Start Here - Home page and your Dashboard

https://credentialing.efca.org/

Find the right credential path for you here (plus info about credentialing in general)

https://credentialing.ministries.efca.org/

PSCQ forms here - for you, your spouse or friend, and your elders

https://data.efca.org/files/view/1645

Dear Credentialing Candidate:

I commend you for your desire to pursue an EFCA credential. This is to your benefit, since the process: 

• affirms God’s call upon your life;  
• ensures a commitment to and alignment of beliefs between you, your local church, and the EFCA; 
• provides accountability doctrinally and morally at the local, district and national level; 
• helps in your educational and personal development; and  
• provides confirmed legal status for the IRS through the EFCA.  

HERE IS WHAT YOU MUST DO TO BE CREDENTIALED IN THE EFCA:  

1. Go to the EFCA Credentialing page: https://credentialing.efca.org/. 

2. Click on the “Register” button to create an account. 

3. Once you have created your account, follow the instructions to upload the requested material for the appropriate credential. This includes: 

• Personal Information
• Education 
• Ministry History
• Acknowledgement that you have read “Ministerial Credentialing in the EFCA”
• Letter of Intent
• Affirmation that you have completed the EFCA History, Theology, and Polity Requirement
• Thesis Paper (follow the paper requirements available on the https://credentialing.efca.org website PLUS the Midwest District requirements below)

4. Follow the specific Midwest District Requirements for your thesis as follows: 

• Use the prescribed format for the two-sided cover page of your thesis (click HERE for a template).
• Capitalize all personal pronouns referring to deity in your thesis.
• Insert page numbers on your thesis (bottom center) with page 1 of your thesis starting with the biographical section.
• Provide continuous line numbers in your thesis, suppressing the line numbers on your title pages, subheadings, and doctrinal statements. To do this: click on the “Layout” tab at the top of your Microsoft Word document; click on “Line Numbers” und the “Layout” tab; click on “Continuous;” highlight the title pages, subheadings, and doctrinal statements in your paper; click on “Line Numbers“ again; click on “suppress for current paragraph.”
• Ask two individuals well versed in English composition and/or theology to edit your thesis before you upload it to the https://credentialing.efca.org/ website, because we will not accept a poorly written thesis. 

5. Download the three Policy on Spiritual and Character Qualifications (PSCQ) questionnaires (available on the https://credentialing.efca.org website), one for you, another for your spouse or close friend, and a third for your elder board (if you have not already done so for a previous credential). 

• Complete your PSCQ and email it as an attachment to mwd+credentialing@efcamidwest.org. 
• Ask your spouse or close friend to complete his or her PSCQ questionnaire and email it directly (not through you) as an attachment to mwd+credentialing@efcamidwest.org. 
• Ask your elder board to complete their PSCQ questionnaire and email it directly (not through you) as an attachment to mwd+credentialing@efcamidwest.org. 

6. Send the appropriate processing fee of $100 for a temporary license (3-year renewable, 5-year non-renewable, or expedited) or $150 for a permanent credential (Certificate of Ordination, Transfer of Ordination, and Certificate of Christian Ministry) to the Midwest District. Write a check made out to “Midwest District EFCA” and mail it to: Midwest District EFCA, PO Box 360, Elkhorn, NE 68022. 

7. We will schedule your credentialing interview only after ALL your credentialing materials are: 

• Uploaded to the https://credentialing.efca.org/ website or received in the district office (due 60 days before your credentialing interview),
• reviewed by the appropriate district staff, and
• revised as requested (due 30 days before your interview).
• See below for upcoming credentialing interview dates. 

8. Schedule your interview (see below for upcoming interview dates)—Since the interview dates are already determined (see below), your region’s District Board of Ministerial Standing (DBOMS) chairman will inform you about the time and location of your credentialing interview. He will determine the location based on limiting the distance of travel for other candidates and DBOMS members. Please, do NOT schedule anything else for this date, as your interview may last longer than anticipated. 

9. Prepare for the interview—Our Midwest District Executive Assistant will send you materials, which will help you prepare for your credentialing interview, along with a pledge form, which you must sign and return before your interview.

10. Arrive 30 minutes before your credentialing interview with two people—Choose two people from your church, who know you well, to serve as witnesses to your character and ministry. They also serve as part of your interview team, who can also ask questions they consider appropriate during your interview. 

