Ministry in Troy Conference

Steps toward ordained ministry in Troy Conference
A brief summary of the ministry process and contact information

Candidacy: Download the Troy Conference Candidacy Word document or a PDF document.

Contact: Your pastor and Your District Superintendent

Your District Superintendent will guide you into the working process with the District Committee on Ministry, with a Candidacy Mentor, and will assist you in contacting a Ministerial Assessment Specialist for the required psychological assessments.

License for Pastoral Ministry

Candidates seeking to serve as Licensed Local Pastors (2004 Discipline, ¶315-319, will continue to work with the District Committee.  Their liaison with the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry shall be the Registrar for Local Pastors.

(Educational requirement:  Under ¶315.2, persons can be licensed after attending an approved Local Pastor Licensing School, or after completing one-third of seminary graduation requirements).

Contact:  Registrar for Local Pastors—Martha (Marty) Connor

Probationary membership

Your district committee will approve you to apply for Probationary Membership at the appropriate point in your education and professional development.

You will need to make pre-application to the Registrar for Pre-Probationers by the stated deadline (Oct. 1, and submit all materials by the winter deadline, typically, Feb. 1.

Contact:  Current Registrar for Pre-Probationers—Richard Weihing

The Registrar will instruct you as to required materials and deadlines.
Your most recent Psychological Assessment must be less than five years old.

  • At your interview (usually held in early Spring), you may be:
    approved for Probationary Membership

Or: 

  • if denied Probationary Membership, you may be continued as a candidate and encouraged to come back in a subsequent year after pursuing recommended action or learning.

Following interviews, the Board will send you a letter with responses to your interview and any recommendations.

As a Probationary Member, you will:

  • Serve full-time for a minimum of three years
  • Work one-on-one with a mentor
  • Participate in group mentoring
  • Arrange for, and participate in, a Volunteer in Mission experience.

Applying for Full membership and Ordination

After serving full-time as a probationary member/commissioned minister for three years or more, you may apply for:

Full membership and Ordination as an Elder or Deacon

Pre-application is made to the Registrar for Probationers by the fall deadline, Oct. 1.  Typically, the deadline for all materials to be submitted to the Registrar is Feb. 1.

Contact: Current Registrar—Phil Richards

Beginning with those who seek ordination as Elder and Full Membership in 2008, the Troy Conference Board of Ordained Ministry requires a follow-up psychological assessment (less than three years old) as a necessary step in the evaluation process.

Contact:  Board Liaison for Psychological Assessment—Clark Callender

Probationary members who apply for full membership will be interviewed in the spring of the year, and may be:

  • approved for ordination at the upcoming Annual Conference;
  • not approved for ordination, but asked to work on recommended areas before coming to another year’s round of interviews.
  • In some cases, a Probationary Member may be discontinued from Probationary Membership, and from the ordination process, after multiple applications and interviews, at the discretion and discernment of the Board of Ordained Ministry.