Ministry Alliance is pleased to announce the creation of Passages — serving evangelical pastors who are transitioning out of formal service yet wish to continue in the ministry and mission of the Gospel of Jesus Christ beyond retirement.

Summary

Qualified participants may use donated funds to receive an agreed upon monthly stipend toward living expenses and/or be reimbursed for ministry operating expenses while continuing to pursue ministry activities such as speaking, preaching, teaching, training, mentoring, writing, counseling, special projects, mission work, etc. Ministry Alliance handles the details, creating freedom to focus on mission.

Basic Qualifications

Be age 65+ and retiring/retired in good standing from evangelical pastoral ministry.
Subscribe without reservation to the Ministry Alliance Statement of Belief.
Conduct your life and ministry in a way that honors God, is faithful to the Scriptures, is above reproach and worthy of your calling.
Operate your ministry under the authority of the Ministry Alliance Board of Directors and abide by policies implemented and carried out by its leadership.

Practical Benefits

For applicants to the Passages program the application fee to become a Member Ministry is waived (no cost to apply).
Donations to your ministry are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
The service fee assessed on all donation income deposited to your ministry account is 10% (non-Passages fee is 12%).

First Steps

Step 1

After familiarizing yourself with Ministry Alliance, seek the counsel of the Lord and a close group of trusted advisors to discern whether this opportunity is right for you.
If you wish to inquire further, contact us and tell us of your interest and ask any questions you may have.

Step 2

We will then contact you to arrange an interview.
Following a mutual decision to move forward, submit the Passages Application we will provide you.
If you desire help in recruiting a support team, you may submit a spreadsheet with a names and e-mail addresses of potential ministry partners to info@ministry-alliance.org. We will reach out to your potential partner list to assist you in assembling a prayer and financial partner team for your ministry.
Upon acceptance you will receive a Welcome Packet with information and materials to help you get started.

Step 3

At this point you are granted a provisional membership.

We will then spend as much time with you as necessary to get you up and running
Have an initial $1000 in donations in your ministry account
Confirm receipt and comprehension of the Member Ministry Handbook by signing and submitting the acknowledgement page in the Handbook.

After completing the requirements above, you will receive a Certificate of Membership identifying you as a Ministry in Good Standing

In order to maintain Good Standing on an annual basis, you must:

Raise a minimum of $5,000 per year (subject to review)
Account for ministry activity by participating in an annual audit of ministry activity

Dr. Floyd Elmore is retired from being the academic dean of a major Charlotte, North Carolina evangelical seminary and has begun serving as the pastor-in-residence in his 55+ community that has 3,200 homes. He teaches a weekly Bible study, performs pastoral care duties and shares Christ with many who have yet to hear the Gospel. Because of his relationship with the Passages™ program, his and his wife Pam’s ministry, called Next Chapter Ministries, is being supported by donations from community members and friends.

Dr. David McDowell (PhD) served as the Graduate School Chaplain at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL before retiring in May 2019. Dave served in the local church pastorate for many years in Upstate New York, Massachusetts and Illinois. His plans through Just A Thought Ministries include providing resources for the education and spiritual development of the Body of Christ through preaching, teaching, writing books, seminars, conference, blogging and mentoring. Dave and his wife Gloria live in West Chicago, Illinois.