Ordination Questions & Answers

When Christians talk about a “call,” we mean that God is calling us—in our mind and heart—to take an action or make a choice with our lives. The Latin word for “call”—vocatio—is the root of a word often used to describe a call that leads us into a way of life: a “vocation.” In the United Church of Christ, a call to ministry includes the community’s recognition of and calling forth gifts for ministry. A personal sense of call in conversation with the local church is essential throughout the journey of discernment. We believe that those called to authorized ministry are called forth from the church, are accompanied on their discernment journey by the church, and ordination is celebrated when, and only when, the calling to ministry is affirmed by a call to a ministry setting. One of the distinguishing aspects of ministry in the United Church of Christ is the affirmation that ministerial leadership is always defined by an ongoing sacred covenant among the minister, the United Church of Christ local congregation of membership, and the denomination; thus, ministry is more communal than individual, and the call to authorized ministry is always discerned with others.

A great theologian from the early days of the United Church of Christ, H. Richard Niebuhr, identified four aspects of a vocation.

1. 1. The call to be a Christian is the beginning of any call to ministry, including yours.
   2. The secret call between God and you, when you feel an inward invitation to become a minister.
   3. The providential call when you recognize that God has given you specific gifts–intellectual, spiritual, psychological, and moral–that God wants you to use in ministry.
   4. The ecclesiastical call (from the Greek word ekklesios, meaning church or assembly) when the community affirms your call, helps you prepare for ministry, and then ordains or commissions you for that ministry.

Exercise One: The United Church of Christ has developed a list of “Marks” identifying faithful and effective authorized ministers. While no individual will display all the marks all the time, this list forms a set of expectations for what the church is looking for in authorized ministers. Read slowly and prayerfully through the list. Do you find evidence of a “providential call”? Are there marks that others (your pastor, leaders of your church, trusted friends and relatives, for example) have identified in you? Can you identify any marks that might be a challenge for you, or might need further education, training, counseling or guidance to develop?

Who is called to ministry?
The short answer: everyone! All members of the Body of Christ are called to ministry through the covenant of baptism. God calls all of us to follow Jesus Christ and proclaim the Gospel in our lives. We are all called by baptism to minister, or serve, others in Christ’s name. The UCC Constitution affirms that “the United Church of Christ recognizes that God calls the whole Church and every member to participate in and extend the ministry of Jesus Christ by witnessing to the Gospel in church and society. The United Church of Christ seeks to undergird the ministry of its members by nurturing faith, calling forth gifts, and equipping members for Christian service.”

The apostle Paul taught that God gives all members of the Body of Christ “gifts” to serve others. “To each,” he wrote, “has been given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good….” (I Cor. 12) The imagery of this chapter reminds us that as members of the Body of Christ we have gifts that differ from one another in form and function so that, working together, we can be faithful witnesses and disciples of Jesus the Christ. Wherever your road to ministry may lead you, you will always be able to discover one or more gifts, one or more ways that God has called you to serve the common good of the Body of Christ.

Although every member of the church has some call or vocation for ministry, some members are set apart by the church for particular authorized ministries, either for a season or for a lifetime. A Lay Minister in the United Church of Christ provides ministerial leadership to a singular Local Church for a defined period of time — for more information about lay ministry, check out Section 2.4 of the Manual on Ministry.

Ordination is granted to an individual who makes a lifetime commitment to God in Jesus Christ and to the Church, relying on the Holy Spirit to minister in and on behalf of the United Church of Christ. An ordained minister is authorized by the United Church of Christ to preach and teach the gospel, to administer the sacraments and rites of the church, and to provide pastoral care and leadership. An ordained minister is a representative minister of the United Church of Christ and is in covenant with the local church where they hold UCC membership, the calling body where they are engaged in ministry, and the Association or Conference acting on behalf of the United Church of Christ.

