Professional Training & Standard - Certification Guidelines 

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The Church Network, through its Committee on Professional Training and Standards, has established a program of certification for church administration. Achievement of this standard will be attested to by certification as a Certified Church Administrator (CCA). The program is open to all church leaders regardless of job title who desire a professional level of competence in church administration.

Training received in The Church Network certification program enables individuals to acquire knowledge and an aptitude unique to church administration. Churches employing a CCA can have greater confidence in the leaders understanding of and exposure to national standards of church administration principles.

Introduction

The mission of The Church Network is to serve the church by promoting the highest level of professional competence in individuals serving Christ through administration in local churches. Basic to this mission is a determination for the development of professional standards for its members. Since its creation in 1959, the Committee on Professional Training and Standards has sought to carry out this mandate.

Areas of Study

The Church Network’s body of knowledge focuses on fourteen areas. These areas help to inform both the certification and CEU programs of The Church Network. All CEU eligible work must fall in one of these areas.

  1. Personnel/Human Resource Management

  2. Staff Development

  3. Congregational Leadership

  4. Theology of Stewardship

  5. Office Management

  6. Information Management

  7. Property Management
    8.  
  8. Communication and Marketing

  9. Strategic Planning

  10. Financial Management

  11. Stewardship of Self

  12. Legal & Tax Matters

  13. Christian Perspectives & Theology of Church

  14. Theology and Ethics of Church Administration

 

Eligibility and Requirements 

 
Individuals who work on local church staff or in a denominational office, provided their job responsibilities have a primary element of support to local congregations in one of the key areas of administration, are eligible for certification as CCA.

A denominational candidate must submit the Document of Denominational Leadership which confirms their work with congregations. However, all members of The Church Network and other interested parties are welcome and encouraged to take part in this educational opportunity. The national office of The Church Network will maintain files on each student for future reference and use. Requirements for certification include the following:

  1. Candidate must subscribe to The Church Network Code of Ethics and are encouraged to be a member of the national association.

  2. Candidate must have completed at least three years and 6,000 hours of full-time service in a local congregational church setting or denominational office in which he/she has had primary responsibility in one of the key areas of administration. Candidates may start the certification process prior to obtaining the experience requirement but are bound to the five years completion limits.  Full-time equivalent may be in more than one congregation as an employee or outsource support. Individuals should submit in writing the details of their part-time experience and why they feel it is equivalent.

  3. Candidates may start the certification process prior to obtaining the experience requirement but are bound to the five years completion limits. Calculation for full time equivalent is based on a 2080 hour work year. Full-time equivalent may be in more than one congregation as an employee or outsource support. Individuals should submit in writing the details of their part-time experience and why they feel it is equivalent. There is a 5 year time limit for completion of the certification process. The official start date for this period is either:

    • the date the candidate completes the first module and submits certification registration form and $100 registration fee within 30 days of completion of seminar.
    • the date the candidate submits a certification registration form with $100 registration fee. 

    From that date, a candidate has five years to complete all the work required for certification. In a case were a candidate submits a registration form in mid-year five full years will be calculated. Example: Candidate submits a registration form in November of 2020 to begin. The five years mark is November of 2025. Candidate must be finished by February 1 for national conference of 2026. Certification project deadlines would be controlled by center directors.

  4. Candidate must complete 4 CEUs (40 contact hours).

    5. Once a candidate has submitted a registration form and $100 fee, they may begin accumulating CEUs for certification. CEUs earned prior to registration will NOT count toward the 4.0 CEUs (40 contact hours).

    These must include 4 required courses which are offered each year at national conference and in the The Church Network online learning lab, and may be offered by one or more of the ap- proved training centers.
    • Theology and ethics of church administration (0.2 CEUs)
    • Self-care for administrative leaders (0.2 CEUs)
    • Church technology basics (0.2 CEUs)
    • Church technology trends (0.2 CEUs)

    The other 32 hours may come from any The Church Network CEU approved course. If an individual decides at a conference to begin certification, they may submit a registration form and fee within 30 days of end of the conference. Those conferences CEU’s will count towards certification.

