03 Jan Josh Whipple Receives Ministerial License
Bishop Phil Whipple (right) presents a ministerial certificate to his son Josh.
On Sunday, January 1, 2012, Bishop Phil Whipple had the privilege of granting a ministerial license to his son, Josh Whipple. Josh was named senior pastor of Mount Hope UB Church (Carson City, Mich.) effective November 14, 2011. He had previously served as youth/worship pastor at Mongul UB in Shippensburg, Pa.
Josh is the first person to be granted the new “provisional” ministerial license. Normally, the local church license, which is granted by individual churches, is the entry point for ministers. However, this has proven awkward in situations where a person (perhaps coming from outside the denomination) is being assigned as senior pastor of that church. Last fall the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team implemented this new license, which brings the license under the authority of the PMLT and involves questioning which goes much deeper than the local church license (on the level of the national conference license).
Details of the provisional license will be finalized during the spring 2012 meeting of the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team.
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