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O.S.Luke
Guest
Please. That’s an unfair statement - and untrue. You’re better than that, Joey.
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twiggymoo
Guest
I can remember many years ago when I was in the Air Force stationed in Italy, we had a Navigator group (I was also part of that) and how many young guys “felt” a call to preach - leaving the military even after 10 years. I often wonder about them and where they are. It seemed to us that it had become a fad.
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KatieD
Guest
I think the answer to the original question depends greatly on which Protestant church we’re talking about. I know some Protestant pastors who have had theological studies and others who were basically voted in by their congregations and served a specific term as pastor before someone else was voted in.
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Eddy
Guest
In the denomination I’m most familiar with:
It is thorough, though frankly, I wish they’d change the language requirement for a counselling requirement!
I have a friend from a non-denominational church who did a one year certificate course in Biblical studies and immediately went off to pastor a church. His lack of pastoral training really worried me.
- Undergraduate degree (3 years)
- Postgraduate degree and certificate (3 years) which includes learning Greek and Hebrew.
- 2 years ‘assistantship’ before becoming eligible for ‘call’ to a congregation.
It is thorough, though frankly, I wish they’d change the language requirement for a counselling requirement!
I have a friend from a non-denominational church who did a one year certificate course in Biblical studies and immediately went off to pastor a church. His lack of pastoral training really worried me.
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tundramom
Guest
In my old church, an Assembly of God, the Pastor had these requirements:
He had “studied” at home with a correspondence course
He was never ordained
He was dubbed the Pastor with the understanding he would complete the steps necessary to be ordained (don’t know what all that entails) He’s been the Pastor for 15+ years and still not ordained.
no training for counseling
needless to say, he’s had a horrible track record. Yesterday I had a reconcilliation with a neighbor that had been horrible for 2 years. The Pastor, had told her and her husband and my neighbors that I said something that I didn’t. (where was the confidentiality?) Anyway, after so many years at odds with my neighbors, I was able to clear the air and my neighbor finally believed me that what the Pastor had said I had said wasn’t true at all. He had twisted it in some sort of sick way and we were kept apart for soooo long.
Pastors in the Catholic church have much more training and have given me much better advice and counseling in the reconcilliation process than any Protestant minister I’ve ever known.
rambling
Steph
He had “studied” at home with a correspondence course
He was never ordained
He was dubbed the Pastor with the understanding he would complete the steps necessary to be ordained (don’t know what all that entails) He’s been the Pastor for 15+ years and still not ordained.
no training for counseling
needless to say, he’s had a horrible track record. Yesterday I had a reconcilliation with a neighbor that had been horrible for 2 years. The Pastor, had told her and her husband and my neighbors that I said something that I didn’t. (where was the confidentiality?) Anyway, after so many years at odds with my neighbors, I was able to clear the air and my neighbor finally believed me that what the Pastor had said I had said wasn’t true at all. He had twisted it in some sort of sick way and we were kept apart for soooo long.
Pastors in the Catholic church have much more training and have given me much better advice and counseling in the reconcilliation process than any Protestant minister I’ve ever known.
rambling
Steph
M
MrS
Guest
I agree… but I would change the word emotionalism to zeal.
My son, a Baptist with only a high school education, is “enrolled” at revivalmidwest.org/midwestBible.asp so he can become a preacher. Admirable goal, and I pray that he will advance in his studies to a point where more and more of the errors he is learning will lead him out of the world of protestantism and into the fullness of the Faith.
By the way, the “bible college” is founded by a guy who “knows” this current generation is the last generation before the second coming. Awesome, huh?
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gcnuss
Guest
Here’s my experience.
For me, the call came rather later in life (I was in my mid 50s). I had felt a call to ministry for some time, but had resisted it and thought that I wouldn’t answer it – well, I thought that I might answer it on my own terms.
I decided that I would join the Stephen Ministry team as a leader, which involved a week’s training after which I would work with the program, training Stephen Ministers. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with Stephen Ministry, it is a program of training lay people to be caregivers to people who are going through crises.) I figured that this would be my ministry – I was a bit wary of committing to four years of preparation for ordination.
Our pastor was also attending the leader training course and during one of our breaks asked me, “Gary, did you ever think of entering the ministry?” My answer was “yes, but…” I went through the list of all the reasons that I had decided not to do so – my age, the four years of seminary, etc.). The next comment by my pastor was “you need to give this some thought and prayer.”
After much thought (including discussions with my wife (whose life would be greatly changed), a friend who was a second-career pastor, and our bishop (who had been our pastor), and considerable prayer, I decided that this call was real.
