I have a calling. What do I do now?
1. Talk with the minister of your local Church of the Nazarene about your calling. Your pastor will talk to you about your call to ministry and the requirements for ministerial preparation.
2. Ask your pastor about obtaining a local minister’s license from your local church board. The Manual of the Church of the Nazarene states: “The candidate must first be examined as to his or her personal experience of salvation, knowledge of the doctrines of the Bible, and the order of the church; he or she must also demonstrate that the call is evidenced by grace, gifts, and usefulness. He or she shall undergo an appropriate background check administered by the local church. A local minister shall make a report to the local church at its annual church meetings.” – Nazarene Manual 2017-2021 par. 531.1 (Review the Manual par. 531)
3. Set up a ministry plan that will allow you to gain experience in ministry under the supervision of your pastor. After you have been granted a local minister’s license, your pastor will need to contact the Secretary of the District Board of Ministry, Studies Subcommittee, to report the local church board’s action in granting you a local minister’s license and to request your enrollment in the Course of Study. You must hold a local minister’s license for one year to be eligible to apply for a district minister’s license. Your local pastor will serve as your adviser until you receive a district license.
4. Begin your ministerial educational preparation. In order to receive a district license in the Church of the Nazarene, you must (1) have held a local minister’s license for one year, (2) have completed one-fourth of a validated course of study for ministers, and can demonstrate appreciation, comprehension, and application of the Manual and history of the Church of the Nazarene, and of the doctrine of holiness, (3) have been recommended by your local church board, and (4) have given evidence of grace, gifts, and usefulness, (5) have been carefully examined regarding your spiritual, intellectual and other fitness for such work; (6) have promised to pursue immediately a validated course of study prescribed for licensed ministers and candidates for ordination; (7) have had any disqualification removed and provided further that your marriage relationship does not render you ineligible for a district license; (8) and in case of a previous divorce, supporting documents be provided to the District Board of Ministry and the Board of General Superintendents so they may remove this as a barrier to pursuing a license.
5. Once you receive a district license, an adviser from the District Board of Ministry will be assigned to you. In order to receive a renewal of District Minister’s License, you must complete 2 courses annually (Manual par 530.3). If you have questions about your Ministerial Preparation, contact your local pastor, your district adviser, or the Studies Secretary (In this e-mail link, replace ‘at’ with the @ symbol – this helps prevent spammers from “harvesting” e-mail addresses from this site.)
6. The District Board of Ministry meets each year with students applying for a District Minister’s License and with selected other students to review their work. Contact the District Office to request an appointment.
7. Complete successfully all the educational requirements for ordination within 10 years from the granting of the first district license. To be eligible for election to elder’s orders, one must have been an assigned minister for not fewer than three consecutive years, and the candidate must currently be serving in an assigned ministry. In the case of part-time assignment, it should be understood that there should be an extension of the consecutive years of in-service time, depending upon their level of involvement in local church ministry, and that their testimony and service demonstrate that their call to ministry is primary to all other pursuits. Further, any imposed disqualifications must be removed and the candidate’s marriage relationship must be such as not to render him or her ineligible for ordination (Manual, par. 205.6, 320, 529).
Note: Ordination is a privilege extended by the church and is not a right of the candidate obtained by completing the course of study.
Photo: Faith Goble via Flickr