Morling College is the theological college of pastoral and related ministries for accreditation in NSW and ACT Baptist churches and takes its responsibility seriously in the formation of students for accredited Baptist Ministry especially in light of NSW and ACT Baptist Association, ethical and Government legislated requirements.

ACCREDITATION DETAILS

At the April Baptist Assembly, 2015 revised Baptist Accreditation guidelines were accepted by the Baptist churches of NSW and ACT. These guidelines are reflected in training processes surrounding Baptist Accreditation and training conducted by Morling College. The College acts on behalf of the Baptist Churches of NSW and ACT when it comes to formation for Baptist accreditation. Please refer to the full Accreditation Guidelines for these details.

ACCREDITATION STUDY REQUIREMENTS

Full requirements and further details surrounding Baptist accreditation training and formation will be supplied when contact has been made with the Accreditation Adviser. To get in touch, please email enquiries@morling.edu.au and you will be contacted about what pursuing Accreditation involves in study and formation requirements.

PRE-APPLICATION INFORMATION SESSIONS surrounding Baptist Accreditation take place twice in a year and are hosted at the College, with each session held early in semesters 1 and 2. This is a meeting hosted by the College but conducted in liaison with Ministry Support and Development (MSD), Baptist Association.

You must have attended a Pre-Application Information Session to be able to move ahead with accreditation and then be part of a Pre-Accreditation interview. For students who are unable to make one of these sessions, please contact Jenny Case – jcasey@nswactbaptists.org.au.

The next Pre-Application information sessions are being held as follows:

PRE-APPLICATION INTERVIEWS

If you have attended a Pre-Application Information Session and received the appropriate forms, and are still interested in continuing forward towards Accreditation candidacy then ensure you lodge these completed forms and Pastor's reference as soon as possible so that a time slot can be allocated on a Pre-application interview day. This is the next step in moving forward to receive Baptist Accreditation. Contact Ros Allibone, BA office to book in.

The next set of Pre-Application Interviews is being held at Morling College MALC L3, or via ZOOM:

BAPTIST ASSEMBLY AND BAPTIST MINISTER'S ACCREDITATION SERVICE:

Being an accepted 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 Baptist Assemblies, Events and Accreditation Service. Due to Government regulations these events and activities are being 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:

As an accepted Accreditation Candidate refer to the Full Accreditation Training Guidelines for whether some of these events are mandatory or not.

• Baptist Accreditation Candidate Annual Update Meeting:
  This is held annually in February during Community Week of Morling College. It is expected that all accepted Baptist Accreditation Candidates would attend this meeting. This is required so as to stay informed of any revised Accreditation and training requirements. It is also a chance to meet and connect with other Accreditation candidates for networking and support purposes. If you are unable to attend this meeting please inform Keith Mitchell, Accreditation Adviser KeithM@morling.edu.au. Feel free to attend the Community Week sessions, share in a free lunch with other students and attend the meeting afterwards.
   
• Advanced Creating Safe Spaces Training
  Completing the Baptist Association’s Creating Safe Spaces and Advanced Creating Safe Spaces Training courses are requirements to become accredited as a Baptist minister. The next Advanced Creating Safe Spaces will be offered as follows:
  August 9 – Day 1 online (via Zoom) or face to face in Ministry and Learning Centre (MALC), Macquarie Park.
  August 16 – Day 2 (Face to face option) in MALC.
  August 23 – Day 2 (Online option) via Zoom.
  NB. Details of all Creating Safe Space courses can be found on the Creating Safe Spaces page.
  
  This 2 day advanced training program is required for all paid Baptist pastors and leaders. It is preferred that you have been accepted as an Accreditation Candidate to attend this event but any paid pastoral position would be expected to attend these workshops. This event is conducted by the Ministry Standards Unit of the Baptist Association and is a paid event. Pre-register online via the Creating Safe Spaces page.
   
• Marriage Workshop
  Thursday 16th September 2021, 1:30-4:30pm
  Facilitator: Grae McWhirter, Baptist Association
  You must register in advance with Grae McWhirter for this session. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. If you have any questions or to register please contact Grae McWhirter
  This event is conducted by the Baptist Association free of charge for Baptist Accreditation students. Attendance at this is mandatory for obtaining your Religious Marriage license as an accredited Baptist minister.
   
• Prepare-Enrich Facilitator Trainer
  The Baptist Association (BA) states that Prepare-enrich must be completed to attain a Marriage license as a Baptist Celebrant.
  This is offered as an on-line blended training program. Please refer to the following link for details and registration details and registration.
  The mandatory face to face component will take place on Monday 2nd August 2021, 9.30am to 1.00pm (Morling MALC - L1 Seminar Room) or via ZOOM (please request Zoom link from Keith Mitchell). Registrations close Friday 9^th of July and online training to be completed by Friday 30^th July. The College offers this course annually at a much reduced rate for College students. Contact Keith Mitchell (KeithM@morling.edu.au) for further enquiries.
   
• Annual Accreditation Progress Review - Tuesday July 13^th and Wednesday 14^th July 2021. If you are a 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 ensure that you attend a 45 minute session to review your studies and placement (face to face or Zoom) with a member of the Baptist Association and Morling College, on one of the above days. You will need to ensure that you have a demonstration of your plan of completion based on the Accreditation Training Guidelines issued by Morling College. Contact Keith Mitchell, Accreditation Adviser for these requirements if you do not have them An e-mail will be sent to you as an Accreditation candidate in June so you can book a time slot.
   
• Annual Accreditation Luncheon
  Wednesday 22nd September 2021, 12:30-1:30pm (Morling College MALC or Dining Room).
  This is a free annual lunch provided by the College for Accreditation candidates to take opportunity to pray for each other, and bless those who will be completing their Accreditation studies this year. It also serves to build your networking with other Accreditation candidates as ongoing support and relationship. An invitational e-mail will be sent around August to Accreditation Candidates who are yet to complete their accreditation studies.