ACC Victoria New Churches Processing Policy
This section provides the information required by someone who wants to:
A.start a new Church in the ACC in Victoria or,
B.bring an existing Church into the ACC in Victoria.
ACC actively encourages both of these processes as a means to work togetherto fulfilthe Great Commission in our state.
It is our plan to facilitate the growth of more healthy Churches to reach more people with the Gospel.
It is our general policy to approve new works when they provide greater diversity and greater accessibility regardless of where they may be located. The proviso is that they do so in good relationship and in the spirit of cooperation.
While it is our position to work with new works to become a part of our movement, there is no onus on ACC Victoria to approve or endorse any new work.
We accept and assist new Churches that have, based on objective historical data, a good probability of becoming a healthy Church in good relationship with the Movement.
New Churches
Our pathway for Churches to become an ACC Church is;
C.Approved New Church or Outreach
D.Endorsed Provisional Church
E.Registered Church
New Ministers
Our parallel pathway for ministers to process credentials with the ACC is;
F.Recognised minister (in approved works without an ACC credential)
G.Probationary minister
H.Ordained minister
The Process
The formal process of becoming a new work in the ACC begins with an appointment with the state Church Planting Director, though contact may well first occur with other state leaders or church pastors prior to this.
The aim is to get a uniform process and standard functioning across the state during the current roll out if this new system.
The appointment will allow for all parties to ask questions and provide answers that will determine if the process should continue.
Relevant forms and instruction sheets will be sent to prospective pastors of new works as needed during the process.
New approved Churches/plants/outreach leaders will be connected with their District Leaders to begin to foster relationships. Notification if their details will be sent to the Regional Leader.
When Churches are endorsed by the State Executive the Regional Leader will be notified.
New Churches
B.Approved New Church/Outreach (whether joining or starting)
Approval is given to become an ACC church. this 'becoming' may take six to twelve months as conditions are met and relationships are formed.
During this period the new work may not represent itself as an ACC church other than being a work that is processing to become such.
In order for an existing non ACC church or a new work to be given approval to join or to start as an ACC church, the process requires:
1.A willingness to be in connected relationship with the fellowship,
2.A common belief in the ACC statement of faith,
3.A local pastor/planter who meets the profile as listed under the 'recognised minister criteria' in this document,
4.A written strategic plan for the Church including;
•Target group/location
•Public meeting venue
•Start up/existing team size and ministries represented
•Total number of people in the congregation
•Commencement date
•launch strategy (if new work)
•Financing and equipping strategy.
Or, where the church already exists, evidence of the strategic outworking of such a plan. A form exists which will lead prospective churches through this process.
An Approved Church may;
1.Use the ACC Victoria articles of Incorporation and Statement of Purpose,*
2.Avail itself of our Insurance Policy for new churches,**
3.Have its ministers attend state, regional, and district ministers' functions and conferences,
4.Send people to department and training events,
5.Avail themselves of the various means of assistance we provide (see 'assistance),
B. Endorsed Provisional Church
For a Church to gain this national recognition and be eligible to;
•Receive their certificate of fellowship with the ACC
•Vote at state conferences***
•Be listed on the national 'find a church' database
•Be a recognised church with a religious organisation in Australia for tax purposes
•Have their pastor receive a minister's credential
•Be eligible for the minister to receive a marriage celebrant's licence
the church must demonstrate over at least a six month period that;
A.the criteria as under 'approved church' continues to be met,
B.The church has completed the 'application for endorsement' form,
C.The minister has complied with the requirements to receive an ACC credential,
D.The church has 50 people in their fellowship,
E.The Church has a weekly public service,
F.The Church has the ministry team to meet the basic ministry needs of the assembly,
G.The minister and the church have made genuine efforts to be in fellowship with the Movement by;
•attending such events and functions as occur during that period. These include state, regional, and/or district events
•attending one annual Church Growth and one Leadership/board training event
H. A properly constituted legal entity through which to operate exists:
•Name, type and number of entity
•Members of the committee of management/board and roles
•Insurance type, company and policy number
•ABN
•Bank name
•Copy of last AGM minutes and finances (where church exists),
•Copy of the assembly articles of incorporation (where non standard ACC Articles are in force).
An endorsed Church (non campus), while it still desires to be an ACC church, is under the general oversight of the state executive of the ACC in matters of legal, moral, relational, cultural and doctrinal conduct as they relate to ACC standards of conduct. The executive has a right to;
•Conduct a meeting with such leaders in the assembly as may be necessary,
•Call a meeting of the members of the assembly and conduct such business as may be necessary,
•Have access to information in whatever format as it may deem necessary,
•Require the assembly and/or leaders to rectify a situation of assembly standards and conducts,
•Withdraw endorsement as an ACC church where actions in good faith are not followed.
