The Christian Ministers Association affirms the historic Biblical definition of marriage as the sacred commitment between one man and one woman in a lifelong relationship to the exclusion of all others.

The Christian Ministers Association credentials its members to solemnize marriages that conform to the historic Biblical definition of marriage. It is expected that credentialed members of the Christian Ministers Association shall not solemnize, officiate, co-officiate, or affirm any marriage other than between one man and one woman.

The CMA has in its earliest history the purpose to be a place of encouragement and fellowship to ministers and Christian workers of like mind, purpose and doctrine.

CMA is an association and fellowship of ministers and is not a denomination. Ministers voluntarily choose to join the CMA based on a relational connectedness for the purpose of associating with other ministers and resources.

One of the belief and practices as outlined in our statement of Faith, is the conviction that every local Church/Ministry is autonomously self-governed, self-supporting and self-propagating. We as an association stand together in affiliation with the church/ministry leaders yet we do not violate their leadership and the authority of the local church or ministry.

As a result the CMA does not hold or administer the land or buildings of the local church or Para church ministries. CMA does not involve itself legally with any church or ministry or properties. All these functions belong to the local expression of the Churches or ministries. The CMA exists for the chief purpose of support to the ministers and the work they are involved in.

The CMA provides a context of accountability without control to all of its members. The CMA does not have any legal or official role or control over any of its ministers other than that of providing government registration for the purpose of officiating marriage ceremonies. 

Basic Scriptural guidelines as set out in our membership process are agreed upon which govern the minister’s conduct during the tenure of their membership. The CMA requires all ministers to be under the legal authority of and accountable to their own church or ministry government (elders, board, leadership team, etc.). If a minister does not have effective leadership accountability, then they are encouraged to come alongside the accountability of a covering church or ministry while in the process of establishing their own accountability team, or, to continue to walk in an accountability relationship with those who recommended them for membership in the CMA. 

If at any time a minister, ministry, or leadership team invites CMA leaders to be involved in an internal matter, any given suggestions would be submitted to that leadership as encouragement only. Any decisions or actions taken would be the function and sole responsibility of that local church or ministry government.

The CMA does not have the authority to remove a leader from any local ministry, church leadership or volunteer position. The CMA does hold the right to terminate a minister’s membership in the association, in accordance with our bylaws, and cancel any governmental registration as a religious representative of the Christian Ministers Association.

The CMA accepts that:

Abuse of all kinds including Sexual, Emotional and Physical, is a sin. (Matthew 18:6; Ephesians 5:3; I Thessalonians 5:22)

All abuse is a breach of trust and an abuse of power and authority by a person in a position of leadership.

Therefore, the Christian Ministers Association does not tolerate abuse, and is committed to urging its members to provide safe environments for worship, ministering, and fellowship.

The Christian Ministers Association views each Church and Para Church Ministry as being autonomous and responsible for the actions of those in a position of authority. The only role the CMA accepts is to provide information, guidance and support as invited by the member involved, their governing authority or their spiritual covering.

The CMA reminds each Member of their responsibility to guard themselves and those entrusted to their care against the occurrence of abuse and to have a effective ministry abuse reporting path as well as a accountability statement in their policy manual, constitution and/or bylaws, (or adhere to the policy of the ministry for which they volunteer or are employed)

The Supporting Relationship & Role of the Christian Ministers Association;

1. To encourage all CMA ministers and the individual societies, boards and Ministries to which they belong, to formulate or adopt their own written abuse policy by providing information and suggested guidelines for such policy.

2. To encourage CMA members to seek out available information and paths to healing and restoration of those encountering abuse.

3. As each CMA member has voluntarily agreed to the Bylaws and to the Scriptural requirements found in the statement of faith, the CMA has authority to cancel a ministers membership based on the membership policy procedure as set out in the CMA Bylaws.

4. CMA encourages each member of his or her Duty to Report abuse:

Information shared with a person that leads them to believe that a minor child, or other vulnerable person, is being, or has been endangered, they are required by Law to report this to the Police and/or Government authorities.