How To Join CMA

There is a simple three-step process for joining the CMA, which is outlined below. It begins with a relationship and continues with your decision to become a member alongside a fellowship of ministers committed to helping you hoist your sail in ministry. If you think the CMA is for you, this page walks you through the details of these steps.


Direct links to the application form are found by scrolling down


What Is Membership?

One of our values is that we are here to help you hoist your sail. Often ordination is used as a distinction to set apart people who are authorized to minister on behalf of a church denomination. This can require years of study and much scrutiny. We approach things in this manner primarily because it is God who calls you to ministry, not us. To help remove the traditional barrier of traditional ordination, we credential all our members.


There are three aspects available for your involvement in the CMA:

  • Membership – we credential all members
  • Licensing – for those members who need to perform weddings
  • Ordination – for members who have not been ordained in the context of their local ministry.

It is our heart to be relational rather than transactional. Because of this, we believe that ordination is best done by leaders who know you and walk with you in ministry. This is a paradigm shift for some, yet one that we believe is Biblical. If you do not have people who can do this for you, you are welcome to contact us regarding possible options.

1. CMA Recommender

The relational component of membership in the CMA is that every applicant joins by way of a completed application and a Recommendation by a current CMA member. This person not only helps you become a member but also walks relationally with you as a friend and member in the CMA.


Why do you need a Recommender?


It is the touchstone of who we are... we are relational.


This is because:

  • Although we are considered a Denomination, we are not a denomination in the traditional sense of how we function.
  • We are not a benefit-oriented association.

Here is why we are not those things:

  • Many associations can appear primarily concerned with creating a centralized organization. While recognized by the government as a denomination, we do not function in the typical manner of traditional denominations, as our early foundational leaders held the conviction that churches are to be led by local leaders. This cultural emphasis makes the CMA a home for people who serve in a self-governed context or within their own denominational or network affiliations.
  • A benefit-oriented association can become transactional. You join them by paying a membership fee. You receive benefits. When those benefits cease to serve your needs, you cancel your membership. No personal relationship exists at the centre of this equation. If we operated like this, we would feel like a business to our members. The secret sauce that makes us who we are is that we replace the transaction with a relationship, allowing us to walk together differently. Often, members stay with us for the fellowship even when their original need for membership no longer exists. We also have options for those who want to stay connected with us beyond ministry, thanks to the friendships they formed as members.

Your Recommender is the glue that makes the CMA work—someone who walks with you in friendship through the seasons of your ministry. 

2. Your Application

At this time we only able to accept Applicants from Canada.


Applications will be processed and reviewed by the President and the Registrar with final ratification* of your membership occurring at our next Annual General Meeting (AGM). 

*CMA by-law requirement


Start by Gathering these Documents

  • A digital head-shot (approx. 1 MB to 5 MB in jpg or png format).
  • A PDF copy of your Police Clearance


Police Clearances

  • If you already have a police clearance obtained for other purposes, we only accept clearances if the issue date was within one year of your application regardless of how long the police say the clearance document is valid until.
  • If you do not have a clearance yet, we do NOT need a vulnerable sector check so only request a basic record check from your police detachment.


Application Fee - $75


After you complete filling out the application form you will be redirected to the payment page where you can submit your Application Fee. Use this link to get there if you missed that step.


Final Directions Before You Begin

  • Once we receive a Recommendation, Digital Headshot, Police Clearance, and Application Fee we process your application.
  • All applications are ratified for membership at the Annual General Meeting held at our National Conference. You will become a member when this meeting concludes.
  • You are requested to attend this Annual General Meeting or an equivalent Regional Gathering as the final step of your application.
  • The application form is interactive! Your responses on certain fields opens additional fields for you to fill out. For this reason, do not print out the application page as a blank form as doing so will exclude some questions.
  • We are unable to accept applications sent by mail. 

3. Your Acceptance

So, what's next after submitting your application?



1. Schedule the next National Conference and/or Regional Gathering into your Calendar


You are REQUESTED to attend the National Conference in September or an equivalent Regional Gathering in the first year of your membership. Please go to our Events page which has a schedule of dates of the next meetings.


Attendance at our National Conference and Regional Gatherings is free and included in your annual membership dues. Additionally, if you are married we encourage you to also bring your spouse with you for free.


After this first year of membership you are encouraged to attend the National Conference and/or Regional Gatherings each year. However, once you are a member you are only required to attend once every three years. 


2. Pay Your Membership Dues


Your CMA Membership Dues of $195 will be invoiced to you by email via our invoice platform and payment system. You will pay those dues through that invoice. 



4. Request a Clergy Marriage Licence to Solemnize Marriages


Not every CMA Member is licensed to perform weddings, as we have a wide variety of ministers who are members. If you wish to solemnize a marriage, you will need to apply for a Clergy Marriage Licence no later than 8 weeks before the wedding. 


Canadian Provincial law requires all Clergy to be licensed through a denominational governing authority to solemnize marriage under the status of a Religious Representative. CMA becomes your governing authority and communicates directly to provincial marriage offices on your behalf.


Please take a look at our Statement on Marriage.