In the Pacific Northwest Conference, we are naming—more clearly and faithfully—what many provisional clergy already know to be true: the season traditionally called Residence in Ministry is not simply a requirement to complete, but a holy and transformative threshold.

We are pleased to introduce Thresholds, the new name for our Conference’s Residence in Ministry program.

A threshold is a sacred space of transformation—a place where one stands between what has been and what is yet to come. For provisional clergy, this season holds deep significance: it is the space between calling and commissioning, between formation and full connection.

Rooted in the spirit and landscape of the Pacific Northwest, and grounded in our M.I.L.E. vision—Ministry that Matters, Itinerancy and Location, Lay Leadership, and Eliminating Racism—Thresholds invites emerging leaders to cross boldly into deeper faithfulness, sharper justice, and embodied grace.

Thresholds is not just a program—it is a community of becoming.

The United Methodist Church names Residence in Ministry as a vital part of the provisional period:

“During the provisional period, arrangements shall be offered by the Board of Ordained Ministry for all provisional members to be involved in a residency curriculum that extends theological education by using covenant groups and mentoring to support the practice and work of their ministry as servant leaders, to contemplate the grounding of ordained ministry, and to understand covenant ministry in the life of the conference.”

GBHEM further describes this season as a time for expanding seminary education in practical ways, preparing for ordination examinations, and developing supportive and accountable relationships with clergy colleagues.

Thresholds honors these commitments while reimagining how they are lived out in today’s context.

In recent years, the Pacific Northwest Conference Residence in Ministry leadership has intentionally shifted Residence in Ministry from a checklist-based model to a transformational, cohort-based experience guided by the M.I.L.E. framework. This includes a deeper focus on:

• Anti-racism and justice

• Ministry innovation in a rapidly changing context

• Leadership formation rooted in covenant and community

We affirm this direction because the full benefits of this transformation are only realized when provisional members remain engaged in the cohort experience throughout their entire provisional period, not just the first two years.

Thresholds is a vital space for:

• Spiritual formation

• Communal discernment

• Sustained peer and mentor support

Participation reflects a commitment not only to one’s own vocational journey, but to the wider covenant community of the Conference.

Thresholds marks a formative pause—a space to deepen faith, sharpen leadership, and practice justice-rooted ministry in covenant with others. It is a season of preparation not just for ordination, but for a lifetime of courageous, connected leadership.

In this short video, participants describe their experiences in the 2025 Residence in Ministry program in the Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church, recently rebranded at Thresholds.