Candidacy

Are You Called to Public Leadership in the Church?

As Lutheran Christians we believe that all the baptized are called to serve God in the church and the world. God blesses each of us with gifts and calls us to serve in a wonderful variety of ways.

Some of the baptized sense that God is calling them to a vocation of public leadership in the church. If you want to explore such a calling, or have sensed a nudging to explore the possibility, we are here to walk with you. First, please contact Jon Olson to schedule a conversation.

Contact Jon

Starting the process

Schedule a Discussion With Your Pastor

Meet with your pastor to express interest in becoming a pastor or deacon. Clarify your intentions, ask questions, and determine how your congregation can offer support.

Prior to the Entrance process, a candidate must show evidence of active membership in an ELCA congregation for a minimum of one year.

Contact the Synod

Contact Pastor Jon Olson, Minister of Vocations.

Pastor Olson will schedule a meeting with you in-person or via zoom to learn more about you and answer any questions you have about the candidacy process.

Email Pastor Jon

Explore Our Seminaries

Applicants are encouraged to begin exploring seminaries as early as possible. The admissions process occurs concurrent with Entrance process, and students must receive a positive Entrance decision prior to being fully admitted to an ELCA seminary. Each seminary offers unique programs to accomodate the needs of its students.

ELCA Seminaries

The Candidacy Process

Entrance

Entrance begins a journey of discernment to explore an individual’s potential for rostered ministry and readiness to start the process of theological study and candidacy in the ELCA. Your Candidacy Committee looks forward to evaluating and supporting you in this final step of the Candidacy journey.

Endorsement

Endorsement encourages and affirms those who clearly demonstrate gifts and qualities for a specific form of ministry in the ELCA, as well as identifies areas for growth and development.

Internship

Supervised internship facilitates the integration of academic study and theological education with the practice of ministry. This learning experience provides candidates with the opportunity to give attention to contextualization, reflection, integration, and evaluation. The internship year must be scheduled through an ELCA seminary in consultation with the Candidacy Committee.

Approval

Approval is a time in the journey when the candidate articulates the call to ministry and demonstrates readiness to assume a leadership role as a rostered minister in the ELCA.

First Call

First call is a churchwide process for approved candidates in which they are assigned to a synod based on ministry needs. They are then available for a Letter of Call for service in the ELCA.