How Do You Become An Ordained United Methodist Minister?

The path that leads to ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church is cut-and-dry for all who are inclined toward this specific clergy profession. United Methodists carry on that tradition established by founder John Wesley, one of a top-down hierarchical, or episcopal, form of Christian church government by which this denomination's rules and polity are meticulously spelled out. You can find this information in the latest edition of the church's "The Book of Discipline." The specific institutional steps for you to achieve ordination in the United Methodist Church are enumerated below. At a glance, the process may appear to be daunting. But, when all is said and done, you likely will find these institutional "hoops" you have to jump through are the easy part. This article assumes that already you have well started the really hard part--the personal soul-searching, indeed, wrestling with God's will, that led you to seriously contemplate such a vocation. Save from what you may ...  more