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A Look Inside the Candidacy Process |
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Ever wonder how your pastor got to the pulpit? It's not a quick and easy process, but rather a journey of discernment and education. This description highlight the candidacy process for all rostered church leaders. Whether you've considered rostered ministry yourself, or you're a member of any ELCA congregation, the candidacy process is important to understand. To get a personal perspective, read on as six men and women from our synod answer a variety of questions about the candidacy process: Terry
Shields Q. Why did you choose Diaconal Ministry as your vocation, and how does your previous career complement Diaconal Ministry? A. I have worked in the software development industry for over 20 years. But after participating in mission workgroups in Haiti and St.Croix, USVI, I have had an increasing desire to spend more time extending the kingdom of God. The call to parish ministry, however, does not seem to come with this desire. Rather, I am more interested in helping to reach those who do not yet know Christ, and in extending God's love to the unchurched. This vision of Word, service, and witness are central to Diaconal Ministry, and the diaconal minister is encouraged to cross the boundaries between the church and the world wherever there is need. With respect to foreign missions, it appears to be much more effective for indigenous peoples to be missionaries to those of their own culture. However, these missionaries have a great number of support needs. My sense of call is to help provide such support through the dissemination of information, including communication between mission agencies and local churches. Obviously, the ever-increasing use of personal computers combined with the ease of access to information via the Internet may be very helpful in this task. The experience I have gained [in my previous career] will aid me in meeting the challenges of mission support. Q. How has the candidacy committee and the candidacy process been nurturing so far on your journey? A. The candidate process and candidate committee have been very helpful in my journey so far … the synod office sponsored a retreat weekend in which discussions and surveys were utilized to help candidates discern their spiritual gifts. They also encouraged my participation in a two-week Diaconal Ministry Formation Event. I have also been quite pleased that the candidacy committee has encouraged me to seriously consider the Master of Divinity (parish pastor) as well as the Diaconal Ministry track, before making a final decision, and has left that option open as I continue my seminary work. But perhaps the greatest help in my own discernment process has been the book "What Shall I Say?," read during the early stages of the candidacy process. Phil
Nybroten Q. As a member of a pastor's family, what are the challenges for you in discerning your sense of call to ministry? A. I believe the hardest challenge is the fact that while your family and friends are urging you to a life of ministry, you begin to question your own belief or call. You don't want to do what everyone else wants you to do, but you want to do what you want to do with the help of God. Self-discernment vs. peer pressure! Bill
Bravener Q. How does your first career complement your call to the vocation of Associate in Ministry? A. My first career in music education and later in the area of continuing education fits perfectly with my call to lay ministry. As a full-time church music director, I have the wonderful opportunity to share music with the congregation and to put to use my training as an educator. The added component in my current position is the element of faith. The combination of music, education, and theology is a set of gifts that provide me a partnership with the congregation which daily brings rewards and opportunities. Kari
A.S. Brendefur Q. What in the seminary/candidacy process has been nurturing for you? A. Many people inside and outside the seminary community nurtured me through gifts of conversation, letters and prayers during my seminary experience. A woman from my father's congregation in Wisconsin prayed for me every day and sent me postcards during finals. The daily ritual at seminary included prayer, scripture, silence and song. It was the one place where all in the community were children of God on the same level. I was nourished and equipped there for mission, which was very renewing for me every day. There is something unique about sharing the peace with people from Namibia, Germany, South Africa, Texas and Wisconsin. The water is there, the food is there, the people are there and Christ is there. That is why it was the center of nurture for my seminary life. Jodi
Svanoe Q. Why did you choose to become an associate in ministry and how is this vocation beneficial in your campus ministry position? A. I chose to enter the process of becoming an AIM after nearly five years in campus ministry. Before the formation of the ELCA, national Lutheran Campus Ministry had been a cooperative venture between the three predecessor church bodies and was very supportive of lay professionals. As my own affirmation of the formation of the ELCA, I chose to seek the acknowledgment and support of this new church body by becoming certified as an associate in ministry. In campus ministry, being rostered as an AIM helps give me credibility to the wide variety of constituents I work with - congregations, pastors, faculty and staff, and students. Q. What did you find beneficial about the candidacy process? A. The most beneficial part of the candidacy process for me was taking time out to reflect on my own ministry - all that I have learned, and glimpses into what I had yet to learn. Like any evaluative process, it gave me an opportunity to reflect, which is always a doorway for growth. |
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