Introduction

The Certification Program employs elements of education, experience, and accountability to equip conciliators with advanced peacemaking skills so that they are prepared to address challenging conciliation issues in their churches, ministries, or professions in a competent and biblically faithful manner. Graduates of the Certification Program earn the designation Certified Christian Conciliator™. This designation indicates that the conciliator has completed all of the certification training requirements, affirms and promises to adhere to the ICC Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators (including the Statement of Faith), and is in compliance with the Certification Program ongoing requirements.

Prerequisites

Applicants for the Certification Program must have successfully completed Conflict Coaching and Mediation Training.

Training Requirements

Each candidate enrolled in the Certification Program is required to be familiar with and adhere to the Peacemaker's Pledge and the Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators, including the Statement of Faith. The Certification Program is comprised of three sections: the Certification Training, practical experience, and continuing education.  All requirements must be completed within three years of enrollment in the Certification Program. 

Application Requirements

Acceptance into the Certification Program is limited to those who demonstrate strong gifts and skills in Christian conciliation, as well as spiritual maturity, a humble and teachable spirit, and active participation in a local Christian church. Peacemaker Ministries may request information in addition to the following requirements:

EXPERIENCE AND ESSAYS

Applicants shall complete the Application for Certification and submit responses to the three required Essay Questions. Resumes will not be accepted as a substitute for the application form.

COMPLETION OF PRE-REQUISITES

Applicants must affirm their completion of Foundational Skills Training. Peacemaker Ministries will review the applicant's Peacemaker Training record, including the performance evaluation submitted by the applicant's Mediation Training instructor.

STATEMENT OF CONTINUING FELLOWSHIP

In order to encourage spiritual accountability (Heb. 10:24-25), Peacemaker Ministries requires that the applicant have his or her pastor or another official leader in his or her church (e.g., an elder, deacon, or council member) attest to the applicant's continuing fellowship and good standing in a local Christian church.

PERSONAL ASSESSMENTS

All applications must include Personal Assessments from at least four individuals, one of whom must be an official leader of the applicant's church (e.g., a pastor, elder, deacon, or council member). Personal Assessments from Peacemaker Ministries staff or relatives of the applicant will not be accepted. The Application for Certification must be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of $75 to cover processing costs.

The application is available for download in Adobe Acrobat format and in Microsoft Word format. 

Certification Training Event

The Certification Training Event is an intense, three-day application of advanced conciliation skills in the context of real-life scenarios. This core training curriculum is designed to give you a thorough grounding in conciliation techniques and processes and to impart a clearer vision of God's grace in conciliation and a deeper understanding of biblical law. Advanced role-plays help you gain experience with essential conciliation processes. 

Enrollment

Practical Experience

Applicants who are accepted must enroll in the Certification Program within one year of their acceptance date. Enrollment initiates the process of beginning your practical experience case work. The practical experience provides candidates with the opportunity to sharpen their conciliation skills by learning through experience in conciliation cases. Each candidate enrolled in the Certification Program is required to complete fifty (50) hours of practical experience. All practical experience must be provided according to the principles set forth in the Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators and in a manner consistent with the Rules of Procedure for Christian Conciliation.

The practical experience requirement includes both Supervised and Independent Experience case work. Peacemaker Ministries will assign each candidate a Certification Coach with whom to work during the Supervised Experience (the relationship may be long distance). This experience must include twenty-five (25) hours of Christian conciliation in at least five (5) mediation or arbitration cases reviewed by the coach. The Independent Experience must include an additional twenty-five (25) hours of Christian conciliation in at least five (5) cases that do not require the review of a coach. Certification candidates are responsible for generating their own cases and should not expect Peacemaker Ministries or the Certification Coach to provide casework opportunities to the candidates.

Practical Experience Enrollment Fee

The enrollment fee for the Practical Experience is $595.  The enrollment fee covers the Certification Program administrative costs and the compensation for the Practical Experience coach during the three-year enrollment term, but does not cover the additional costs associated with the Certification Training courses or Continuing Education training. 

Continuing Education Requirements

All candidates in the Certification Program shall obtain at least twenty (20) hours (at a minimum of 10 hours per year) of continuing education. This training is comprised of live and self-study training materials approved by Peacemaker Ministries.

Granting of Certification

Upon satisfactory completion of all training requirements and confirmation that the candidate is both gifted and called, Peacemaker Ministries will certify the candidate to practice as a Certified Christian Conciliator ™.

Ongoing Compliance

After completing the Certification Program, each conciliator must comply with the following ongoing requirements in order to retain the designation Certified Christian Conciliator :

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Certified Christian Conciliators are required to obtain ten (10) hours of continuing Christian conciliation education per calendar year.

CONTINUING EXPERIENCE

Each Certified Christian Conciliator is also required to obtain a total of twenty (20) hours of continuing conciliation experience in at least two (2) cases per calendar year. One case may consist solely of biblical conflict coaching, but at least one case must involve biblical mediation or arbitration. All cases must be provided according to the principles set forth in the ICC Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators and in a manner consistent with the Rules of Procedure for Christian Conciliation.

STANDARD OF CONDUCT

The Certified Christian Conciliator must be familiar with and adhere to the Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators. Adherence will be monitored, in part, through an annual Pastoral Assessment completed by an official leader in the conciliator's church (e.g., a pastor, elder, deacon, or council member). In addition, conciliators must self-report on their adherence to the Standard of Conduct in their annual report to Peacemaker Ministries.

ANNUAL COMPLIANCE FEE

A $75 annual compliance fee is required to maintain the designation Certified Christian Conciliator.