
Candidacy in the Christian Reformed Church
Ordaining Pastors for the CRCNA
This page is designed to be a guide and reference for all (CTS and EPMC program) participants in the 24-month candidacy process. It describes all the steps of the 2-year process of candidacy. As you progress through these steps, please feel free to connect with the Candidacy Director if you have any questions!
To reach the Candidacy Director, Susan LaClear, email [email protected]
To reach both the Candidacy Director and the Candidacy Administrative Assistant (for document submission) email [email protected].
We encourage CTS students to connect with the Candidacy Director early on in their MDiv program so that they can get an understanding of what’s involved in the 24-month candidacy process and keep candidacy assignments on their radar. We also welcome students to attend candidacy meetings each year to check in and ask questions, and to contact the Candidacy Director individually as needed.
There is a common misconception that CTS students can wait to connect with the Candidacy Director until the fall before they intend to candidate. We don’t recommend that, since there are a few elements of the process that you should be engaged in 2 years prior to your intended candidacy date. Throughout your candidacy journey, we want to get to know you well and to help you feel well-connected to denominational staff and resources as you discern your ministry path in the CRCNA.
Let us know if there are additional ways you would like us to help you connect, and we will be glad to help!
Note: We encourage you to stay in communication with the Vocational Formation Office at CTS, since completion of all your vocational formation assignments (psych eval, internships, etc.) is a prerequisite for candidacy.
Note: You are examined and ordained only once in your lifetime as a CRCNA Minister of the Word (even if you transfer between churches and classes later on in your ministry.)
If you have enrolled in the EPMC program, you have already connected to the candidacy process! Many of the program elements below will be familiar to you, since they are also included in the individualized learning plan that your EPMC Facilitation Team designs for you after your initial interview. But take note of the "Final 6 Months" assignments, since they are not detailed in your learning plan document.
Note: You are examined and ordained only once in your lifetime as a CRCNA Minister of the Word (even if you transfer between churches and classes later on in your ministry.)
Note: If you are scheduling a flight, you should plan to arrive before 5pm on the first day listed and leave after 12pm on the last day listed for each trip.
CTS Connection Trip (trip #1), Aug. 22-25, 2022—Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
CRCNA Connection Trip in the US (trip #2), Oct. 3-6, 2022—CRC Denominational Building/Christian Reformed Conference Grounds.
CRCNA Connection Trip in Canada (trip #2), Oct. 31-Nov. 3. 2022—Burlington Denominational Office/Crieff Hills Retreat Center.