Are you considering calling a co-ministry team? There are at least a dozen or more congregations who have called a co-ministry team. There are even more congregations than that whose co-ministry team served the congregation long and well before their retirement. In the “Directory of Churches” Section you will find a list of churches who currently maintain (2007-2008) or have called a co-ministry team. If you are a member of your church’s search committee and want more information about how a co-ministry team could work, we encourage you to call either the officers of Clergy Couples or contact one of the ministers. Ask for the names of the members of their church’s search committee. Talk to other search committee members about their discernment process. Why did they risk calling a couple? Was it one full-time position shared equally, or two full-time ministry positions? How did they allocate resources for health insurance, pension, Social Security, and professional expenses? What were or are some concerns about hiring a co-ministry team? Has co-ministry worked well in their congregation? Why or why not?

Any member of our Clergy Couples Association would be happy to talk with you about their experience of being a “clergy couple.” However, the best insight a member of the search committee may get is from another search committee member.