Report of the
Ministerial Credentials Committee
The Ministerial Credentials Committee held six meetings during the year in the performance of its duties.
The Faith and Order questionnaire was sent to each of the ministers holding Ordination Credentials with the Bible Fellowship Church.
The Lord, in His providence this year, has chosen to take home Barry Minsky, of our ministering brethren. We thank God for the many years of ministry that Barry had among the soldiers of our armed forces and among us as well. We look forward to the day we will be reunited with him in glory.
The Committee conducted a two-tiered approach to the ordination service that was approved at the 125th Annual Conference. The first tier was on Tuesday evening, April 26, 2011 at the BFC conference. The second tier was administered in the church where each man serves.
This year Dennis Cahill and Carl J. Fischer, Jr. had the joy of participating in the first Credentials Committee Ordination Recognition Service outside the United States. We had the privilege of recognizing the ordination of Pastor Marcos Ramirez in his home church, Iglesia Biblica La Roca de Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Attending an ordination service in your local region is an important opportunity to show love and support of those called of God to minister alongside us as brothers. We are grateful for those who were present at all the services of recognition. We strongly encourage all our credentialed men to make ordination services in their region a priority. Please put these services on your calendars and affirm these brothers in the Lord’s call on their lives.
The following changes in status were approved:
Herbert K. Lea was changed from Ordained Ministers Working in Other Christian Ministries to Ordained Inactive Ministers
Carl Spackman was changed from Ordained Ministers Working Under the Direction of the Bible Fellowship Church to Ordained Ministers in Retirement
Ronald K Denlinger was changed from Ordained Ministers Working Under the Direction of the Board of Missions to Ordained Ministers Between Calls.
G Wayne Clapier was changed from Ordained Ministers Working Under the Direction of the Bible Fellowship Church to Ordained Ministers In Retirement.
Daniel P. Allen was changed from Ordained Ministers Working Under the Direction of the Bible Fellowship Church to Ordained Ministers Between Calls.
Clyde D. Bomgardner, Jr., was changed from Ordained Ministers Working Under the Direction of the Bible Fellowship Church to Ordained Ministers Working in Other Christian Ministries.
Jacob J. Susek, Jr., was changed from Ordained Ministers Between Calls to Ordained Minsters Working in the Chaplaincy.
Shan D. Cleck asked to have his BFC credentials removed as he is serving with a church outside of the BFC and Robert K. Fields was removed from the credentialed men of the BFC because he no longer holds membership in a Bible Fellowship Church.
The Committee met with two men for ordination examination. The Ministerial Credentials Committee gives thanks to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Who has given these gifted men for the ministry of the Bible Fellowship Church.
Whereas, the Ministerial Candidate Committee has recommended ordination for Mark A. Bickel and R. Scott Wright for ordination, and
Whereas, these brethren have served acceptably as ministers of the Bible Fellowship Church for the required period of time or the equivalent thereof, and
Whereas, after examination, the Ministerial Credentials Committee believes these men to be called of God to the gospel ministry and to be in accord with the Faith & Order of the Bible Fellowship Church, therefore be it
Resolved, that Mark A. Bickel and R. Scott Wright be ordained to the gospel ministry of the Bible Fellowship Church.
The Ministerial Credentials Committee has placed our Ordained Ministers in the following categories. (These men are eligible to serve a Bible Fellowship Church):
I. Ordained Ministers Working Under the Direction of the BFC
Allen, David T.
Arcieri, James
Baker, Delbert R. II.
Barninger, Mark E.
Bertolet, Raymond R.
Bertolet, Timothy J.
*Bickel, Mark A.
Boone, Clifford B.
Brandt, David E.
Brush, R. Jerome
Cahill, Dennis M.
Clapier, G. Wayne
Clark, Gerald D.
Clineff, Kevin W.
Cole, Charles E.
Cowen, Timothy S.
Crossgrove, Andrew T.
Curcio, Louis S.
DelDuco, Steven J.
Duggins, Davis E.
Edwards, Joshua D.
Erb, Ronald C.
Evans, Mark R.
Felty, Glenn R.
Fischer, Carl J., Jr.
Francis, Kurt P.
Grossman, Randall A.
Gundrum, David E.
Harris, Richard D.
