Church Order, the Journey Towards Ordination and the Commissioned Pastor Handbook (Spanish) contain a lot of detailed instructions about the candidacy processes that can be complicated to navigate. The Candidacy Committee has simplified the contents of these documents into process guides with clear step-by-step instructions. We hope these will empower you to make the path clear for your classis and its emerging leaders.
Candidacy Pathways document - Brief, general description of the steps for licensure to exhort, commissioned pastor and minister of the Word ordination.
CMLT Process Guides and Checklists - Outlines just the CMLT responsibilities for each candidacy process for your reference.
Article 23/24 Process Guide and Checklist - Step-by-step instructions for the article 23 or 24 processes for ordaining commissioned pastors.
Process Guide for Classical Licensure to Exhort - This guide was created by Classis Wisconsin and you may find it helpful in your classis as well.
Process Guide for Classical Examination of Commissioned Pastors - This guide was created by Classis Wisconsin and could be helpful for your classis.
- What if We Can’t Find a Pastor? - This is a resource for search committees of vacant churches that you might find useful for reference if you are consulted to advise about a candidate who isn’t actually eligible for call. You can also put them in contact with the Candidacy Director for more guidance.
For more extensive explanations of these processes, read pertinent sections of the Journey Towards Ordination and Commissioned Pastor Handbook, linked above.