  5. Candidate must have completed the 2 core modules (A & B) requirement for academic study through one or a combination of the approved training centers. These centers include:
    • Academy of Church Business Administration - Nashville, TN
    • Dallas Baptist University - Dallas/Ft.Worth, TX
    • Virtual Certification Center - Online

  6. Candidates must complete an action-based certification project as outlined in the Project Guidelines. The project can be undertaken any time after the approval of the selected training center director. A copy of the approved project must be on file in the national office.(See the project guideline document for more details). By March of the year in which the candidate is to be certified, the national office of The Church Network must receive notification of completion of this requirement from the training centers which is supervising the project.

    Confer with your center director for other project deadlines.

    An electronic version must be submitted on using MS Word or PDF format. The project file should include all items in a single .pdf or word file. Copyright of completed project submitted to The Church Network remains with the author. In submitting the project for certification, the author licenses The Church Network to use the project as a benefit of membership and to sell copies to non-members.

  7. Recommendations

    • Church candidates must submit the personal recommendation completed by the senior pastor and a lay leader of the church currently being served, applicable forms and processing fees by Feb 1 of the calendar year in which the candidate is to be certified.
    • Denomination candidates must submit the personal recommendations completed by the immediate supervisor and recommendations from three representatives of unique congregations that have benefited from the candidates work. This could include staff or lay recommendations. Applicable forms and processing fees must be submitted by Feb 1 of the year in which the candidate is to be certified.

  8. Candidates must submit an Application for Certification during the year of certification.
    • Candidates who are active members of The Church Network national organization for at least two full years prior to and which includes the year of receiving certification should submit their application and $100 application fee.
    • Candidates who are non-members of the The Church Network national organization should submit their application and $400 application fee.

Evaluation and Certification

 
All candidates for certification will be evaluated as to basic ability, personality and interpersonal relationships, and comprehensive exposure to the content of the course curriculum. The final approval by the Director of Education will be based upon the satisfactory completion of all academic requirements, including the project, a favorable assessment of the working relationship with both pastor/supervisor and lay/church recommendations, and a complete examination of the background and existing job-related responsibilities to insure that the candidate is qualified to receive certification.

The successful candidate will be presented and recognized at the Annual Conference of The Church Network, at which time the certificate designating the candidate a Certified Church Administrator will be awarded. 

The Certification Process 

 
All forms and the The Church Network Code of Ethics are available on the TCN website. Decide which training center you plan to attend. Factors to consider: date; denomination (all centers are open to applicants of any Christian denomination); location; cost (the PT&S Committee does not regulate the registration fee charged by the training centers, and it does vary); transportation to and from the seminar and lodging while attending the seminar (if attending in person modules). (Seminars are usually held during breaks from regular classes at the centers, lodging is sometimes available in dormitories at the centers). Once you have made your decision, registration can be found here.

Register for entering the certification program by sending registration form with your check for one hundred dollars ($100) to the national office. Remember your CEU count (see item 4.) does not start until this form is submitted. Denominational leaders should submit the Document of Denominational Leadership at the time of registration to insure qualification.

Begin your academic work and your project. Report on progress, including CEU work, to The Church Network.

Provide recommendation forms to your senior pastor and lay leader which should be sent to the national office by the February 1 deadline.

By Feb 1 of the year you expect to receive certification by The Church Network, send your Application for Certification Form and one hundred dollars ($100) for members, or four hundred dollars ($400) application fee for non-members, along with the application. 

As a certification applicant, you are expected to take the full initiative for planning, seeking approval, and implementing all that is necessary for certification, including submitting all forms and fees to the The Church Network. If you have any questions, please contact the National Office.

Begin your academic work and your project. Report on progress, including CEU work, to The Church Network. Your training center will report your completion of the 2 required modules (A & B). You are responsible for reporting your CEU progress.

The Church Network CEU’s are available at the annual national conference, the training centers, regional events, chapter CEU program and through The Church Network’s Registered Provider Network.