also welcome to attend for their denominational requirements.
Check in begins at 4pm on Friday, Dinner 6-7pm, program starts at 7pm. Training ends 4pm on Saturday.
at Camp Christian, 10335 Maple Dell Rd., Marysville, OH 43040
For more information go online to: /regional-calendar.aspx?events=12352&action=details
Register online now at /ministries/ministry-teams/pro-reconciliation-anti-racism.aspx
If you have questions or would like more information please contact the Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism Commission Chairs, Pastor Jeff Wilder and the Rev. Dr. Alecia Evans-Hayes at reconciliation@ccinoh.org
This training, which is face-to-face and led by our own Christian Church in Ohio friends and colleagues, is the preferred training to fulfill the requirement. However, because we know that not everyone can make the specific dates for these trainings, we do offer and accept for credit toward fulfillment of the requirement for standing the following online courses:
Lexington Theological Seminary
- An Introduction To Faith Rooted Anti-Racism (IB 555), Instructor: Rev. Yvonne Gilmore, March 3 - 15, 2025 (online)
Phillips Theological Seminary
- No trainings currently offered in 2025
Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training
Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training is one of the premier anti-racism training organizations around, and their leadership helped shaped the initial work that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) did in fulfilling our 2020 Mission Imperative to be a fully anti-racist and pro-reconciling church.
One upcoming online course is being offered:
Digital Critical Cultural Competency Workshop, February 26, 2025, 10 am-1 pm Eastern – Zoom Register here: https://crossroadsantiracism.org/register/
Currently there are no basic Anti-Racism Training workshops being offered by Crossroads, however IF you have already had a basic/fundamental Anti-Racism training, you can consider one of their advanced courses to fulfill the standing requirement.
To find out more and to register, go online to: https://crossroadsantiracism.org/register/ (Note: times are all Central Time).
Clergy Healthy Boundary Training:
Lewis Center for Church Leadership: https://www.churchleadership.com/keeping-our-sacred-trust/
This group offers online training for maintaining healthy boundaries. There are three classes: “Understanding Clergy Sexual Ethics” (the basic class and a prerequisite to the other two), “Maintaining Boundaries in a Digital Age” and “Assuring Financial Integrity.” Each costs $49 and is done online at one’s own pace. Participants receive a certificate when you are finished with all the class work which will need to be shared with the Regional Church Office for your clergy file (ccio@ccinoh.org).
Clergy and ministerial students who have not taken a Clergy Healthy Boundaries course before should register for the “Understanding Clergy Sexual Ethics” course first. For clergy who have already taken the basic course, the “Maintaining Boundaries in a Digital Age” and/or “Assuring Financial Integrity” will be accepted for clergy standing renewal.
Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence Workshop & Training
The Christian Church in Ohio now hosts a special workshop dealing with domestic/intimate partner violence awareness and prevention. The date for the next one has not been set, but most likely will be on a Saturday in November from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and will be held at Camp Christian. The Congregational Leaders Mailing email will have updates as they are available.
Christian Church in Ohio (Disciples of Christ) Clergy who are in need of renewing their Clergy Healthy Boundary training and who have ALREADY COMPLETED the basic Boundary Training course may count this training for their renewal. Renewal for Healthy Boundaries is every 5 years. If you are unsure if you are eligible for this option, please email ccio@ccinoh.org.
Training for increased identification of victims of domestic violence and increased referrals to specialist domestic violence agencies and advocacy programs.
The full registration form will be made available at /regional-calendar.aspx
Lexington Theological Seminary
- No trainings currently offered for 2025
Phillips Theological Seminary
- No trainings currently offered for 2025
More information about Ohio Regional trainings plus other events, meetings, and important dates can be found on the Regional Calendar.
