Pastoral or Ordained Ministry

Christians have a calling to serve God and the world in some way. Some do so as lay people and others are "set apart" for ordained ministry. If you think you have heard the call to ordained ministry...

If you are a young adult under age 25, check out the Pulse website to learn more about ordained ministry, and chat with other young people considering ordained ministry.

Places to Explore

From time to time, the United Methodist Church offers opportunities for people to explore with others the possibility that they might be called to ministry.

Exploration 2006 brings young people who are high school seniors through age 24 together in Jacksonville, Fla., Nov. 17 through 19 to learn more about ordained ministry and consider whether God is calling them to an ordained ministry. Visit the event web site for more information and registration materials.

Pastoral and Ordained Ministries

In the United Methodist tradition, all baptized Christians are called to some form of ministry. Some are called to serve in the Ministry of the Lay. Some are called to church leadership as local pastors, elders or deacons.

Local pastors are licensed to serve as the pastoral leader for a local congregation. For the church to which they are appointed, they are authorized to perform all the duties of a pastor, including the sacraments of baptism and holy communion, the services of marriage and burial, confirmation and membership reception. They are not eligible for extension ministries (appointments to ministries other than a local congregation). They are laypeople serving as pastors where needed. They must complete a course of study and are accountable to the conference’s board of ordained ministry. Their licenses continue only as long as their appointments continue are renewable on an annual basis.

Deaconesses are lay women and Home Missioners are lay men who are commissioned by the General Board of Global Ministries to ministries of love, justice and service. They form a covenant community that is rooted in scripture, informed by history, driven by mission, ecumenical in scope and global in outreach. The General Board of Global Ministries  has more information on serving as Deaconess or Home Missioner at its website.

Elders are ordained pastors. They hold membership not to a local congregation but to the annual conference, and therefore “itinerate,” or can be appointed by the bishop to serve any congregation in the conference. They are also part of the order of elders and keep a covenant to be accountable to one another for their entire lives. Their ministry includes Word—preaching and teaching the Christian faith; Sacrament—administering the sacraments of baptism and communion; Order—administering the church’s temporal affairs; and Service—leading a church’s outreach ministry and helping lay people to extend God’s love into the world.

The word “deacon” comes from the Greek word for servant, and service is the primary aspect of a deacon’s ministry. Deacons are ordained ministers who are members of the annual conference rather than a local church, and are appointed to places of service. They do not itinerate but participate in finding a place of service. They are part of the order of deacons and keep a covenant to be accountable to one another for their entire lives. Their places of service are in local churches, where they help Christians identify their place of service in the world. Some deacons also serve outside the local church, in such roles as social workers, counselors, denominational workers, educators, ecumenical workers, and many others. Their ministry includes Their ministry includes Word—preaching and teaching the Christian faith, and Service—leading a church’s outreach ministry and helping lay people to extend God’s love into the world.