Heller, LeRoy S.
Johnson, Robert A.
Keeler, Kenneth D.
Kirkpatrick, Kevin W.
Kohl, Ronald L.
Kramer, Robert B.
Kuntzman, Donald E.
Madara, Ferdie R.
Mahurin, Ronald C.
Miller, Alan G.
Miller, Joshua P.
Morrison, Mark L.
Norris, Philip G.
North, Eric R.
Orton, Mark R.
Paashaus, Richard T.
Peters, David J.
Prontnicki, Louis
Ramirez, Marcos G.
Ramos, Elliot H.
Ravis, Richard B.
Reed, Calvin T.
Ritter, Ralph E.
Rodriguez, Carlos G.
Schlonecker, William G.
Schmoyer, Timothy J.
Schoen, David N.
Shorb, Thomas P.
Simpson, Arthur J., Jr.
Sloan, Robert A., Jr.
Spinney, Dennis W.
Susek, Aaron J.
Taylor, Richard E.
Thomann, David A.
Uhrich, Gregory A.
Vandegriff, John C., Jr.
Vivona, Alan R.
Weller, Dana E.
Wells, Howard N.
Wickstead, James A.
Widger, Byron
Williams, Daniel L.
*Wright, R. Scott
Yerrington, Philip E.
Zuck, Timothy M.
* Contingent upon approval of recommendation of their ordination in this report.
II. Ordained Ministers Working Under the Direction of the Board of Missions of the BFC:
Aukamp, William A.
Evans, Scott B.
Head, Jim D.
Johnston, Walter M.
Lenahan, Frank E.
Morrison, Philip E.
Moyer, Duane E.
Moyer, Jerry L.
Pollock, Thomas A.
Riddell, David W.
Studenroth, John C.
III. Ordained Ministers Working in the Chaplaincy Under the Sponsorship of the BFC:
Heineman, David N. – Hospice
Hurst, Kenneth J. – Military
Jones, David H. – Military
Moyer, Richard A. – Prison Ministry
Roberts, Michael D. – Fellowship Manor
Susek, Jacob, J., Jr. – Fellowship Manor
IV. Ordained Ministers Working in Other Christian Ministries:
Bomgardner, Clyde D., Jr.
Commerford, Robert S.
Cooper, Brian C.
Dowling, Willis I.
Dunn, William J.
Hagy, Ronald C.
Lawrence, Dennis J.
Martin, Carl T.
V. Ordained Ministers Between Calls:
Allen, Daniel P.
Arnold, Jonathon W.
Denlinger, Ronald K.
Harding, W. Neil, Jr.
Morrison, Thomas H.
VI. Ordained Ministers on Leave of Absence:
Dommel, Albert J.
VII. Ordained Ministers in Retirement:
Barber, Kenneth F.
Batchler, James R., Jr.
Bigley, T. James, Jr.
Brosius, Bert N.
Buck, Leonard E.
Byrd, Terris L.
Cassel, Alva C.
Cassel, Carl C.
Coulbourn, Hugh C., Jr.
Dotts, Raymond R.
Draper, Robert L.
Ellingson, Bruce A.
Gehman, Richard J.
Harley, J. Barclay
Herb, Frank L., Jr.
Herb, George E.
Herb, John H.
Hertzog, Roy A.
Hoyle, Ronald W.
Manney, David L.
Minsky, Barry J.
Moyer, Edward
Munyan, Edgar H.
Phillips, D. Thomas
Plows, Keith E.
Reichenbach, R. C.
Reitz, Roger L.
Riggall, John H.
Seifert, A. L.
Shelly, Austin G.
Smith, Gene W.
Soper, Ralph M.
Spackman, Carl K.
Stortz, Dean A.
Watkins, David J.
Way, David R.
Weaber, Harold C.
Ziegler, Daniel G.
Zimmerman, Paul G.
VIII. Ordained Inactive Ministers:
Lea, Herbert K.
McCreary, J. Mark
Ruhl, Jeffrey L.
Tait, Jonathan P.
Tannous, Michael J.
