Frequently Asked Questions

Registration is an annual process which is open from 01 – 30 November each year. In exceptional circumstances, applications will be considered outside of this period, on request.

The current registration fees (November 2023) are determined by your working hours

• 40-79hrs/mth : $80
• 80+ hrs/mth and receives no MEA : $118
• 80+ hrs/mth and receives MEA : $155
• Enrolled in the Carey Baptist College Ministry Development Course (MDC) as a student – $0

Please note that your registration fee is non-refundable.

No – once received, your application is assessed in accordance with the Baptist Union of New Zealand requirements.  If we have further questions of you, we will be in touch directly.  Please note, you are not confirmed as registered until you have your confirmation letter and your registration certificate.

Once registered, you are accountable to your engaging faith community/organisation’s leadership and the Baptist Churches of New Zealand in terms of achieving what has been committed to in your Registration Development Agreement (RDA) in the following 4 areas :

• Personal growth and learning
• Baptist whānau engagement
• External supervision support
• Annual review

Remembering, that your RDA has been agreed in consultation with the engaging church/organisation’s leadership and your approval for registration has been made on the basis of this agreement.

Provisional Baptist Registration is generally the first two years of your registration.

If you are Provisionally Registered, and have not been trained through Carey’s Ministry Development Course, you are required to attend one Baptist Orientation Day.  You also need to have:

• a good understanding of the Baptist Churches of New Zealand affirmation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi along with their stance on gender equity and
• an approved mentor for the two years of your provisional registration period (this is in addition to the supervision component of the Registration Development Agreement) e.g., A pastor from another church with ministry experience. The purpose is to help ensure the support and advice you need is in place. The mentor should be from outside the local faith community or entity and, ideally, someone from within the same registration category.

Once you have completed 2 full Registration Development Agreements and had them approved and attended a Baptist Orientation Day, you’ll be invited to be recognised as Fully Registered – this is a formal recognition of you as Fully Registered and a  celebration of this takes place marking this at the Baptist National Hui in November.

It is accepted that sometimes the pathway towards Full registration can take more than 2 years depending on your own circumstances. However the 2 years is the minimum period to move into Full Registration.

Please note that Provisional registrants who are completing the Carey Ministry Development course (MDC) are not required to have a Registration Development Agreement as the course itself covers the same requirements.

No – you need to apply through the Carey Centre for Lifelong Learning, for Baptist registration annually to maintain your registration.

A key element of your registration application is your Registration Development Agreement (RDA) which needs to be reviewed as part of your Annual Review conducted by your engaging church/organisation’s leadership. Once you have completed your Annual Review with them, you will be required to include this confirmation as part of your application for Baptist Registration.

No – Whilst being added to the list as a Marriage Celebrant requires that you hold current Baptist Registration, being listed as a Marriage Celebrant does not happen by ‘right’ of holding current Baptist Registration.  It does, however, afford you eligibility.

The Marriage Celebrant list is held and administered by the Baptist National Centre and they are accountable to the Department of Internal Affairs for the names added to the list. They therefore require, at a minimum, that all those asking to be included hold current Baptist Registration.

Yes – The Baptist Union of New Zealand require that you hold a current police check.  However the police check is a confidential document between yourself and the organisation you have applied for it under for the context in which you’re working. All that you are required to do for your registration application, is confirm, by checking a box, that your police check is current and up to date.  If you need more information regarding the process to apply for a police check, the Baptist National Support Centre will be able to assist you office@baptist.org.nz 

We acknowledge that from time to time registrants may need to take an extended period of leave from their role (3 months to a maximum of 12 months). This may be parental leave, or another form of leave that requires extended time away from work e.g., medical or compassionate leave. Where this leave is known about in advance, notification needs to be made to the Carey Centre for Lifelong Learning of the intended start and end of any extended period of leave. This is to be done via email rather than the online application portal.

Please note the following:

• If there is an intention to be on leave for a full registration period (November-November) then registration can either be renewed on return to work and registration status (full or provisional) will continue from this point, or registration can be granted for that year provided the employing entity or approved body gives written endorsement of this leave. During the 12 months period of leave there is no requirement to complete a Registration Development Agreement.
• Where the extended leave falls between two registration periods up to 12 months of release from the requirements of registration can be negotiated (e.g., 6 months in each registration period). In this case the Registration Development Agreement should reflect the % of the year(s) that the registrant is not on leave (e.g., if there is a plan to work 6mths of a registration year, the RDA requirements will be 50%).
• Where the extended leave is unforeseen, completion of the RDA can be negotiated with the Director for the Centre of Lifelong Learning.

It is important that you discuss this leave with the Director of the Centre for Lifelong Learning as soon as possible so that the correct requirements can be put in place.

For further information please contact lilfelonglearning@carey.ac.nz

The Baptist Union of New Zealand confirms that those enrolled in the Carey Ministry Development course (MDC) are not required to have a full Registration Development Agreement during their period of enrolment in MDC and, following completion of their Pastoral Leadership/Youth Pastoral Leadership course will move straight into Full Registration. They are also not required to attend Baptist Orientation Day, as the course itself covers the same requirements.

When commencing your application to become registered – please ensure that you select that you are currently enrolled in MDC. 

For further information please contact lilfelonglearning@carey.ac.nz

Please refer to our Terms and Conditions page for full details here

De-registration occurs when:

• You no longer work in a role that meets the eligibility criteria;
• Your registration has expired, and you have chosen not to re-register;  If you do not re-register by 30 November your name will immediately be removed from the registration database, and your name will not be marked as ‘Registered’ or ‘Provisionally Registered’ in the Baptist Yearbook.
  
• The Baptist Union of New Zealand elects to suspend or removes your name from the Official List in accordance with XIII, Clause 35 of the Baptist Union Constitution.

We appreciate you letting us know if you no longer meet the eligibility criteria, or if you have chosen not to re-register, so that we can update our contact lists.