Changes

== Educational requirements ==

== Educational requirements ==

In most cases, Methodist elders must have graduated with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in liberal education or equivalent degree in a college or university listed by the ''University Senate of the United Methodist Church'' and must have a [[Master of Divinity]] or equivalent degree in a [[Seminary|school of theology (seminary)]].<ref name="Discipline 3">''The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church: ¶ 415 - Educational Requirements'' (retrieved 22 May 2007).</ref> However, individual [[Annual Conference]]s may require that a [[Master of Divinity]] or equivalent first professional degree be the minimum standard for entrance into the [[Annual Conference|Annual Conference's]] Order of Elders, or [[presbyterate]]. While not often used and just beginning to develop as an informal tradition, a United Methodist Elder may place the initials "OP" (Ordinate Presbyterium [Order of Elders]) after his or her name in formal title or signature. This is a result of the changes made by the 1992 and 1996 General Conferences which revamped many aspects of the ordained offices in the [[United Methodist Church]]'s polity and doctrine and made the Order of Deacon a permanent, rather than transitional, office. These reforms also elevated the previously ''un''ordained office of Diaconal Minister, who were lay persons performing specialized tasks within a congregational or ministry staff setting (such as music, education, youth ministry, etc.) to ordained status as permanent Deacons as well. The informal use of "OP" is starting to be used to differentiate between the two permanent Orders, making clear that the person in question is, in fact, an Elder in full time, vocational, ordained, ''[[itinerant]]'' (unique to Elders) ministry.<ref name="Discipline 4">''The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church: ¶ 417 - Educational Requirements'' (retrieved 22 May 2007).</ref>

In most cases, Methodist elders must have graduated with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in liberal education or equivalent degree in a college or university listed by the ''University Senate of the United Methodist Church'' and must have a [[Master of Divinity]] or equivalent degree in a [[Seminary|school of theology (seminary)]].<ref name="Discipline 3">''The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church: ¶ 415 - Educational Requirements'' (retrieved 22 May 2007).</ref> However, individual [[Annual Conference]]s may require that a [[Master of Divinity]] or equivalent first professional degree be the minimum standard for entrance into the [[Annual Conference|Annual Conference's]] Order of Elders, or [[presbyterate]]. While not often used and just beginning to develop as an informal tradition, a United Methodist Elder may place the initials "OP" (Ordinate Presbyterium [Order of Elders]) after his or her name in formal title or signature. This is a result of the changes made by the 1992 and 1996 General Conferences which revamped many aspects of the ordained offices in the [[United Methodist Church]]'s polity and doctrine and made the Order of Deacon a permanent, rather than transitional, office. These reforms also elevated the previously ''un''ordained office of Diaconal Minister, who were lay persons performing specialized tasks within a congregational or ministry staff setting (such as music, education, youth ministry, etc.) to ordained status as permanent Deacons as well. The informal use of "OP" is starting to be used to differentiate between the two permanent Orders, making clear that the person in question is, in fact, an Elder in full-time, vocational, ordained, ''[[itinerant]]'' (unique to Elders) ministry.<ref name="Discipline 4">''The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church: ¶ 417 - Educational Requirements'' (retrieved 22 May 2007).</ref>

== References ==

== References ==