Thinking about being a Pastor?

The purpose of the candidacy process is twofold: To assist the candidate in discerning if God’s call is to lay, licensed, or ordained ministry. To assist the church as it decides if the candidate’s call fits within the Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church

Inquiring Phase Contact the pastor of your local church or campus ministry, another elder or deacon, or the District Superintendent.

Inquiring Phase Read and discuss The Christian As Minister (which is available at Cokesbury). This book is a requirement for discerning the call

Inquiring Phase Interview three clergy in various settings, listening both for a sense of their call to ministry and particulars about their ministry setting as well as, where your story or sense of call intersects with theirs. Specific questions to begin the visit might include: call story, joys of this ministry setting, frustrations of this ministry setting, Why is ordination necessary for this form of ministry. (REQUIRED)

Inquiring Phase Read and discuss The Ministry Inquiry Process (available at Cokesbury) SUGGESTED .

Inquiring Phase With your pastor, or designated elder/deacon, put into writing a first draft of your Statement of Call

Applying and Enrolling in Candidacy Studies You must be a professing member in good standing of The United Methodist Church or a baptized participant of a recognized United Methodist campus ministry or other United Methodist ministry setting for a minimum of one (1) year

Applying and Enrolling in Candidacy Studies Send a letter of registration to the District Superintendent (DS), District Committee on Ministry (dCOM) chairperson, dCOM registrar, and Conference Registrar. The letter must include: A description of your sense of call/Statement of Call. that you have completed the Inquiry Phase A request to be assigned a Candidacy Mentor (by the dCOM in consultation with DS) A request for the psychological assessment form A request for the disclosure form (which must be notarized) and the form for approval for criminal background, credit check and sex offender registry checks. Send these two forms to Bill Poland, Administrative Assistant to the Bishop. Appropriate information will be shared with the dCOM. The dCOM chair and DS, in consultation, will assign you a Candidacy Mentor. This will begin your online registration process when the DS invites you to begin the Candidacy Process.

Applying and Enrolling in Candidacy Studies After being assigned a candidacy mentor by the dCOM, in consultation with the DS, contact your Candidacy Mentor. Log into UMCARES (you will be invited by your DS. In order for your certification to be official you will need to check off all steps in UMCARES including pay the administration fee.

Applying and Enrolling in Candidacy Studies Work through sections 1 & 2 of the “Answering the Call”with your Candidacy Mentor. (Available on the UMCARES website. When you begin section 2, complete the psychological assessment request form received from your superintendent or dCOM Chair. Call the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center for an appointment. You are encouraged to discuss the results with your candidacy mentor. The results will be sent to a reader on the dCOM before your examination interview. The total cost of the evaluation is subject to change but is $630 as of August 2017, which is to be divided three ways between the candidate, sponsoring congregation/organization and the Board of Ordained Ministry. Following the initial contact with the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center for scheduling an evaluation, the information letter from the Center to the candidate will ask that the candidate bring a personal check ($210) as well as a check for the congregation’s portion of the evaluation cost ($210) to the initial interview and testing session. The remainder of the cost will be billed to the BOM.

Declaring Candidacy You must be a high school graduate or have a certificate of equivalency. Building on your first draft from the inquiring phase, formulate a written statement reflecting on your call to ministry; responses to Wesley’s historic questions in ¶310. Do you know God as pardoning God? Have you the love of God abiding in you? Do you desire nothing but God? Are you holy in all manner of conversation? Have you gifts as well as evidence of God’s grace, for the work? Have you a claear, sound understanding; a right judgment in the things of God; a just conception of salvation by faith? Do you speak justly, readily, clearly? Have you fruit? Have any been truly convinced of sin and converted to God and are believers edified by their service? 3. Consult with your pastor about a time to be interviewed by the S/PPRC, or equivalent. The S/PPRC will examine you on your call statement and Wesley’s historic questions (¶310). If the committee approves you, they will make a recommendation to the charge conference. 4. Consult with your pastor about a time for the charge conference to meet. If you are recommended by a vote of the charge conference, a report of this action will be made to the dCOM.

Certification Prepare written responses as required in ¶310.2a-e in the 2016 Book of Discipline. Send these written materials to your dCOM chair at least two weeks prior to your examination interview for certification. Sign a written statement prepared with the candidacy mentor for the dCOM.  Be examined by the dCOM (¶310.2). The dCOM may approve you, approve you with requirements and/or recommendations, or not approve you.  Psychological assessment report to dCOM reader, criminal background and credit check must be completed. Agree to make a complete dedication of yourself to the highest ideals of the Christian Life.  If you are approved by the dCOM as a certified candidate your candidacy mentor will complete the final steps in UMCARES so GBHEM has record of your certification.