As loyal readers know, last December I had my ordination interviews for Full Connection in the United Methodist Church.
Quick summary: Ordination in the UMC is a multi-year process where we are first commissioned to ordained ministry as provisional ministers, evaluated over a 3-5ish year process, and then finally voted in by our peers as full ordained clergy (called “full connection“). I am at that final stage.
I passed most of my doctrinal questions, but the Board of Ordained Ministry (the evaluating body in the UMC regional conferences) deemed it necessary for me to further reflect on three doctrinal questions and be re-interviewed at a later date. While I was a bit miffed at passing 85% of the questions (which is good enough for the Bar Exam and medical school), I did learn a lot from reflecting further on these questions:
(5) How do you understand the following traditional evangelical doctrines: (a) repentance; (b) justification; (c) regeneration; and (d) sanctification?
(7) What is the meaning and significance of the Sacraments?
(9) What is your understanding of (a) the Kingdom of God; (b) the Resurrection; (c) eternal life?
Why remind you of this?
Monday morning 3/22, 11:00am CST is my interview. Yow!
I’m at another turn on the long winding path to full ordination. Thanks for being on this journey with me. And thanks for your prayers, karma, happy thoughts, butterfly kisses, and whatever else at around that time.
Craig says
March 21, 2010 at 12:29 pmI had something similar happen to me during my Faculty Approval Interview for the ELCA during my last year of seminary. As a result, I shifted my focus from ordained ministry to consecrated ministry. You will be in my prayers on Monday morning.
Stresspenguin says
March 21, 2010 at 3:34 pmI think first, you need to figure out if your interview is on Monday the 22nd or Tuesday the 23rd or Monday March 23rd of 2015. 😉
Rev. Jeremy Smith says
March 21, 2010 at 3:55 pm@Stresspenguin, I hope the rest of my questions are that easy! Fixed! It's Monday. Thx.
johnmeunier says
March 22, 2010 at 2:07 pmI hope it went well, Jeremy.