Certified Candidates
Once you have completed the process of becoming a certified candidate, you will need to decide which ministry path God is calling you to go into.
There are two options: Licensed Local Pastor or Full Membership as an Elder or Deacon. Both of them require some form of continuing education.
Local Pastor Licensing
If you wish to become a licensed local pastor, you are required to attend Licensing School. Once Licensing School is complete, you must interview with your District Committee on Ministry (dCOM) to receive your license.
To maintain your status as a licensed local pastor, you must attend Course of Study School,which consists of 20 classes taken at an approved Course of Study School. A part–time local pastor must attend 2 classes per year and a full–time local pastor must attend 4 classes per year. Each year you will interview with your dCOM to renew your license.
For more information on how to enroll for licensing school, contact the INUMC Local Pastor Registrar, Luska Natali, at luska.natali@inumc.org.
Ordination
If you wish to pursue ordination, you must attend an INUMC approved seminary. The requirement for becoming an Elder is to obtain a Master of Divinity degree, and for Deacon, you will need either a Master of Divinity or Masters in the area of specialization in which you will work. For information on approved seminaries, please visit: https://www.gbhem.org/students/seminary/list-of-approved-seminaries/
Once you have completed one–half of your studies towards a Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent, including one–half of the basic graduate theological studies from a seminary listed by the University Senate, you may move towards Provisional Membership to eventually become a Full Member as an ordained Elder or Deacon. Visit the Provisional Membership tab for details.