Accreditation of Programs

Members of ANZATFE come from a wide range of denominational and theological backgrounds.
They join together in a common concern for ministry formation through reflection on experience.

 

Protocol for Membership

The Field Education Program is one component of the total process of formation for ministry. A
Field Education Program is understood to be a process that a student enters into to gain field
experience in a ministry setting that includes education, ministry experience, personal and pastoral
identity, theological reflection and supervision.

A Theological Field Education Program may be a single unit, a component of a theological college
program or a specific process designed for formation of people for ministry. For example INSTEP,
Supervised Urban Ministry Program, formal SFE programs in colleges that have a denominational
focus and those that are denominationally programmed.

It is understood that one or more elements of some programs will include units taught towards the
granting of a particular award.

 

The Goals of Field Education include:

- Personal development and self-awareness.
- Ministry competence and the development of skills for ministry.
- Theological understanding through theological reflection.
- Christian commitment and denominational identity.
- Reflection on the personal, and communal spirituality.
- Opportunities for practical ministry experience.

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Applications for accreditation of Theological Field Eduction Programs will be received from
member bodies of the Victorian Association for Theological Field Education. The body seeking
accreditation will also indicate the level of accreditation being sought. The standards that follow will
be used to evaluate programs according the level of accreditation being searched (certificate,
diploma, degree).

Programs therefore may not reflect all of the following statements, however programs shall be
expected to address or describe their programs in terms of the following major headings.

Individual bodies may also have more than one program accredited. This may be due to the specific
nature of the program or the level of accreditation being sought.

It also is recognised that the Director of each program is responsible for accrediting supervisors
within the program of that institution. It is expected that programs will plan and implement their own
training for supervisors.

 

Accreditation of programs

VATFE is an association of institutions and individual members involved in supervision for ministry. Member institutions may request a review by VATFE for the purposes of accreditation of their supervision programs. Accreditation is possible at three levels:

1. internal accreditation in which the institution offers its own certificates, but according to standards recommended by VATFE.

2. accreditation for Diploma level programs.

3. accreditation for degree level programs.

The Melbourne College of Divinity (MCD) have decreed that all programs approved by them for diploma or degree awards must be accredited through VATFE.