The Road to Becoming Ordained
In the past five weeks, I got a strong taste of the United Methodist requirements and process to become a clergy member through being commissioned as a provisional deacon on the last day of Annual Conference, held this year in Hampton, Virginia. The touching and moving ceremony culminated in two bishops laying hands on me along with my wife and my pastor mentor. Normally, there are not two bishops, but this year Bishop Tom Berlin, the former long-time Virginia pastor at Floris UMC, who is now bishop of the Florida Annual Conference, was a guest speaker at the annual meeting, so Virginia Conference Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson invited him to join in the commissioning and ordaining ceremonies.
As a new clergy member, I was expected to attend the Annual Conference sessions and vote, although there are some limitations on resolutions for which non-ordained clergy can vote. However, on most topics this year, provisionals were expected to vote. The constitutional issue of regionalization which was passed at General Conference is not yet ready to be submitted for annual conference votes. That will most likely occur next year, but on constitutional issues, only ordained clergy and lay delegates can vote.
Prior to Annual Conference and in order to qualify to be commissioned as a provisional clergy member, I had to complete licensing school which in the Virginia Conference occurs once a year in May, an eight-day school of approximately ten-hour days. Exceptionally talented, articulate, highly knowledgeable and expert pastors and laity from around the Conference came in as guest lecturers. They taught us about theology, preaching, weddings, funerals, liturgies, pastoral responsibilities, ethics, counseling, stewardship, how to plan a service, and pastor compensation, which is very complicated, though not extravagant.
In addition, we had opportunities to prepare and lead worship, preach to peers and receive immediate feedback, and work together in small groups on a variety of tasks and challenges from the various instructors. Most of the students were seeking to become local licensed pastors. Two of us attended to meet the requirement of becoming provisional deacons. Those who were commissioned as provisional elders had all completed licensing school in previous years.
Licensing school gathers a slate of candidates, most of whom barely know each other, if at all. We go through intense training to be better able to lead people to God. Bonds formed quickly, and we were told several stories about how many years those bonds last. Every instructor or facilitator who worked with us was encouraging, enthusiastic and very committed. All of them promised to be a future resource to whom we could reach out. At the end, there is an open-book, open-note exam, but collaborating with classmates or consulting with Google, AI, ChatGPT, Alexa, Siri, etc., are not allowed.
Licensing school was excellent preparation for our future service. We shared information on where to get robes, what kind of robe, style, color, material, etc. We shared experiences about seminary, meeting boards and writing papers for the Board of Ordained Ministry. We shared preaching resources as well. When we were all elected as local licensed pastors or provisional deacons at Annual Conference, there was genuine joy and celebration.
If you are feeling a call by God and want to explore what it takes to move into some type of ministry, reach out. Your pastor, your District Committee on Ordained Ministry (DCOM) and the Conference Office of Clergy Excellence are all great resources. If God is calling, talk with God and His many messengers. There is a large, encouraging network of people to help you decide and provide support if you decide to accept God’s call. I feel tremendously blessed that I did indeed respond to His call.
By Brad Duty, Foundation Services Advisor