You may be wondering if it is possible for all kinds of people to be ordained in the UCC. That is a common question because some Christian denominations have barriers not allowing women or individuals who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community to be ordained. In the United Church of Christ, persons of all genders and identities are eligible to become Members in Discernment. We do not deny these privileges based on the identity of the person. This is not to say that bias doesn’t exist in our systems. However, our shared belief is that all Christians are called to ministry and the Body of Christ is most whole and beautiful when all of God’s children’s gift and graces for ministry are blessed and affirmed.

Exercise: Schedule a conversation with your pastor or another minister you known about how they experienced a “call” to ministry. What was the role of the church/faith community in discerning and authorizing their call?

Many experience call more like a labyrinth—a journey in circles. Their path to vocation has many twists and turns, times of certainty and uncertainty, times when their goal seems close and other times when it seems far off. But the journey itself still has meaning. It feels like a journey towards God. Two helpful exploratory tools are the Discernment Travelogue and the Journaling the Journey workbook.

In the United Church of Christ, we understand call to be both very personal and internal, and an on-going conversation with your community of faith. It is in the call and context of a church community that we recognize in ourselves a call to ministry and others recognize in us a call to ministry. In some traditions—such as Native American and Hawaiian— it is common practice that God raises up pastoral leadership from within the community itself. When the community needs leadership, they search for someone in their midst who has the right gifts. Small rural and urban congregations are increasingly looking to this way of finding pastoral leadership.

The experience of vocation is described in many ways. In his book, God’s Yes Was Louder Than My No, William H. Myers notes that call involves several stages:

• direct experience of the divine call that can be articulated to others
• struggle with self, God, and the community
• search for answers and human validation
• surrender and acceptance of call

The poet Rainer Maria Rilke in his book, Letters to a Young Poet, uses powerful, evocative language to try to help a young man discern a vocation to be a poet. Rilke writes:

There is only one thing you should do. Go into yourself. Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots into the very depths of your heart; confess to yourself whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. This most of all: ask yourself in the most silent hour of your night: must I write? Dig into yourself for a deep answer. And if this answer rings out in assent, if you meet this solemn question with a strong, simple “I must,” then build your life in accordance with this necessity; your whole life, even into its humblest and most indifferent hour, must become a sign and witness to this impulse.

Frederick Buechner is an author often quoted on the subject of vocation. He offers the following definition of vocation in his book, Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC:

There are different kinds of voices calling you to different kinds of work, and the problem is to find out which is the voice of God rather than of Society say, or the Superego, or Self-Interest. By and large a good rule for finding out is this. The kind of work God usually calls you to do is work (a) that you need most to do and (b) that the world needs most to have done. The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.

Writer, biblical scholar and minister Reneeta Weems offers a view of wrestling with issues that are essentially vocational. In the introduction of her book, Showing Mary, she offers this description:

You are on the verge of something special. You know it. You can feel it. Something is in the air. You are restless and don’t know why. You wake up in the morning with flutters in your stomach even though your calendar doesn’t indicate any special meetings scheduled for the day. Your mind is racing from thought to thought, and you can’t figure out why. A voice in you won’t be quieted, but you can’t quite make out what it is saying. You wonder if you’ve forgotten something but you’ve forgotten what. Nothing has happened or is about to happen. But it is, and you sense it. Today is not the first time you’ve felt like this. This feeling has been coming in waves, off and on, for some time. You’re on the verge of giving birth and don’t know it.

William H. Myers describes call:

The call to ministry begins as a story; a story of an encounter between an individual and God … the claimant comes to the community of faith for confirmation. At this point the story is transformed into narrative in order to persuade the community of the authenticity of the call. The difference between story and narrative is not necessarily to be seen as error or deception; rather, story is an individual’s attempt to wrestle, as did Jacob and Paul, with God and self, and later narrative is the attempt to explain the transformative encounter in a way that makes sense to others; it is retrospective interpretation.

