While this will largely be specific to those in my home denomination, the Church of the Nazarene, it may be helpful to others who are discerning a call to vocational ministry. One of the joyful parts of my work in ministry these days is serving on something called the Board of Ministry, a group of those who are charged with helping those in ministerial training toward ordination. I’m also charged with educationally training a lot of those who are in the process of preparing for ordination, and pastorally, some of my work is coaching those in my congregation toward ordination, so I sit at an intersection that has evoked a passion for helping people prepare well.
Here, then, is some of what I offer to the people I’m trying to help along the way. Specifically, this is advice I offer to my friends who are preparing for a licensing or ordination interview. In our tradition, the interview tends to be the primary point of evaluation of a person’s preparation for receiving a license or being ordained, so my comments have that in view here:
1) Be honest and open – This is a process of discernment, and discernment works best when you are open about where you are. Consider those in the room partners in discerning a divine call, and work with them in being honest. Additionally, when you enter with a spirit of openness, committees don’t feel like they need to dig to discover more about who you are.
2) Bring your questions – Interviews are good points to get your questions answered, especially if your situation is complicated, or you haven’t been able to get answers to questions about your process.
3) Read over the Articles of Faith – Maybe you’ve seen them a bunch of times before, but I recommend you be able to talk coherently about each one.
4) Become familiar with Scripture – You don’t have to have verses memorized word for word, but if you can paraphrase with familiarity (“As Paul says in Romans…”) will really help make these connections. Tip: The Articles of Faith each have Scripture references. If you don’t know where to find passages, start there.
5) Practice! – Yes, it might feel a bit strange, but don’t let the interview be the first time you talk this through. Practicing with a friend or by yourself will give you more confidence and clarity. If you get tripped up or notice any gaps, focus there, and work with a mentor to fill any of that in.
6) Bonus tip - I love to ask candidates about how the doctrine they've studied are working in their ministry areas, mainly because it helps us reflect on how important this work is and how it isn't disconnected from God's presence. If you can answer that in relationship to, say, the doctrine of the Trinity, you may just find some encouragement for you minsitry while making vital theological connections.
So what should you practice?
While it certainly isn’t an exhaustive list and every district may want something a bit different, here are some topics that come up quite a bit:
Scripture – What do Wesleyans believe it is and how it functions? Is it ‘inerrant’?
Holiness – What is it, how does it relate to God and humans?
Sanctification – What is sanctification and how does it work? Special emphasis on your own journey and personal passion for sanctification is always a step toward openness in the discernment process.
Talk about your call to ministry and your long term plans. Why do you need to pursue ordination to fulfill this calling?
Spiritual Formation – What are you doing to engage in formation?
Discipleship – How do you understand making disciples?
Soteriology/Salvation – How do you understand the dynamics of Christian salvation in the Wesleyan tradition?
Sin – What is sin and how does it affect the human person? What happens with sin in our salvation?
I hope this will help you as you prepare to take the next steps in the discernment journey. If you’d like me to pray for you in that journey, feel free to drop me a line.