MEMBERSHIP

World Ministerial Alumni Association (WMAA) is an outreach and assistance organization established to support current and former graduates of World Bible Training Institute (formerly known as Ministerial Excellence). WMAA provides training & development, fellowship, leadership, and service for active ministers and exists to:

Produce strong, capable and ethical ministerial leadership in the Body of Christ
License and ordain qualified candidate
Govern its members
Assist churches in locating pastors and qualified personnel
Provide associate or affiliate status to qualifying churches and/or parachurch ministries and missionary organizations
Provide information and counsel in various areas of organization such as non-profit law, finances, publications and administration

MEMBERSHIP TYPES AND PROCEDURES

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP | CREDENTIALS CRITERIA | LICENSE | ORDINATION
APPLICATION PROCEDURES | RENEWAL PROCEDURES

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

General membership is for those individuals who are graduates of WBTI, but are not ready or do not qualify for licensing or ordination.

LICENSE

Licensing is available to WBTI graduates who are in their first two years of a recognized ministerial position (i.e., Pastor, Traveling Itinerant /Teacher or Evangelist, Missionary, Minister of Youth, Children, Music, Chaplain, Administration, etc.) which can include pulpit type ministry.

WMAA licensing qualifies a member to preach or teach, obtain ministerial entrance into hospitals and prisons, and to perform most, if not all, of the ministerial functions of a church including baptism and communion. As state laws pertaining to the solemnization of marriages vary, it is extremely important for licensed ministers to check with the proper authorities in their state of residence to determine if licensing credentials are sufficient to legally perform marriages.

The WMAA license is recognized by the United States Government as a valid ministerial credential; however, church affiliation, whereby a church and/or para church ministry is allowed to operate under the 501[c]3 status of World Outreach Center, Inc. involves a totally separate and additional application and approval process.

Requirements for Licensing

The applicant must be a minimum of 21 years of age.
The applicant must be a WBTI graduate.
The applicant must comply with the annual WMAA membership fee.
The applicant must adhere to the WMAA Statement of Faith.
The applicant must specifically meet at least one of the following ministry requirements:

Full-time Ministry: the applicant’s ministry position is his/her primary employment and primary source of income.
Although supplementing his/her income through a secular job, the applicant is officially recognized as a minister and is functioning in that recognized ministerial capacity on a consistent and continuing basis in or outside of their local church. Evidence of the consistent and continual service must be clearly documented on the application or through supporting documents.This includes, but is not limited to, administering the sacerdotal duties of the church (i.e., baptism, communion, weddings, and funerals) as requirements of their ministerial position.
The applicant, if itinerating, (including, but not limited to, evangelists, teachers, missionaries, music ministers, etc.) must have conducted pulpit-type meetings twice a month for the past three months, and must have two meetings a month scheduled for the next three months.

The applicant must be or have been an active member in good standing of a local church for the last 6 months.
The applicant, if pasturing for less than 12 months, must be conducting official church services and have an average attendance of 10-15 members to be considered for licensing. WMAA recognizes those conducting *house ministries; in lieu of this, the applicant will be thoroughly considered by the Board of Presbyters.*House ministry consists of:

Weekly services for a minimum of twelve months
Applicant must be the recognized pastor
Consistently collecting tithes & offering
Granted 501[c]3 status or application pending

The applicant, if itinerating, (including evangelists, teachers, missionaries, music ministers, etc.) must have conducted pulpit-type meetings twice a month for the past three months, and must have two meetings a month scheduled for the next three months.

There will be no exceptions to the above requirements unless a waiver is granted by the WMAA Board of Presbyters.

ORDINATION

Ordination is available to WBTI graduates who have been in a full-time, fivefold ministry position for a minimum of two years. Those qualifying for ordination would be pastors, missionaries, traveling itinerants/teachers, associate pastors, etc., whose ministry position is their primary employment and primary source of income. It is understood that in certain cases, such as pioneering a new work, an individual might temporarily supplement his/her income through other means. This would not necessarily disqualify an otherwise qualified candidate from ordination, assuming it was evident that definite strides were being made toward full-time status.

