Board of Ordained Ministry Interviews
The Ordination Event is designed to provide BOOM members with the opportunity to interact with each candidate during a 24 hour period. Through a variety of pathways including sermons, papers, interview times, meals, worship, and reports; board members are expected and encouraged to gather sufficient knowledge and experience of each candidate so as to be able to make an informed decision regarding each candidate’s current effectiveness in ministry. This discernment is an assessment of the candidate’s present competencies and signals confidence that the candidate is ready to be ordained as a deacon or elder in the United Methodist Church who will serve with excellence in the New York Annual Conference.
Each successful candidate must demonstrate an appropriate practical understanding of ministry in terms of his or her own gifts and graces. It is expected that the experiential learning and reflection upon his or her years in provisional/residency appointment(s) will undergird the candidate’s effectiveness in his or her current ministry setting. The BOOM must be confident that ordained candidates will be able to apply existing skills and work to develop additional skills so as to be effective in a wide variety of settings.
Evaluation of candidates for Ordination represents the culmination of the church’s discernment process with those women and men who seek to serve God as clergy in the New York Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. The candidate has already invested years with various communities of faith, committees and the Board of Ordained Ministry. In order to be at this point in the journey the Candidate has:
The Celebration of Ministry Service which will include Commissioning and Ordination will take place on Wednesday, May 19 in the afternoon. The service will be livestreamed and will allow for a wide range of people to view and support those who are being credentialed. Your continued support and encouragement for all those seeking ministry credentials is greatly appreciated. Please pray for all those who interviewed. Also, please remember to celebrate those whose requests were affirmed. Their names are listed here.
The actual Interviews involve a thorough reading of the file for each Candidate and to interview each to demonstrate readiness for ministry for those seeking Commissioning or Provisional status and for those who are seeking Full Membership and Ordination. Due to COVID-19 and the effort to keep everyone safe, the Interviews were conducted in an unprecedented way through an all-Virtual Platform. The Candidates were well prepared, adaptable to the new format, and were able to demonstrate their abilities and readiness to continue to lead in the many places where they are currently serving.
On January 31- February 2, nearly 70 members of the West Ohio Conference Board of Ordained Ministry (BOM) under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Suzanne Allen, Chairperson; Rev. Meshach Kanyion, Vice-Chairperson, Rev. Steve Putka, Secretary, and Rev. David Cady, Interview Prep Coach, participated in the annual Interviews for those requesting credentials in the United Methodist Church. The process of credentialing starts with those who feel led to explore a call to ministry. After meeting with their District Superintendents and the District Committee for an Introductory Meeting, participating in the Candidacy Summit, and attending Seminary candidates must be approved by the District Committee on Ordained Ministry before meeting with the BOM.
To be invited to interview, Candidates must complete the requirements which include responding to Disciplinary Questions, designing a bible study, writing, and recording a Sermon on prescribed texts, submitting a background and credit check, medical statement, and recommendations from Seminary, the District Superintendent, the local church, and others. This is not all inclusive but helps to provide a sense of the level of commitment and investment made on behalf of all those who are pursuing credentials in the UMC.
UMC candidates for ministry, this is your life; this is your calling; this is your identity. No, it is not fair for so much to be decided about such significant matters in a mere hour-long interview with a handful of people. But listen, the system isn’t going to be changing any time soon, which means candidates are going to have to be the ones to do so.
Some individuals on these interview teams see themselves as guardians of Methodist orthodoxy, so this is no place to be creative or philosophical or try to say things in a new and fresh way. Stick to the script. If you can work it in, quote from one of John Wesley’s sermons or recite a verse of“And Can It Be That I Should Gain.”
Yes, your interview audience is a group of educated church leaders who are in the loop. But they want to hear that you are able to relate to people who are not. Talk about the way of salvation, then say, “Because life is a journey, right? You go from beginning to end not in a smooth straight line, but in a series of hills and valleys, and the grace of God is with you in every step.” Or some such thing.
And so that’s it. If every UMC interviewee will just do these three things, I promise you your interview will be successful. And if it isn’t, if you get a call that says the committee has not approved you for certification or continuation or commissioning or ordination, you have every right to ask for clear, concise, specific reasons why not. Do not settle for nebulous and confusing answers. If you need to, call the chair of the committee and ask to see in writing the exact reasons you have been denied. Also ask them specifically what the next step is, how would they suggest to go about it, and what the timeline is for completion. Ask for specifics, and do not settle for anything less that utter transparency.
Remember that these are church leaders who are panicking about the future of their denomination, and desperate for “new people” in the church. Fair or not, they are looking directly at you to be the one to “save the church,” and to do that you need to be both perfectly orthodox and refreshingly relevant.
FAQ
How do I prepare for a ministry interview?
…
Write down a few questions.
- What is a typical worship service like?
- What is your favorite thing about this church?
- What traditions are important to this congregation?
- How do you handle weddings and funerals at the church?
- How do you plan for worship?
What is the importance of ordination?
What questions are asked at a Baptist ordination?
- We are all called to serve Christ, the question is “in what way?” Matthew 28:18-20, Romans 1:6, 12:4-8.
- Am I willing?
- What is my motivation? Matthew 6.
- Spiritual Gifts and strengths. I Corinthians 12:1-8.
- Spiritual Counsel. Proverbs 11:14.
- God uses the foolish and weak things. I Cor. 1:26-29.