11. During your interview, give brief answers, because time is limited. If the interview team wants more information, they will ask for it. Each team consists of 8-10 EFCA pastors and laypeople, who will examine your doctrinal beliefs and ministry. The credentialing interview is about 90-120 minutes for a temporary 3-year license (to determine theological competency), four hours for the Certificate of Christian Ministry (to determine theological proficiency), and five hours for the Certificate of Ordination and the Transfer of Ordination (to determine theological mastery). 

12. Immediately after your interview, the interview team will deliberate. They will inform you of their decision to recommend, recommend with conditions, or not recommend you for credentialing in the EFCA. If they recommend you with conditions, follow through with the conditions of your interview team, which may include minor or major revisions to your thesis. 

13. Once everything is in order: 

• Your region’s DBOMS chairman will inform our district executive assistant, who will send all your completed materials to the National Board of Ministerial Standing. They, along with your church and the district, must also approve you for credentialing in the EFCA, which can take up to six weeks. 
• When they approve you for a credential, they will send your certificate to the Midwest District, who will forward it to you by U.S. Mail for Ministry Licenses. 
• In the case of a Certificate of Ordination or Transfer of Ordination, the District Superintendent or member of the District Board may present it to you personally during a special ceremony you will schedule in your local church, where your call to ministry is officially recognized and affirmed (Note: your credential remains the property of the Evangelical Free Church of America and will be given to you "in trust"). 

I’m praying for you as you work your way through the credentialing process. If you have any questions of concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly by email (cpgreen50@yahoo.com) or phone (785-472-8633). 

Together, In His Service, 

Dear Church or Ministry Leader:  

Thank you for encouraging your pastor or staff member to pursue a credential with the Evangelical Free Church of America. This benefits not only him/her, but you as well, helping to insure biblical and doctrinal integrity along with a good fit within the Evangelical Free Church family. There are several things we ask of you as part of this process.  

1. Please complete the Personal Spiritual and Character Qualifications (PSCQ) questionnaire for elders if you haven’t done it before (click HERE for the questionnaire). Feel free to interact with your pastor or staff member in the process, which is intended to be a tool for learning and growth where needed. We ask that this questionnaire be the collective effort of all the members of the elder board (or equivalent body of primary leaders), who must all sign it when it is completed. This serves as your recommendation and assessment of your pastor or staff member’s character, ministry skills,  and Biblical/doctrinal integrity.  
2. Please consider paying the processing fee for your pastor or staff member pursuing credentialing. This not only encourages him/her, but it helps us cover some of the costs involved in facilitating the credentialing process. Make a check payable to the "Midwest District EFCA" in the amount of $100 for a 3-year renewable license or $150 for a permanent credential and give it to your pastor or staff member, so (s)he can include it with the other material (s)he needs to send to the district office. The fee does not guarantee approval for an EFCA credential, and it can be reduced for church planters or others for whom the cost is prohibitive. To request a reduced fee, please contact me at mwd+credentialing@efcamidwest.org.  
3. Please consider giving your pastor or staff member paid time-off from normal responsibilities (not counted against his/her vacation time) to complete the various requirements. One of those requirements is a credentialing thesis (20 pages for a temporary license, 40 pages for a permanent  credential), which will require his/her undivided attention to complete well.  

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly by email (cpgreen50@yahoo.com) or phone (785-472-8633). 

Together, In His Service, 

Monday, February 10, 2025 (materials due Dec 10, 2024)

Monday, April 7, 2025 (materials due Feb 7, 2025)

Monday, September 15, 2025 (materials due July 15, 2025)

Monday, February 9, 2026 (materials due Dec 9, 2025)

Tuesday, February 11, 2025 (materials due Dec 11, 2024)

Tuesday, April 8, 2025 (materials due Feb 8, 2025)

Tuesday, September 8, 2025 (materials due July 16, 2025)

Tuesday, February 10, 2026 (materials due Dec 10, 2025)

March 1, 2025 (materials due Dec 28, 2024)

April 26, 2025 (materials due Feb 26, 2025)

September 27, 2025 (materials due July 27, 2025)

February 28, 2026 (materials due Dec 28, 2025)

• Mr. Clint Frerichs
• Rev. Donald Moore, Chair
• Dr. Tim Wiebe

• Rev. Jason Briggs
• Mr. Cary Lavender
• Dr. David Pauls
• Rev. David Thomas
• Mr. Chet Toole

• Rev. Noah Palmer
• Mr. Tom Shield
• Rev. Pastor Tom Thompson, Chair