If you are considering ministry in The United Methodist Church, or would like to explore the opportunity, your first step is to talk with your pastor or campus minister. They should be able to help you with your first steps and questions and walk alongside you toward your next step. 

While all Christians are called into ministry, we are all gifted in different ways. The work of discernment is two-sided with individuals working through questions with family, friends, mentors, and their faith community. The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry provides significant resources to help with understanding and exploring different ways to respond to God’s call on your life in The United Methodist Church, including through lay, licensed, and ordained ministries. You can find these resources at ExploreCalling.org.

After you’ve spoken with your pastor and have discerned an interest in exploring your call beyond the local church, you would contact your District Superintendent (DS) to discuss the next steps in the process and schedule a meeting with the District Committee on Ministry (DCOM – LINK to contact info). Let your DS know that you would like to enroll in the candidacy process.  

It is at this time that the DS will help the DCOM assign to you a mentor who will help you navigate the candidacy process. That will get the ball rolling. Be persistent. You’re not bothering people; you’re simply reminding them that you’re interested. They like to hear that, and the more you remind them, the more they will remember you, and see to it that you get the right info at the right time.

For those feeling called to ordained ministry, becoming a “certified candidate” before you enter seminary will qualify you for more scholarship opportunities from The United Methodist Church and from your annual conference. You can still attend seminary without being a certified candidate, and you can pursue certification while in seminary.

At different points in the journey you will need to contact individuals on the DCOM and the Board of Ordained Ministry for information and to submit materials. You can find those contacts here.