How to become A UCC minister

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Tabitha

Tabitha

journeying
Making this it's own topic-following discussion on another thread

So how does one become a UCC minister in good standing?
 
One of two routes.

1st is the home-grown version. Be a member, discern a call, have others discern the call, submit to the education process, meet academic and church requirements, pass Conference ordination interviews, Have conference vote to ordain/commission or license you and be present for the ordination/commissioning/licensing.

2nd is the transplant process. Be recognized as clergy in another denomination, apply to be admitted, submit to the application process, complete any additional training deemed necessary, serve a local congregation under observation, pass Conference admission interview, have Conference vote to admit, and be present for the admission.
 
and in both cases you must have a position I believe. You must have a position for ordination or commissioning. Is it the same for transferring from another denomination?
 
crazyheart said:
@revjohn, to go to a seminary like St. Andrew's, you must also have another degree. Is this true still?
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It is expected that all candidates for ministry will have, at the very least, a Bachelor's level degree. Seminaries affiliated with The United Church of Canada will ordinarily confer a Master of Divinity degree upon completion of a prescribed curriculum. Once upon a time individuals seeking ordination as a second career (or if they were up in years) could complete a Bachelor of Theology degree and be short-tracked for ordination. I don't think that happens as much now as it may have in the past.
 
So does it follow that UCCan ministers tend to be more intelligent than those in denominations where qualification hinges on attending Bible School for a couple of years? My observations seem to indicate that his is so. Ministers in some of the other denoms don't seem to have the same depth of knowledge.
 
Not necessarily more intelligent. Intelligence is more than the education one has had.

Perhaps more knowledgeable with respect to the broader history of Christian thought.
 
Institutions That Grant United Church Testamur
Institutions That Do Not Grant United Church Testamur
First what does Testamur mean?

How many of these schools offer ordination in the end?
 
As I understand it from John's earlier post, the schools do not offer ordination, only education. The conference offers ordination. You could, I think, pass your M.Div. and still not be ordained.
 
crazyheart said:
Institutions That Grant United Church Testamur
Institutions That Do Not Grant United Church Testamur
First what does Testamur mean?

How many of these schools offer ordination in the end?
Click to expand...

The Testamur is the college's certification that a person "has completed the course of studies for ordination to the ministry prescribed by the General Council of the United Church of Canada and the Council of Emmanuel College" - or, substitute whichever college - "and that his character and conduct as a student of this college have been such as become a candidate for the ministry."

At least, that's what mine says.

Any College that grants Testamur is a college that a candidate for the ministry can attend. I believe some of the colleges on that list no longer do so, however. Queens, for example, has suspended its theological college I believe. However, no schools "offer" ordination. Schools simply prepare candidates for the ministry for ordination. Conferences "offer" ordination to those candidates who graduate from a college and who meet the other expectations of the Conference.
 
Testamur is a certificate that an examination especially held by a university has been passed. Specifically a M. Div.

In the list crazyheart provides the institutions that do not grant testamur do not offer M. Div. degrees.
 
So if one was becoming a diaconal minister they could take some of their courses at St. Stephens (in Edmonton). They would still have to attend "learning circles" in Winnipeg and put in their internship hours.
 
Tabitha said:
So if one was becoming a diaconal minister they could take some of their courses at St. Stephens (in Edmonton). They would still have to attend "learning circles" in Winnipeg and put in their internship hours.
Click to expand...
THat would likely need to be discussed with the Centre for Christian Studies which is the school that offers the Diaconal program. In any program you need to check with the "home" institution before taking courses at another one--I have known a few people (in various programs) who discovered after the fact that the credit was not applicable or transferable
 
It wasn't a question @GordW but a statement. That's what 2 of my friends did. They parked at my Edmonton house and walked to St. Steve's. Not sure if all their course were there-they may also have taken some online.
 
NOt saying it is not possible...I know such things happen all the time. Saying it would have to be done in consultation
 
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