Finally, here are the words of Parker Palmer from his book, Let Your Life Speak:

Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am. I must listen for the truths and values at the heart of my own identity, not the standards by which I must live – but the standards by which I cannot help but live if I am living my own life.

Exercise: Spend time walking a labyrinth and meditating on your sense of vocation or questions about call. Many retreat centers and local churches have labyrinths. If walking a labyrinth is not an option for you, try using an image of a labyrinth and trace it slowly with your finger.

In the United Church of Christ, ministerial formation and authorization are overseen by Committees on Ministry in local Associations and Conferences. It is important for those who are exploring God’s call to partner early with their home congregation and a local Committee on Ministry. Once an individual is in covenant with a Local Church and Committee on Ministry, the person is designated by the Committee on Ministry to be a Member in Discernment. To learn more about qualifications, Committees on Ministry and all things related to formation for ordained ministry in the United Church of Christ, you can read the Manual on Ministry.

The basic qualifications generally required of ordained ministers include:

• • Demonstration of competency in the Marks of Faithful and Effective Ministers

• • acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as the sole Head of the Church;

• • membership in a local church of the United Church of Christ;

• • demonstrated knowledge and affirmation of the history, polity and practices of the UCC;

• • theological education and ministerial training;

• • an ordainable call.

In addition, ordained ministers in the UCC hold a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Divinity degree or have pursued a course of study and formation that prepares them for service as an ordained minister in their context. Associations/Conferences, through the work of Committees on Ministry, use the Marks of Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministers to assess a candidate’s qualifications regardless of educational path. For more information about ordained ministry in the United Church of Christ, contact the Conference or Association where you hold UCC membership and review Section 2, Article 3 of the Manual on Ministry describing ordained ministry.

Yes! Discernment is not a solitary spiritual journey. In fact, the Local Church is an essential covenantal partner through the discernment and ordination process. One way to explore whether God is really calling you to ordained ministry is to invite a conversation with your pastor, mentors, as well as others in your life who have known you for a long time to prayerfully reflect with you. Look for people who listen deeply for God in their own lives and can ask insightful questions that will help you clarify your sense of call, your gifts for ministry and those places in you that may need further growth or development.

The most important role of your discernment partners is to listen! They are listening for the voice of God in your life. They will ask questions to help you focus on your discernment. Your church will form a “Local Church Discernment Committee” who will share in your discernment journey, offering support and feedback throughout the process, including referring you to the Committee on Ministry. They will help you determine if it is time for you to become a Member in Discernment, which is the formal process of journeying toward ordination.

When this happens, you will have moved on to another stage of discernment. The responsibility of the Committee on Ministry will be to help determine whether the particular call of God in your life is to authorized ministry in and on behalf of the United Church of Christ.

Everyone brings their own unique gifts and style to ministry, and churches prioritize different skill sets according to their various contexts. Overall, churches tend to look for candidates for ministry who:

1. Are spiritually alive. Pastors and other church professionals need to cultivate their lives with God. Practicing spiritual disciplines helps us not only nurture our own lives with God but also helps us to minister more effectively to others. Ministers must first and foremost be in love with God!
2. Have a sense of wonder. Are you someone who can attune to God’s presence in great and small things? Do God’s creation and God’s people fill you with thankfulness, curiosity, and awe? Spiritual awareness and joy are essential foundations for ministry.
3. Pursue life-long learning. It’s not about the number of diplomas you can hang on an office wall. A commitment to continued learning is a sign of a minister who is not stagnant in faith formation or in leadership skills.
4. Are emotionally mature. Authorized Ministers must be willing to do their own inner work so they can be fully present to those with whom they minister. Ministers must also be able to recognize, set and maintain appropriate boundaries so they and their congregations can be healthy and safe.
5. Have social skills. It is important that a minister truly like people. Getting along with people, interacting in a variety of settings, and understanding and facilitating group dynamics are some of the qualities needed by successful clergy.
6. Pursue deep understanding and knowledge of people who are different from you. Authorized ministers are called to serve all of God’s children without bias or favor. It is important to understand our own experiences and how bias might show up in our attitudes, actions, and communities so that we can truly be of service to others and support their flourishing, whoever they may be.
7. Take UCC identity seriously. If you want to serve as a pastor or in any other authorized ministry in the United Church of Christ, you should be able to say honestly that you love our denomination. You should know UCC history, theology, and polity and be willing to communicate your knowledge and enthusiasm to others. Being connected and staying connected to the whole UCC family as well as our ecumenical partners is part of what it means to be a minister in the UCC.

