Mentoring for New Ministers

Newly ordained ministers, as well as ministers who enter the Christian Reformed Church from other denominations, are required to have ministry mentors for the first five years of their ordained ministry (see Acts of Synod, 1982, p. 78). Ministry mentors are experienced pastors, usually from within the classis, available to help with personal and spiritual matters, professional practices and pastoral formation. Ideally, new pastors choose their mentors and initiate contact toward this relationship, but regional pastors are also available to assist in finding a suitable mentor.

Here we provide a ministry description for this mentoring relationship. It offers information about how to get the mentoring relationship started as well as resources to help the mentoring relationship develop into a fruitful one for both the mentee and the mentor.