Candidacy for Ministry Process
The purpose of the Candidacy Process is to provide an opportunity for the candidate, the local church community or other United Methodist ministry and the District Committee on Ordained Ministry to discern where God is calling the candidate, his/her fitness – which includes spiritual, psychological and physical dimensions, and potential effectiveness of him/her for ordained or local pastor ministry in the United Methodist Church.
Steps into Certified Candidacy for Licensed or Ordained Ministry
Completing this process takes a minimum of 6 months.
All needed forms are available at www.troyac.org , drop down Resources, click Forms,
at Key Word enter Candidacy Process, click Search.
For admission to the candidacy program …
1. Suggested reading of The Christian as Minister and the Ministry Inquiry Process with his/her local church pastor, another ordained deacon or elder, or his/her district superintendent. Both these resources are available from Cokesbury, repectively $4.80 and $7.00.
2. 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 for a minimum of one (1) year immediately preceding candidacy.
3. Submits a letter to his/her district superintendent, with a copy to the district committee on ordained ministry, describing his/her sense of call and applying for admission to the candidacy program and assignment of a candidacy mentor.
4. Completes Form 102, The Personal Data Inventory; completes Form 114 Candidates Disclosure a notarized statement form detailing any convictions for felony or misdemeanor or written accusations of sexual misconduct or child abuse; and the LexisNexis Express Screening Form
The LexisNexis Express Screening release is a consent to have a consumer report made as to your credit history, employment history, motor vehicle driving record, social security information, criminal record, and other pertinent information for purposes of serving in ministry. Once this is signed, send it to the Troy Conference Minister, 396 Loudon Road, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. The cost of this background check is $90.00, payable by check/money order to Troy Conference.
All these forms must be completed with the former two returned to the dcom and the latter to the Conference Minister [with a copy to dcom] at least one month prior to the Introductory Interview with the district committee on ordained ministry.
5. Meets with the district committee on ordained ministry for the Introductory Interview.
6. Following the interview, if recommended for admission into the candidacy program, receives from the chair of the district committee on ordained ministry a letter with the name/address of the candidacy mentor and the Form 103 Medical Report. If not recommended for admission at this time, the chair of the dcom sends a letter to the candidate outlining the reasons of the committee.
For certification as a candidate for licensed or ordained ministry:
7. Must be a graduate from high school or equivalency.
8. Completes and returns to the dcom the Medical Report. (see No. 6 above)
9. Registers as a Candidate for ministry through an online interactive web site at https://public.gbhem.org/candidacy/default.aspx.. After the candidate has enrolled in candidacy the District Superintendent will receive an email from the system to e-sign the application. Once the DS has e-signed, the Mentor will receive an email to e-sign the application. Next, the Candidate will receive an email from the system to make an online payment of $75.00. After the online payment has cleared, the candidate will take the inventory of Religious Activities and Interests (IRAI) online and the results will be emailed to the Mentor. (Note: this is the last online activity for Troy Conference.) The candidate will also receive a Candidacy Guidebook.
10. Initiates the first meeting with the Candidacy Mentor.
11. Candidacy Mentor reviews results of IRAI test with candidate. Agree upon portions of Candidacy Guidebook in a way that gives consideration to the candidate’s background and experience. Also, informs the candidate about the process for setting up an appointment for the psychological evaluation with one of the two Psychological/Ministerial Assessment Specialists, Dr. Judith C. Flower, Psy.D. 802-874-0178 or Dr. Mina Dunnam, Ph.D. 518-581-7260 under contract with the Board of Ordained Ministry. Cost for the evaluation of $600.00 is divided equally between the Board and the candidate. The candidate will pay his or her share of $300.00 at the time the battery is administered.
12. Submits written statement of call and responses to Wesley’s historic questions in ¶310 2008 Book of Discipline and has interview with the Pastor/Parish Committee or equivalent body specified by the dcom; and shall meet with a charge conference or body specified by the dcom called to recommend the candidate to the dcom by a written ballot of two-thirds of the charge conference present at the meeting. (Form 104, signed by district superintendent or presiding elder mailed to dcom).
13. Completes the Psychological Evaluation (see No. 11 above). Within three (3) months of taking the battery of tests, the Psychological/Ministerial Assessment Specialist will contact the candidate to schedule a one hour interview to review the results of the evaluation. A final report will be mailed to the dcom.
14. Candidacy Mentor completes the Mentor Report and sends to dcom.
15. Candidate submits to the dcom written responses to questions in ¶311.2a). 2008 Book of Discipline.
16. Is prepared to respond to questions in ¶311.2d) 2008 Book of Discipline in the interview with the dcom.
17. Requests an interview with the dcom by writing a letter to the district committee with a copy to the district superintendent when all required documents have been submitted (See No.’s 6, 12, 14, 15 above). In most cases, all documents must be received at least one month prior to the Certification Interview with the dcom.
18. Interviews with dcom for the Certification Interview.
19. Candidacy Mentor submits the DCOM Approval Report for Certified Candidacy (Form 113) to the Division of Ordained Ministry of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (P. O. Box 340007, Nashville, TN 37203) and to the Registrar for Candidacy (P.O. Box 267, Troy, NY 12181) with a copy to the dcom.
20. Candidacy Mentor and candidate meet to discuss interviJew and results of meeting with district committee.
21 Certified candidacy is renewed by an annual recommendation by his/her Charge Conference or equivalent body specified by the dcom, and by the district committee on ordained ministry. An annual interview with the district committee is required and transcripts of all educational progress shall be submitted. The Candidate must request from the district committee what documents need to be submitted for this annual renewal.
22. Candidacy Mentor maintains a minimum of annual contact with Certified Candidate until the candidate is licensed or commissioned. An annual report from the mentor is required.
23. If the Certified Candidate is seeking licensing for pastoral ministry, submit Form 105. The requirements for licensing are available from the district superintendent, the district committee on ordained ministry, or may be downloaded from www.troyac.org.
DISTRICT COMMITTEES ON ORDAINED MINISTRY
ADIRONDACK DISTRICT
District Superintendent Chairperson
The Rev.Henry Frueh The Rev. Sarah C. White
396 Loudon Road 101 Milton Ave.
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Ballston Spa, NY 12020
518-584-8295x17 518-885-6886
ALBANY DISTRICT
District Superintendent Chairperson
The Rev. James Fenimore The Rev. Michelle Bogue-Trost
Newtonville UMC PO Box 7 Newtonville UMC PO Box 7
Newtonville, NY 12128 Newtonville, NY 12128
518-391-2325 518-785-7383
EMBURY DISTRICT
District Superintendent Chairperson
The Rev. Janice McClary Rowell The Rev. Louis N. Guariniello
PO Box 189 21 Greenview Drive
Clifton Park, NY 12065 Bennington, VT 05201
518-235-2077 802-447-8848
GREEN MOUNTAIN DISTRICT
District Superintendent Chairperson
The Rev. Robert Lowenthal The Rev. Brigid Farrell
366 Metcalf Drive PO Box 555
Williston, VT 05495 Bradford, VT 05033
802-878-1245 802-222-9062