It depends. As a denomination, we increasingly recognize that there are multiple meanings of “learned,” multiple paths of education, and multiple ways to be formed for ministry. Seminary study remains a centerpiece of ministerial preparation, but many Associations/Conferences prioritize the Marks of Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministers when considering authorization, regardless of a candidate’s education path. One common requirement for authorization is the study and demonstrated knowledge of United Church of Christ polity.

The United Church of Christ is closely related to six seminaries, in addition to these historically-related seminaries. Various scholarships are made available through the national ministries of the United Church of Christ for those preparing for ministry. Additionally important resources for ministerial formation are regional theological education programs, including the Maine School of Ministry, PATHWAYS Theological Education, Inc., The Damascus Project, the New York School of Ministry, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry. The United Church of Christ also has historical ties to colleges and universities.

If you are already an ordained minister in another tradition or denomination but are drawn to ordained ministry in the United Church of Christ, transfer of your credentials to a UCC Association/Conference may be an option. Begin that conversation with regional staff of the United Church of Christ in your area. To learn more about opportunities for ecumenically ordained ministers in the UCC check out Section 2.2 in the Manual on Ministry.

Many people who are attracted to ministry have a deep desire to make a difference. Ministry happens in many locations and contexts. Ministers in the UCC are ordained to a variety of ministries. Here are just a few possibilities:

Local Church Pastor: These pastors make a difference through day-to-day contact with their parishioners. Whether serving in a rural farming community, in the suburbs, or in the midst of a busy and diverse city, there is always ministry to do. Local church pastors: baptize and celebrate communion, stand with people in times of great joy and sorrow, lead worship and preach, work with children, youth and adults, support ministry with interfaith, ecumenical and community partners, help people relate their faith to their daily lives, teach … the list goes on and on!

Chaplains: There are a variety of settings for the ministry of chaplains. Some serve in the military or VA hospitals, some serve in hospitals and hospice programs, some minister to firefighters and police officers, some work with students on college and university campuses. To learn more about these types of ministry, contact the Rev. Stephen Boyd, Minister for Government Chaplains and Ecclesiastical Endorser, at boyds@ucc.org or the Rev. Anissa Glaser-Bacon, Minister for Ministers in Specialized Settings and Professional Endorsement Coordinator, at glaser-bacona@ucc.org.

Community Minister: Some are called to work in ministries that bring healing, wholeness and social justice through community organizations that embody the values and commitments of the United Church of Christ, including ecumenical and interfaith organizations, nonprofits that serve marginalized populations, environmental justice, healthcare, and advocacy to create public policies to build a more just and compassionate society for all.

Pastoral Counselors: These ministers seek to combine the skills and insights of psychology with the resources of faith. They minister to individuals and families in times of crisis as well as times of growth. Specialized training beyond the Master of Divinity degree is required.

Youth Minister: Some people feel a special calling to minister to youth and young adults. They enjoy the honesty, energy, and enthusiasm of youth and want to help young people to grow in their faith in God and be leaders in the church now.

Christian Educator: The educational ministry of the church is filled with opportunities to help people of all ages grow in their understanding and practice of their faith.

These are just a few of many ways of being a minister in the United Church of Christ. Whether as an authorized minister or simply as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, there are many ways you can live out your call and make a difference.