Baptist Accreditation &
Pastoral Training

Morling College is the theological college of pastoral and related ministries for accreditation in WA, NSW and ACT Baptist churches. Morling in connection with the State and Territory related Baptist Associations take their responsibility seriously in the formation of students for accredited Baptist Ministry, especially related to formation surrounding biblical, theological, pastoral, practical, ethical, and Government legislated requirements.

Accreditation Details

The College acts on behalf of the Baptist Churches of NSW and ACT, and Baptist Churches of WA when it comes to formation for Baptist accreditation. Please refer to the full Accreditation Guidelines for your relevant State or Territory regarding these details.

In NSW and ACT at the April 2022 NSW and ACT Baptist Assembly, revised Baptist Accreditation and Recognition guidelines were accepted by the Baptist Churches of NSW and ACT. These guidelines are reflected in training processes surrounding Baptist Accreditation, Recognition, and training conducted by Morling College for NSW and ACT Baptist Churches.

Full requirements and further details surrounding Baptist accreditation training and formation will be supplied when contact has been made with the relevant Accreditation Adviser in each State or Territory.

For WA Baptist Accreditation contact Lloyd Porter (Perth Vose Campus): [email protected]

NSW & ACT Baptist Accreditation Events & Details

For NSW and ACT Baptist Churches contact Jenny Casey (Sydney MALC): [email protected]

NSW & ACT study requirements can be discussed with David Starling at Morling: [email protected]

Affirmation of Ministry Guidelines 2022 NSW and ACT

SYDNEY PRE-APPLICATION INFORMATION SESSIONS regarding Baptist Accreditation take place annually, early in semester 2, and are jointly hosted by the Baptist Association of NSW and ACT and Morling College.

The Pre-Application Information Session is important to attend, to move ahead with accreditation in NSW and ACT Baptist Accreditation. For students who are unable to make one of these sessions, please contact Jenny Casey:  [email protected].

The next Pre-Application information session is being held as follows:

• Wednesday 28th August 2024, 4pm to 5.30pm - face-to-face (MALC L4 Meeting Room, 5 Saunders Close, Macquarie Park) or online via ZOOM.

Please email Fiona Gardner [email protected] before the meeting for a ZOOM link and relevant forms to be sent to you. Please ensure you have ZOOM on your computer or mobile device and are familiar with how to use this before your meeting.

BAPTIST ASSEMBLY AND BAPTIST MINISTER'S ACCREDITATION SERVICE:

Being Recognised or an accepted NSW and ACT Baptist Accreditation Candidate means supporting both the Association and other Baptist pastors, so it is important to be part of Association events. If you are an accepted Accreditation Candidate then it would be expected that you attend NSW and ACT Baptist Assemblies, Events, and Accreditation Services. Due to Government and health situations these events and activities may be coordinated differently. Keep up-to-date with BA events through their web-site and search in events: https://nswactbaptists.org.au/

OTHER RELATED ACCREDITATION EVENTS:

The following events are mandatory for Baptist Accreditation, and Recognised Ministers.

Advanced Creating Safe Spaces Training (ACSS)
Completing the Baptist Association’s Creating Safe Spaces and Advanced Creating Safe Spaces Training courses are requirements for NSW and ACT Baptist ministry.

Location: Baptist Ministry and Learning Centre (MALC), 5 Saunders Close, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113 Australia:
Register for sessions in 2024 here: https://creatingsafespaces.org.au/events/

This 2-day advanced training program is required for all paid NSW and ACT Baptist pastors and leaders. It is preferred that you have been accepted as a Baptist Accreditation Candidate or Recognised to attend this event. However, any paid pastoral position connected to Baptist ministry would be expected to attend these workshops. This event is conducted by the Ministry Standards Unit of the Baptist Association and is a fee paying event. See Creating Safe Spaces website for details.

Annual Accreditation Progress Review
If you are a NSW and ACT Baptist Accreditation Candidate and anticipate becoming accredited in the ensuing year then you will require a final interview with the Committee for the Ministry in December this year. If this is the case then you will need to make Jenny Casey aware of that fact by 29th July. You will have to ensure that you have a demonstration of your plan of completion based on the NSW and ACT Baptist Accreditation Training Guidelines. Contact Jenny for further details: [email protected]

Obtaining Your Marriage License

There are several parts to obtaining your marriage license – the administrative aspects, training in understanding couple & family formation whilst being able to listen effectively, and the use of resources to prepare and support marriages and relationships.
The following will need to be completed to obtain a Marriage license. They are all mandatory, so ensure that you complete all aspects as early as you can in case you are requested to do a marriage.

• Marriage Workshop Day
  This annual event is conducted by the NSW and ACT Baptist Association for NSW and ACT Baptist Accreditation Candidates and Recognised ministers. Please contact Dan Waugh for details of the next workshop being offered: [email protected]
• Marriage Preparation Training
  The NSW and ACT Baptist Association (BA) wants to ensure that ministers are competently prepared to attain a Marriage license as a Baptist Celebrant.
  So it will be necessary to have completed some relevant training in this regard from Morling College. Some of these requirements can be completed in Accreditation units of study, accredited through the Australian College of Theology (ACT). Training can also be undertaken as part of the Marriage Workshop Day.  Contact David Starling for further details: [email protected]
• Prepare-Enrich (PE) Facilitator’s Course
  The resource that the BA and Morling want all Marriage Celebrants to provide is Prepare-Enrich. This course is a helpful tool to prepare people for marriage and enrich couple relationships. You will need to provide evidence of its completion to the Baptist Association.