Ordination Requirements of Mainline Denominations
The ordination process typically begins when a candidate contacts his pastor or priest and concludes in an official sanction from church elders or bishops. The official guidelines for an aspiring minister vary for each of the traditional mainline Protestant denominations.
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United Methodist Church
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Ordination as a Methodist minister requires a high school degree, baptism within the denomination and active membership in a Methodist congregation for at least one year. The ordination process involves interviews, theological study, psychological assessment and a recommendation from the charge committee.
Presbyterian Church
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An aspiring Presbyterian minister must first be an active member of the sponsoring congregation for at least six months. She becomes an inquirer with the support of the session and a candidate after examination by the presbytery. Ordination is granted after the completion of the Presbyteries Cooperative Examinations and final assessments.
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Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
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After expressing his intent, a candidate in the Lutheran Church begins the entrance phase of ordination, which consists of interviews, screening and preparation for seminary. The endorsement phase involves a synod recommendation and a supervised internship, and the approval phase guides him into his first parish.
Episcopal Church
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The call to ordained worship in the Episcopal Church is discerned not by the candidate alone but in cooperation with the clergy. When a call is recognized, the candidate proceeds to seminary and eventually completes the General Ordination examinations before being ordained by a bishop.
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References
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