Clergy persons are critical elements in The Walk to Emmaus and in Chrysalis. The two programs depend on the partnership between laity and clergy. This partnership is a model that can be used in churches to enhance the ministry of the church.

It is important to have a thorough understanding of the role of the clergy in Emmaus and Chrysalis. In addition, it is important to have clarity about what is expected of the clergy who serve Emmaus and Chrysalis. It is also important to have a good understanding of how men and women are recognized as clergy and those things that qualify them to be called clergy. Below you will find the qualifications for the various clergy positions in Emmaus and Chrysalis.

The ministry and mission of The Upper Room Walk to Emmaus and The Upper Room Chrysalis depend on the Community Spiritual Director for leadership and oversight of the spiritual life of the community. The Community Spiritual Director serves as the moral, ethical, and spiritual conscience of the Board, the community and the teams. The Community Spiritual Director assists the Board in the development and nurture of clergy leaders and also assists in selecting those to serve on Emmaus/Chrysalis teams. The Community Spiritual Director shall be recognized as a competent spiritual leader within his or her church or denomination and by other church leaders in the area. This person should also represent the best Emmaus/Chrysalis has to offer.

Only persons who meet all the following criteria can serve as the Community Spiritual Director. Those who:

• are ordained as UMC elders or the equivalent in other denominations/churches who have completed a four year undergraduate degree and have received a Master of Divinity degree from a seminary accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS, www.ats.edu);
Or,
• are ordained as UMC elders or the equivalent in other denominations/churches who have completed an undergraduate degree and The United Methodist Church (UMC) Basic Course of Study Program, and the Advanced Course of Study Program, (or the equivalent in other churches or denominations). (The description of the UMC Basic and Advance Course of Study Program is attached.)

In addition the following criteria must be met:

• able to maintain theological balance and be sensitive to the variety of perspectives in this ecumenical setting.
• have showed commitment to the Upper Room Walk to Emmaus and Chrysalis models as stated in the Letters of Agreement.
• have served as Weekend Spiritual Director.
• are actively engaged in full-time professional ministry (or retired while in good standing).
• are able to be a role model of a servant leader in a team environment.
• are able to guide and coordinate the full participation of other clergy.
• are authorized to consecrate the elements of Holy Communion in Emmaus and Chrysalis settings.

The Weekend Spiritual Director (WSD) is the primary clergy leader of the Emmaus or Chrysalis event. The Weekend Spiritual Director is selected by the Board of Directors with the recommendation of the Emmaus or Chrysalis Community Spiritual Director. The WSD is responsible to the board as the spiritual leader of the Walk, Flight or Journey. As with the Lay Director, the weekend Spiritual Director must have sufficient experience, training, and ability for the job.

Only persons who meet the following criteria can serve under this category. Those who:

Or,

Or,

Or,

In addition the following criteria must be met:

• able to maintain theological balance and be sensitive to the variety of perspectives in this ecumenical setting.
• Being willing to serve on a team, working in concert and cooperation with the weekend Lay Director, and abiding by The Upper Room model for Emmaus and Chrysalis as presented in the most recent editions of the Handbooks, the Manuals, and the other official documents.
• Being actively engaged in professional ministry (or retired in good standing from professional ministry).
• Having served at least once for the entire three days as an Assistant Spiritual Director under the leadership of someone who has served at least once as a Weekend Spiritual Director.
• Have given a minimum of two of the five clergy talks other than the Emmaus Means of Grace talk, or the Chrysalis God's Gifts to You talk.
• Being authorized to consecrate the elements of Holy Communion in Emmaus or Chrysalis settings.

The Team Selection Committee and the Community Spiritual Director select prospective Assistant Spiritual Directors for the weekend. Assistant Spiritual Directors will assist the Weekend Spiritual Director in the clergy duties for the Emmaus/Chrysalis event.

Only persons who meet the following criteria can serve as Assistant Spiritual Directors. Those who are:

Or,

In addition the following criteria must be met:

• Being able to maintain theological balance and be sensitive to the variety of perspectives in this ecumenical setting.
• Being willing to serve on a team, working in concert and cooperation with the weekend Lay Director, and abiding by The Upper Room model for Emmaus and Chrysalis as presented in the most recent editions of the Handbooks, the Manuals, and the other official documents.
• Being actively engaged in professional ministry (or retired in good standing from professional ministry).

