For the purposes of the Ministers Affirmation, a minister is defined as: 1. Any ordained or licensed minister, pastor, priest, chaplain, counselor or deacon in Protestant, Catholic and/or Orthodox churches, or in churches of allied Christian tradition tracing back to the Bible on its own terms, according to the standards of their local church or denomination. 2. Any person working full or part-time in church or para-church ministry, whether paid or not, including youth ministry, campus ministry, counseling, teaching in Christian universities, or heading up a Christian secondary and/or primary school. 3. Any person serving churches in home or foreign missions. 4. Any person now retired from any of the above definitions of ministry. 5. If any Jewish rabbi wishes to become a signatory, affirming only the pre-Christian elements of the Law, the Prophets and the Writings, we are delighted. We who are Christian ministers celebrate our Hebrew roots, and believe that the only biblical difference between Jews and Christians revolves around the question of who the Messiah is. Thus, in matters of human sexuality, we share the same foundation and interpretation. Such rabbis will be listed in their own Jewish category among the signatories. |