C. Registered Church
For a Church to become a registered assembly with the ACC and have full autonomy in cooperative fellowship as well as be eligible to vote at the national ACC conference it must comply with the requirements of the 'endorsed church' and with the following:
•Be an endorsed church and meet the ongoing requirements of such for a period of at least twelve months
•Be invited to apply for registration
•Provide proof of board/committee of management and AGM meetings
•Be up to date in all ACC church and ministers' dues as required****
Note: 'Full autonomy in cooperative fellowship' means that the ACC executive do not have the general oversight of the assembly as per 'endorsed churches' but they still exercise their elected responsibility to monitor and require standards of cooperative fellowship as per 'endorsed churches' to be met.
They may request to do all the things as per under 'endorsed churches' should an ongoing situation continue. A registered church has the right to refuse such actions but an impasse may result in parting from cooperative fellowship should a solution not be found.
NB Regardless of assembly status, the state has the right according to the church's own constitution to: 1. be appraised of the conditions of winding up of the incorporation and 2. to advise the suitability of any new senior minister being called to hold an ACC credential prior to such calling being effected.
Annotations
* It is strongly encouraged that new churches use the ACC Victoria Articles of Incorporation and Statement of Purpose.
It is required that, should a new church not use them, to show evidence of having the following clauses in their articles;
•a wind-up clause that meets government requirements and liaises with an ACC executive representative in the process,
•a senior minister being required to hold an ACC credential clause, and
•a dispute resolution clause that meets government requirements.
** It is a requirement for endorsement and registration to have an existing insurance policy for at least;
•Public Liability cover,
•Professional Indemnity Cover,
•Officers and Directors' Cover, and
•Volunteer Workers' Cover.
(Note: a very well priced insurance package is available for new churches for two years.) It is strongly advised to have property and content insurance where appropriate.
*** One vote per 250 people or part thereof in the Church
**** New endorsed assemblies (non campus) pay dues after 2 years from endorsement. The dues are: 1% of tithes to National and 1.6% to the state.
New Ministers
This section is relevant to people who are senior ministers of churches requesting endorsement status for the work they oversee. it is not for team members for whom credentials may be sought.
It is our policy to process an application for assembly endorsement and minister's credentials concurrently.
It is our preference to work with people who have a successful proven ministry background in pastor/planter (churches, ministries or departments) portfolios to start or to bring a new work into the fellowship.
C.Recognised Minister Status
The person overseeing the 'approved' work, whether it be an existing work or an outreach, shall be recognised as the 'minister' of that work and, while they will not receive a credential (if they don't hold an ACC credential) until the church is endorsed, they will be;
•Recognised in their gift and position,
•Invited to all ACC ministers' functions,
•Connected to the District Leader relationally,
•Assisted by the state structures and systems as needed.
B. Probationary Minister's Credential (in charge of an assembly)
Senior Ministers of new works ready for endorsement will be invited by the state to apply for a Probationary Minister's Credential (PMC).
A PMC holder may;
•Receive a portion of their stipend as FB where the church has charitable status with the ATO and their church employment contract and conditions afford that opportunity,
•In the context of this paper, where the Probationary Minister is the senior/lead pastor of an Assembly, a celebrant's licence will be issued,
•Exercise their right to vote at state conferences of the ACC,
•Hold a state committee position(s) as determined by the rules of that committee,
•Receive correspondence from state and national bodies to be kept informed of news and events.
The criteria (for non campus sites) for becoming therecognised minister with a Probationary Ministry Credential of a new church/work is;
a.Meeting all requirements to be eligible to hold a Probationary ACC credential. These requirements involve a process of written information, ministry references and interviews.
b.Developing or overseeing a Church to endorsement stage,
c.Continuing in good relationship with the Fellowship.
B. Ordained Minister's Credential
PMC holders in charge of churches (non campus) will be invited by the state to apply for an OMC after a minimum of two years on proof of their ministry effectiveness. ie the church they lead is viable and has at least maintained endorsement requirements. The PMC period may be extended where proof of ministry or of connected relationships are insufficient for being ordained in the Movement.
Both state and national Ministers' dues are paid annually. These dues are not onerous and help to cover the cost of the work our offices perform to keep the Movement functional as a Religious Organisation in Australia and as a developing healthy Movement.
Assistance
ACC Victoria does not have the funds to provide grants or financial assistance for new works. ACC is a Movement that levies minimum dues on member Churches while providing a good degree of non financial assistance and support.
Please see 'assistance for Churches' paper available from the State Church Health Director.