The following is an excerpt from the document entitled "Procedures for Ordination, Commissioning, and Recognition for the Christian Ministry in the American Baptist Churches" which explains this step of my journey into Christian ministry.
2. LICENSINGSo, what I'm uncertain of right now is how long it will be before I become fully ordained. I will learn more about this as I proceed and continue to meet the Department of Ministry. Licensing will grant me the authority to do for the local congregation all that is required of the position of pastor. Since I will not yet be ordained, my authority is limited to that particular local congregation.
The candidate for ordination should be licensed by the church in which membership is held, in cooperation with the proper Association or Region at least six months prior to ordination. This provides the opportunity and the impetus for the church, both on the local and the wider level, to be involved in preparations for the ordination as well as to be a part of the Ordination Council. There are a variety of practices in the denomination which determine whether the Region or Association participates in the particular process of licensing as a first step to ordination.
A. Significance
1. A local church, well acquainted with the candidate, is making public the fact that the individual apparently possesses the ability and the spiritual and emotional qualities necessary for ministry, and that the academic training required for ordination is being received.
2. By receiving the candidate under their “watchcare,” a local church and the department of ministry are expected to give regular counsel in regard to vocation and professional training. Such counseling should be performed by the pastor, appropriate board or committee of the church, or the department of ministry.
B. Procedure
1. The candidate makes known the desire to be licensed to the pastor and the appropriate committee of the church where he or she is a member. The candidate then will be interviewed to determine eligibility for licensing.
2. The church then requests the department of ministry to meet with the candidate.
3. Upon the recommendation of the department and the affirmative vote of the local church, recognition as a licensed candidate for ordination will be granted to the candidate.
4. The local church notifies the department of ministry of its action.
C. Duration
It is made clear to the candidate that the license is granted in anticipation of ordination and that it is valid for a maximum of four years unless the congregation revokes it.
During this process of licensed ministry seeking ordination, I will be taking courses from a (not-so) nearby seminary in order to work towards a Master of Divinity degree. I have been accepted to Yale Divinity School in New Haven, CT and will most likely enroll there. My plan is to minister in Acworth part-time (that is nature of the position at this point) and study at Yale part-time. This setup will probably last another 5 to 6 years as the Master of Divinity degree is a three-year degree as a full-time student and I will only be able to study part time.
Rachelle and I are very excited for this new chapter as it unfolds and I am looking forward to opportunity to study scripture and theology as a seminary student. Studying while preaching will give great relevance and meaning to my work as a student and preaching while studying will no doubt give a freshness to my subjects and perspectives on the scriptures for the week.
With all that said, this site will soon be a temporary ghost town with tumble weeds and all. But after a season of silence will come the flood of weekly sermons. So, readership, stay tuned.
