THE BOOK OF CLERICS

CHAPTER 1

1 Clerics are the spiritual and organizational leaders of Korist churches, congregations, and communities.

2 Clerics make the commitment of true devotion to Korist doctrine. They spend their lives working to not only positively direct their own Kor energy, but teach and lead others to do the same. 

3 At every Korist church or congregation, there must be at least one member who is a cleric. Korist churches and congregations cannot start or continue operations without a head cleric.

4 The foremost duty of clerics is to lead weekly services. Weekly services must always be led by a cleric, whether by the head cleric of the congregation or by an associate cleric.

5 Clerics should lead weekly services at their church or congregation by following the sequence of events outlined in the Book of Methods.

6 At each weekly service, clerics perform a sermon to their congregation lasting about 30 minutes, on a topic of their choosing that relates directly to a passage or passages of the Holy Books.

7 The objective of a sermon is to present specific information and insights from the Holy Books in a way that makes them more accessible to worshipers. It is the cleric’s job to compose and perform a sermon that is compelling, instructive, and inspiring.

8 Sermons often include examples of real-world situations and experiences that allow worshipers to uncover the teachings of the Holy Books in their daily lives. Clerics are encouraged to utilize their own life experiences when composing sermons, in order to demonstrate authenticity and understanding.

9 While sermons by nature require clerics to expand on the teachings of the Holy Books, clerics must be careful not to over-interpret the teachings, infusing them with personal biases. The doctrine of the Holy Books is exact in its teachings.

10 An important responsibility of head clerics is to lead and preside over their assigned Korist congregation, and in most cases the Korist church associated with that congregation.

11 Head clerics supervise all operations of their congregation and church, such as weekly services, open meals, affirmation, establishment, and festivals. 

12 For small or new congregations, head clerics may need to lead the execution of all church and congregational operations. As their congregation becomes larger, head clerics often need to delegate the execution of many church operations to associate clerics or congregation members while maintaining a supervisory role. It is the cleric’s responsibility to properly delegate responsibility to associate clerics and congregation members.

13 An important responsibility of all clerics is to serve as spiritual counsel to members of their congregation and their larger community. Clerics are the foremost authority in their congregation and community regarding the Holy Books, and thus how to live properly.

14 To a community and congregation, a cleric is a leader, a connector, a spiritual authority, and an advisor. It is not a role that should be taken lightly.

CHAPTER 2

1 In order for an individual to become a cleric of the United Korist Church, they must first be a full member of the United Korist Church. The individual must have been affirmed and established.

2 To become a candidate for clerkship, a member must obtain an endorsement from the current head cleric of their congregation.

3 The head cleric of a congregation can give endorsements to members of their congregation at their discretion, if they believe the individual is a worthy candidate and would be capable of leading their own congregation with proper training.

4 Members who seek the endorsement of their head cleric must prove they are worthy of it through their words and actions. In order to obtain an endorsement, potential candidates should closely follow the practices of the Holy Books, volunteer with their congregation or church as often as possible, and assume leadership positions within their congregation or church when opportunities are available. Members seeking an endorsement should also take time to speak with the head or associate clerics of their congregation, in order to fully understand the responsibilities and commitment of clerkship in the United Korist Church.

5 Potential candidates do not have to hold specific leadership positions or be a member of the United Korist Church for a certain amount of time in order to be eligible for an endorsement. In addition, head clerics are not limited in the amount of endorsements they can give.

6 Despite the lack of restrictions regarding endorsement, clerics should be highly cautious in granting them because the behavior and potential success or failure of the candidates they endorse reflects directly back to them.

7 Once a member obtains an endorsement, they become a candidate. A candidate is a member who has been endorsed by their local head cleric, and is now under consideration for clerkship by the United Korist Church.

8 While a candidate is under consideration for clerkship, the United Korist Church will use a variety of methods to evaluate whether the candidate is adequately prepared to become a cleric. Methods used by the United Korist Church may vary by candidate, except for the Clerical Examination.

9 The Clerical Examination is a formal examination to determine if a clerkship candidate has sufficient knowledge and capability to take on a formal leadership role in the Korist church. It is the only method of evaluation that every clerkship candidate must pass in order to become a cleric.