WMAA ordination entitles a member to all the privileges of an ordained minister. This ordination qualifies one to perform all the required ministerial duties of the church, including the solemnization of marriages and conducting baptisms, burials, and Communion.

WMAA ordination is recognized by the United States Government as a valid ministerial credential; however, church affiliation, whereby a church is allowed to operate under the 501[c]3 status of World Outreach Center, Inc. involves a totally separate and additional application and approval process.

Requirements for Ordination

The applicant must be a minimum of 25 years of age. Anyone younger than 25 will
need the approval of the Board of Directors.
The applicant must be a School of Ministerial Excellence graduate or a degree
holder of World Bible Training Institute.
The applicant must be a member of World Ministerial Alumni Association.
The applicant must comply with the annual WMAA membership fee.
The applicant must adhere to the WMAA Statement of Faith.
The applicant must have been in full-time ministry for two complete consecutive years (24-months).
The applicant must be in full-time ministry at the time of application for ordination and must have an active pulpit ministry, preaching or teaching in official church or evangelistic services a
minimum of twenty-five (25) times per year, and/or administering the sacerdotal duties of the church (i.e., baptism, communion, weddings, funerals) as requirements of their ministerial position.

It is understood that some assistant/associate pastors may not preach 25 times per year, but still may qualify if they are sufficiently involved in other areas of pastoral ministry (counseling, visitation, etc.). There will be no exceptions to the above requirements unless a waiver is granted by the WMAA Board of Presbyters.

Those desiring to be ordained by WMAA must submit an application and be approved by the WMAA Board of Presbyters. Please allow a minimum of 60 days for processing.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION/PROCEDURES

Those desiring to receive credentials from WMAA must submit an application and be approved by the WMAA Board of Presbyters. Please allow a minimum of 60 days for processing.

All completed applications must include:

Two copies of a recent photograph of the applicant. These should be suitable for publication purposes, passport-size, front head shot only.
The completed application form.
Application fee. Please make check or money order payable to WMAA.
Three completed recommendation forms. The individuals recommending you are to mail the completed recommendations directly to the WMAA office.

The Minister’s Recommendation form MUST be completed by the applicant’s pastor or leader (someone they’ve served under). If the applicant is a pastor, the Minister’s Recommendation form must be completed by an ordained minister who has known the applicant for at least two years.
The Relative’s Recommendation form may NOT be completed by the applicant’s spouse or by dependent children.
The Non-Relative Recommendation form may be completed by a friend or someone who knows the applicant well and is familiar with the ministry of the applicant; however, it CANNOT be the applicant’s spouse.

Requirements for:

PASTORS: A letter from another minister attesting to the applicant’s position and/or level of ministerial involvement or a letter signed by 3-5 members of your congregation (not from your immediate family) attesting to the applicant’s position, church start date, location, service time, and schedule.
SUPPORTIVE MINISTERS: on a church staff: A letter from the pastor attesting to the applicant’s position and/or level of ministerial involvement.
ITINERANTS: A current schedule showing two church or evangelistic meetings per month for the previous three months and two meetings per month for the upcoming three months. Also include a letter of recommendation from two pastors for whom you have ministered.
MISSIONARIES: A letter from the head of the ministry with which the missionary will be working, or another missionary or responsible individual attesting to the applicant’s position and/or level of involvement.

Shortly after your application is received by the WMAA office, you will be contacted by the Director for a phone interview. This phone interview must be conducted before your application can be processed. (Please note: This requirement may not apply if the applicant is a missionary with no stateside address.)

YEARLY RENEWAL PROCEDURES

Regardless of the month issued, the expiration date of a WMAA license is December 31st of the year issued. Fees are not prorated.

To renew credentials, it will be necessary to complete the WMAA Ministerial Credential and Alumni Membership Renewal Form, accompanied by the annual renewal fee and if applicable, the annual spouse renewal fee. For members/missionaries who reside overseas, the annual membership fee should be sent with the renewal form. If you do not have a stateside office/address, please send this information directly to the WMAA National Office.

It is necessary to maintain active ministry in order to qualify for renewal. In the event that a member does not qualify at renewal time, his/her file will be place on inactive status with WMAA and his/her credentials (certificate and card) must be returned to WMAA’s National office until such time as he/she once again meets all necessary requirements.