Note: The United Methodist Church has the category of Certified Lay Ministers. These persons are laypersons and therefore are not eligible to serve in any clergy capacity in Emmaus or Chrysalis. This same standard applies to churches and other denominations with similar categories.

Using persons who do not meet the above-mentioned criteria is not wise. It compromises Chrysalis/Emmaus standards for clergy leadership and undermines the sacramental role of the weekend Spiritual Director. Moreover, practices such as assigning Holy Communion services to Assistant Spiritual Directors or having Assistant Spiritual Directors consecrate the Communion elements for the weekend Spiritual Director can lead to questions in the minds of participants about clergy qualifications of a weekend Spiritual Director and to confusion about the significance of genuine clergy leadership in Emmaus/Chrysalis. While such practices may simplify clergy selection in the short term, it will undermine the role of the clergy and diminish the relationship of Emmaus/Chrysalis with historic and established church.

Some Emmaus and Chrysalis Boards face difficult decisions regarding who can serve as a Spiritual Director. Some persons' relationship with the church may not be clearly defined as clergy or laity. Some who serve in pastoral roles in the church or with young people may not be clergy. Others may be licensed to preach, ordained in their own denomination, or ordained by a local church but lack the educational and pastoral preparation expected of clergy in mainstream denominations as well as in Emmaus and Chrysalis. Still others may present credentials stating they are clergy, but the credentials have been obtained through a non-accredited source. These matters must be approached by the Board with Christian love and respect for the persons involved while upholding the clergy criteria and integrity of the Emmaus and Chrysalis programs.

Several aspects of Chrysalis and Emmaus need to be kept in mind as persons are being considered as Spiritual Directors.

• Persons who are recognized as clergy within their local church may not always be qualified and equipped for the role of Spiritual Directors in Emmaus and Chrysalis. For this reason, the selection of clergy for Spiritual Director roles cannot be decided simply on the basis of whether or not someone is considered clergy in his or her denomination or tradition. The burden rests with the local Emmaus or Chrysalis Board, Emmaus or Chrysalis Community Spiritual Director, and the Team Selection Committee to seek out the clergy who have the training, experience, pastoral sensitivity, theological depth, ecumenical breadth, and Christian maturity needed for spiritual leadership in Emmaus or Chrysalis.
• Emmaus or Chrysalis Boards and Community Spiritual Directors also are responsible for providing the appropriate training needed for clergy to become potential Spiritual Directors in Emmaus and Chrysalis. The International Emmaus/Chrysalis Office has Clergy Regional Representatives who stand ready and willing to assist the local board.
• While clergy from various churches or denominations who have attended Emmaus may in principle be considered to serve on Chrysalis and Emmaus teams, not all clergy bring an outlook on God's grace, the Christian life, or sacraments that is representative of the Emmaus or Chrysalis model. The Chrysalis and Emmaus movements are shaped from within the biblical and theological mainstream of the church as reflected in the United Methodist and Wesleyan tradition.

Assigning the role of Spiritual Director to gifted persons who have little formal theological and pastoral training; or, whose standing as clergy is questionable, undermines the ministry of Emmaus and Chrysalis. It causes other clergy to lose confidence in the local board, and sets a poor precedent for team selection.

• Team members and participants should be able to recognize and respect the Spiritual Directors as clergy. If the person's ordination or clergy standing is questionable in the minds of the team and/or participants, then that person's presence as Spiritual Director will detract from the Emmaus or Chrysalis event.
• Every clergy and layperson serving on a team has specific roles and responsibilities. No one should be jealous about a particular role. The clergy-laity partnership must be lived and demonstrated.
• No person, lay or clergy, has the right to serve in any capacity in Emmaus or Chrysalis, even if all the criteria are met. Service is never a right, but always a response to the call of the Holy Spirit through the Emmaus/Chrysalis Board.
• Clergy serving in Emmaus/Chrysalis must have been a pilgrim in Emmaus/Chrysalis or a recognized Fourth-Day movement. In order to be an effective servant leader, one must have experience in a recognized Fourth-Day model (a list of recognized expressions of the Fourth-Day movement is available from the Clergy or Lay Regional Representative or the International Office).