10 The Clerical Examination is a multi-day written test administered once per calendar year by the United Korist Church. All clerkship candidates in the current year’s class will take the Clerical Examination at the same time near the end of the calendar year, at a location determined by the United Korist Church.

11 Other methods often utilized by the United Korist Church in evaluating the readiness of clerkship candidates include background checks, additional examinations, and interviews with local congregants, friends, family, or the endorsing cleric.

12 Once a clerkship candidate passes the Clerical Examination and is approved for clerkship by the United Korist Church, they become an associate cleric.

13 An associate cleric is a cleric that is not yet able to lead their own congregation or church. While they have many of the same roles and responsibilities of a head cleric, they serve as an apprentice under the tutelage of an existing head cleric for at least two years in order to properly learn the intricacies of leading a congregation.

14 Most congregations have at least one associate cleric. There is no limit to the number of associate clerics that can serve at a single congregation, and large Korist churches often have multiple associate clerics presiding at all times.

15 After two years of service in an apprentice role, an associate cleric becomes eligible to assume the role of a head cleric. Head cleric positions become available when a head cleric retires or their physical body dies, when a head cleric moves to a different congregation, or when a new congregation is created.

16 In the event of a head cleric retiring, moving to a different congregation, or if their physical body dies, all full members of the United Korist Church that are part of the congregation will take a vote to determine which associate cleric will become the new head cleric of the congregation. If a new congregation is created, or an existing congregation cannot choose a new head cleric for any reason, the United Korist Church will choose the new head cleric.

CHAPTER 3

1 Arbiters are individuals that hold specific leadership positions within the United Korist Church.

2 Individuals are appointed by the Receiver to serve five-year arbiterships. Most arbiters are clerics, but the Receiver can appoint any affirmed Korist to an arbitership.

3 The Receiver can remove an arbiter from their appointment and replace them before their term is completed if the arbiter is no longer fit to hold their position.

4 Arbiters lead specific divisions of the United Korist Church and are responsible for ensuring their division functions and acts in accordance with the doctrines of the Holy Books.

5 Arbiters each receive one vote in executive polls. Executive polls are votes called by the Receiver to make decisions regarding the operation and strategy of the United Korist Church.

6 After their term is completed, a former arbiter has the title of Arbiter Emeritus, or AE.

CHAPTER 4

1 The Receiver of the United Korist Church is the leader of Korism, and is known to all as Great Receiver, or GR.

2 The Receiver has a unique and singular connection with Kor and the Eternal Plane. The Receiver is capable of receiving insights from Kor directly. Each Receiver is chosen by Kor individually to receive insights. There is only one Receiver at any given time.

3 No other human can receive insights from Kor or the Eternal Plane. Any human other than the Receiver claiming to have received insights from or communicated with Kor is false.

4 Kor reveals insights to the Receiver at varying intervals, for as long as the Receiver is able to capably receive them. When Kor determines the Receiver is no longer adequately capable of receiving insights, Kor will choose another Receiver. The last insight revealed by each Receiver is the identity of the next Receiver.

5 If Kor does not reveal the identity of the next Receiver to the current Receiver before their earthly demise, then the connection between Kor and the Receivers has been forever broken, and all humans must immediately and forever abandon the teachings and doctrines of Korism, with no exceptions.

6 The Holy Books of Korism are the written record of insights revealed by Kor to the lineage of Receivers.

7 The Holy Books of Korism are updated by the current Receiver every five years based on the insights that Kor has revealed to them in the five years since the last version was released.

8 This is Version O of the Holy Books of Korism. Version I is the next version of the Holy Books of Korism, and will be released in 2025.

9 The Receiver is the head of the United Korist Church. The Receiver appoints and removes arbiters, as well as creating or removing arbitership positions if needed.

10 The Receiver has the power to affirm and establish any individual at their discretion, as well as make any individual a cleric, whether or not the individual has completed the steps and ceremonies necessary to attain those designations. This power is due to the Receiver’s unique and singular connection with Kor and the Eternal Plane. This power is bestowed only to the Receiver and no one else. Anyone claiming to have any power related to bypassing the steps and ceremonies necessary to attain any Korist designation is false.