First Steps to Pursuing Ordination
in the Wesleyan Church
This simple guide has been designed to help those who are endeavoring to pursue ministerial student status with the objective of Ordination or Special Worker Status. The process may seem daunting and perhaps at times confusing, but our desire is to help guide you through so you know what you need to do to get started.
Step 1
Set up an appointment to counsel with a pastor for support, direction and discernment of your ministerial call. Fill out the Application for Recommendation (see below) and give it to the pastor before meeting. He/she will then give a recommendation to the Executive or Lead Pastor to present to the LBA for their consideration of recommending you to the District Board of Ministerial Development (DBMD) for ministerial student status.
Note: You must be a Covenant Member of The Wesleyan Church in order to be recommended by the LBA to the DBMD. If you’re not a Covenant Member, you must take the Membership class, be interviewed, and then be recommended for membership to the LBA.
Step 2
The LBA will approve or deny recommendation to the DBMD for ministerial student status. If approved, the Secretary of the LBA will send a letter to the DBMD chairman of the Central New York District explaining that you have been approved for recommendation as a ministerial student. The Secretary will give the DBMD your name, address, email and phone # along with a letter of recommendation.
Step 3
Submit DBMD Forms number 1 and 2 to Pastor Dave Larson, the chairman of the District Board of Ministerial Development. Dave’s email is athens1@stny.rr.com. You can download DBMD forms from http://www.wesleyan.org/em/forms. (See section that says DBMD.) You must submit these forms in order to go to the next step. The DBMD will not move any further with you until you submit the forms.
Step 4
You must submit transcripts of all previous college studies to The Department of Education and The Ministry (EMD). Academic requirements for ordination can be found in MPIP or at http://www.wesleyan.org/em/forms. (Check under section Ministerial Preparation.)
Step 5
Enroll with The Education and The Ministry Department. You can enroll online at www.wesleyan.org/em or by filling out the form below and sending it to the EMD. The cost is $20.
Step 6
Once Forms 1 and 2 are submitted, Dave Larson will contact you to set up an appointment for you to interview with the DBMD (interviews are scheduled in either April or May). The DBMD is responsible to interview the candidate each year and to access their spiritual, academic, and practical progress towards licensing and ordination/commissioning. The DBMD is responsible for affirming, as well as, pointing out areas of needed improvement in the candidate’s life and for assigning mentors and resources for making improvements in these areas.
Next Step…
After you take these 6 Steps, you would be wise to read the Ministerial Preparation Information Packet paying particular attention to the options available for you to complete the academic requirements and the chart for ordination in The Wesleyan Church. Classes can be taken from Wesleyan Colleges or Flame Classes (These are courses sponsored by the Department of Education and The Ministry and are held regionally throughout the USA). Also, please note the suggested order for completing courses for ordination.