The Credentials Committee makes the following additional recommendations:
1. Resolved, that an Ordination Service be held at the 129th BFC Conference.
2. Resolved, that the Grace Bible Fellowship Church of Wallingford, PA and the Faith Bible Fellowship Church of Harleysville, PA, be encouraged to have a service in recognition of the ordinations of Mark A. Bickel, and R. Scott Wright, respectfully, and that they be encouraged to invite the Ministerial Credentials Committee to send representation to be present at the service.
3. Resolutions to be submitted to the BFC Conference:
A. RESOLUTION TO THE 129th BFC CONFERENCE
Whereas, there has been a controversy over whether a person must repent of the sinfulness of having failed to submit to Jesus as Master (Lord) of all creation, including Master (Lord) of one’s life, necessitating a need for salvation, and
Whereas, it has been alleged that our Articles of Faith do not require a pastor (or church) to teach that Christ has to be acknowledged as Master (Lord) as part of saving faith, and
Whereas, the Ministerial Credentials Committee believes that both the Scriptures and our Articles of Faith require us to teach that saving faith must include repentance of having failed to acknowledge Jesus as Master (Lord), and
Whereas, the true acknowledgement of Jesus as Master (Lord) must be accompanied by a transformed life as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit who regenerates and imparts new life, and
Whereas, this is an issue essential to the gospel since it concerns how we define saving faith, and
Whereas, Article 501-2 states that the BFC Conference “alone has the power to amend and authoritatively interpret the F&O”, therefore be it
Resolved, that the 129th BFC Conference concurs with the Ministerial Credentials Committee’s interpretation that Scripture and the Articles of Faith require us to teach that saving faith includes repentance of having failed to submit to Jesus as Master (Lord).
Reasons for our understanding of this issue:
1. The Ministerial Credentials Committee believes that the phrase “that results in the confession and forsaking of sin” in Article 13 means confessing and forsaking all past sin and specific current sins1 as the Holy Spirit convicts. This necessarily implies that Jesus must be acknowledged as Master (Lord)2 at the time of conversion.
2. The Ministerial Credentials Committee believes that the phrase “that results in loving, obedient service” in Article 13 also necessarily implies that Jesus must be Master (Lord) at conversion.
3. The Ministerial Credentials Committee believes that a number of Scriptures describe Christ as Master (Lord)3 at the time of conversion (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9; Acts 22:8,10 and Colossians 2:6).
4. The Ministerial Credentials Committee believes that the change of behavior that must accompany genuine conversion requires that Christ be Master (Lord) in some significant way at conversion (cf. the entire book of 1 John; James 2:14-17; Acts 26:20; and Galatians 5:16-21).
5. The Ministerial Credentials Committee believes teaching that one does not have to acknowledge Christ as Master (Lord) at conversion means that there would be genuine Christians who reject Christ as Master (Lord) and who continue to live lives of rebellion. We believe this is contrary to Scripture and Article 13 of the Articles of Faith.
Endnotes:
1 “When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” Acts 3:26
2 We do not believe that someone understands all the implications of Christ as Master (Lord) at conversion, only that they submit to Christ as Master (Lord) to the extent that they understand what that means.
3 We understand that the use of the term ‘Lord’ κύριος may at times imply the deity of Jesus but we strongly believe that the usual meaning of κύριος as “one in authority” is also present in these verses (cf. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, abridged in one volume, Kittel p. 486).
B. RESOLUTION ON CLASSIFICATION OF ORDAINED MEN: DISABILITY CATEGORY INCLUSION
Whereas, the Beneficiary Society has brought to our attention that there is currently no category to cover a man who is permanently disabled, but too young for retirement, therefore be it
Resolved, that, we recommend to the BFC Conference that permanently disabled pastors be defined as one who has a physical or mental handicap that would prevent a man from performing his duties as a pastor in the Bible Fellowship Church, and further
Resolved, that this disability be determined by the Ministerial Credentials Committee in consultation with the pastor’s primary physician, and further
Resolved, that we add “Or On Permanent Disability” to the category of “Ordained Ministers in Retirement”, and further
Resolved, that permanently disabled pastors be placed under the category of “Ordained Ministers in Retirement Or On Permanent Disability.”
Ministerial Credentials Committee: Dennis M. Cahill, Chairman; Keith E. Plows Vice Chairman; Carl J. Fischer, Jr., Secretary; LeRoy S. Heller, Ralph M. Soper