Then, the real process of discernment began. In the ELCA, a person seeking to enter the ministry must be approved for entry into candidacy for ordination. This involves doing a lot of writing – on one’s personal history, one’s spiritual journey, and what the sense of call means. The Candidacy Committee must also approve continuation in the program after the first year of seminary education and, at the end, approve the candidate for ordination.
The educational requirement is to obtain a Master of Divinity degree which involves three years of academic study, a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education, and a year of internship.
After the studies are completed, the Candidacy Committee interviews the candidate and makes one of three recommendations – (1) approved for ordination; (2) decision deferred (meaning that they may require the candidate to do some additional preparatory work; or (3) approval denied (meaning that the candidate will not be allowed to enter the ministry of the ELCA).
Once a candidate is approved, he or she is assigned to a synod. The synodical bishop will then refer the candidate to a congregation that is seeking a pastor. The referral process takes into consideration the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses as well as the nature or type of parish setting. The congregation interviews a referred candidate and makes a decision as to whether or not to call that candidate as it pastor. Once a call it made, the pastor is ordained and begins service in that congregation.
That’s the process I went through – a bit different from other churches.
For me, the call came rather later in life (I was in my mid 50s). I had felt a call to ministry for some time, but had resisted it and thought that I wouldn’t answer it – well, I thought that I might answer it on my own terms.
I decided that I would join the Stephen Ministry team as a leader, which involved a week’s training after which I would work with the program, training Stephen Ministers. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with Stephen Ministry, it is a program of training lay people to be caregivers to people who are going through crises.) I figured that this would be my ministry – I was a bit wary of committing to four years of preparation for ordination.
Our pastor was also attending the leader training course and during one of our breaks asked me, “Gary, did you ever think of entering the ministry?” My answer was “yes, but…” I went through the list of all the reasons that I had decided not to do so – my age, the four years of seminary, etc.). The next comment by my pastor was “you need to give this some thought and prayer.”
After much thought (including discussions with my wife (whose life would be greatly changed), a friend who was a second-career pastor, and our bishop (who had been our pastor), and considerable prayer, I decided that this call was real.
Then, the real process of discernment began. In the ELCA, a person seeking to enter the ministry must be approved for entry into candidacy for ordination. This involves doing a lot of writing – on one’s personal history, one’s spiritual journey, and what the sense of call means. The Candidacy Committee must also approve continuation in the program after the first year of seminary education and, at the end, approve the candidate for ordination.
The educational requirement is to obtain a Master of Divinity degree which involves three years of academic study, a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education, and a year of internship.
After the studies are completed, the Candidacy Committee interviews the candidate and makes one of three recommendations – (1) approved for ordination; (2) decision deferred (meaning that they may require the candidate to do some additional preparatory work; or (3) approval denied (meaning that the candidate will not be allowed to enter the ministry of the ELCA).
Once a candidate is approved, he or she is assigned to a synod. The synodical bishop will then refer the candidate to a congregation that is seeking a pastor. The referral process takes into consideration the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses as well as the nature or type of parish setting. The congregation interviews a referred candidate and makes a decision as to whether or not to call that candidate as it pastor. Once a call it made, the pastor is ordained and begins service in that congregation.
That’s the process I went through – a bit different from other churches.
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water
Guest
Thank you Pastor Gary. It is a good process.
God bless you and thank you for following your call.
God bless you and thank you for following your call.
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happygal
Guest
Don’t worry Cambodia now are rather safe not like last time, i just came back from there last year. However when spreading words for God, they will need sometime, but let alone the pple there are quite open to Christianity, i even saw a flowing Catholic church (builded on a floating platform by the sea) for those boatpple villagers. Christianity is around 1-2% of their entire population if i’m not wrong, since Cambodia are a Buddhist country.
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happygal
Guest
Is almost similar to where my pastor has came from.
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water
Guest
Thanks happygal for the information. Yes, my brother will be over there for about 2-3 years. He has some team called "World Team…"something and will support him.
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happygal
Guest
you’re welcome, keep your brother in prayer for he is helping God to win lost soul. what can be more joyful for we Christ believers (be it catholic/protestant) out in the field winning the lost for him. who know you will be one of them in future to help God as like what your brother is doing. Spreading words to non believers usually needs more time and patient, but when we take a step with faith, you will be amaze how Holy Spirit move you to do thing which you never do before. What your brother is doing is his sacrifice of his personal earthly stuff to serve the Lord whole heartedly for he is building the treasure in heaven and not on earth. Praise the Lord and God will bless your brother for his missionary trip in Cambodia
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