Candidacy (Coming Under Care of a Presbytery)

“A candidate for the ministry is a member of the Church in full communion who, believing himself to be called to preach the Gospel, submits himself to the care and guidance of the Presbytery in his course of study and of practical training to prepare himself for this office.” (BCO 18-1)

Each person desiring to be ordained must come under the care of their respective presbyteries. The presbytery in turn is responsible for encouraging and overseeing the candidate in his preparation for the ministry.

The Process

Each person coming under the care and oversight of the Metro New York Presbytery (MNYP) must comply with the following:

• He must be a member in good standing in a PCA church for a minimum of six months, prior to filing for candidacy status. Ordinarily this church would be one of the churches in MNYP.

• He must meet with the Session from his church regarding his candidacy and receive their official endorsement.

• He must contact the Leadership Development Team (ldt-admin@metropresny.org) to arrange a meeting between the committee and himself.

• He must submit the appropriate paperwork (see below) to the LDT no later than 3 weeks prior to the next committee meeting, or 6 weeks prior to the next presbytery meeting.

• He must meet with the LDT to discuss his candidacy plans, and be examined by the team on his Christian experience and call to ministry. With the LDT’s recommendation, he will then be examined by the presbytery in the same areas.

Necessary Documents

The following documents must be completed and submitted to the LDT no later than 3 weeks prior to the meeting of the committee, or 6 weeks prior to the meeting of the presbytery:

• Application Form (please check the box “candidacy under care”)

• Session Certification

• 5 References (please ask your references to send this form directly to ldt-admin@metropresny.org)

• Copy of undergraduate transcript

• Questionnaire to Candidates’ Wives (if applicable)

Ongoing Oversight

The candidate is expected to submit an Annual Report to the LDT, due September 30 every year.

PLEASE NOTE: Candidates are required to submit regular updates. Failure to do so provides cause for the Presbytery to remove the candidate from care.

Complete an Approved Internship

“The Holy Scriptures require that some trial be previously made of those who are to be ordained to the ministry of the Word, both concerning their gifts and concerning their ability to rule as teaching elders… To provide for such a period of trial, a candidate for ordination must serve an internship. This period of internship shall be at least one year in length, and may be longer at the discretion of the Presbytery so as to give sufficient time for the Presbytery to judge the candidate’s qualifications and service.” (BCO 19-7)

You must complete your internship before being ordained. The internship must occur between the time you go under care and the time of ordination, and it must be approved by both the LDT and the Presbytery. The purpose of this internship is to test the intern’s gifts, to examine his abilities, and to develop his experience for Gospel ministry.

We encourage you to begin your internship as soon as possible. You may begin at the same Presbytery meeting in which you come under care.

The requirements for an internship in the MNYP may be found here:

• Internship Program

The Process

Those seeking an internship in MNYP must comply with the following:

• He must be a candidate under care of MNYP. A person may apply for candidacy and an internship at the same presbytery meeting.

• He must have a position and program in some church or ministry, affording the intern “suitable ministry to test the intern’s gifts” (BCO 19-7). This may necessitate the intern becoming licensed to preach (see below).

• He must have a mentor. This may be a Teaching or Ruling Elder involved in the intern’s ministry (preferably a pastor at the local church being served).

• He must submit the appropriate paperwork (see below) to the LDT no later than 3 weeks prior to the committee meeting, or 6 weeks prior to the presbytery meeting.

• At the end of the internship period, the intern must have his internship approved by the presbytery. If necessary the presbytery may extend the internship period for the benefit and continued growth of the candidate.

Necessary Documents

The following documents must be submitted to the LDT no later than 3 weeks prior to the committee meeting, or 6 weeks prior to the presbytery meeting:

• Internship Proposal Form (due at the start of your internship)

• Internship Checklist (due at the end of your internship)

• Completed Internship Evaluation Form (to be submitted by your mentor at the end of your internship)

Ongoing Oversight

The intern is expected to submit an Annual Report to the LDT, due September 30 every year.

PLEASE NOTE: Candidates and interns are required to submit regular updates. Failure to do so provides cause for the Presbytery to remove the candidate from care and discontinue his internship.

• Receive a B.A. degree or its academic equivalent from a college or university.

• Receive a diploma of Bachelor or Master from some approved theological seminary, or authentic testimonials of having completed a regular course of theological studies, or a certificate of completion of and endorsement from a theological study program as approved by the General Assembly and one of the Presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church in America (BCO 21-4).

• During your academic training, be sure not to neglect the responsibilities mentioned in step 1 above. This is a crucial time to discern the Lord’s work in your life and to seek wisdom regarding your call to the ministry.

PLEASE NOTE: To be ordained in the PCA, the candidate must demonstrate a knowledge of the Greek and Hebrew languages. This requirement can be met either through an oral examination in the original languages, or “a seminary degree which includes study in the original languages in lieu of an oral examination in the original languages” (BCO 21-4c).

Be Licensed to Preach by a PCA Presbytery

“To preserve the purity of the preaching of the Gospel, no man is permitted to preach in the pulpits of the Presbyterian Church in America on a regular basis without proper licensure from the Presbytery having jurisdiction where he will preach.” (BCO 19-1)

Preaching the Word of God is a serious responsibility, and thus the licensure process is a necessary step in maintaining proper oversight over the pulpits and churches in a particular presbytery. Therefore, all those who preach on a regular basis within the boundaries of MNYP must be licensed by MNYP.

Strictly speaking, licensure and ordination are two separate processes. You do not have to be a candidate under care to pursue licensure, nor must all candidates for ordination pursue licensure at some point in the process. But all those who preach regularly in MNYP churches must be licensed.

The Process

Each person seeking licensure in MNYP must comply with the following:

• He must contact the LDT to arrange a meeting between the committee and himself.

• He must submit the appropriate paperwork (see below) to the LDT no later than 3 weeks prior to the committee meeting, or 6 weeks prior to the presbytery meeting.

• He must meet with the LDT to be examined in the areas of Christian Experience and Call to Ministry, English Bible, Theology, and Church Government (BCO 19-2). With the LDT’s recommendation, he will then be examined by the presbytery in the same areas.

• He must preach a sermon at the presbytery meeting, embodying both explanation and application of a passage of Scripture.

• If the presbytery sustains his examination and approves his sermon, he will then be licensed to preach in MNYP.

Necessary Documents

The following documents must be completed and submitted to the LDT no later than 3 weeks prior to the committee meeting, or 6 weeks prior to the presbytery meeting:

• Application Form

• Theology Statement

• Written exam on: English Bible, Theology, Church Government (to be provided by the LDT)

• Sermon manuscript

PLEASE NOTE: Licensure will expire at the end of four years. The licentiate must apply for renewal prior to expiration.

Ongoing Oversight

The licentiate is expected to submit an Annual Report to the LDT, due September 30 every year.

PLEASE NOTE: The individual’s licensure is contingent upon regular reporting, and failure to do so provides cause for the Presbytery to withdraw the license.

In order to be ordained in the PCA, you must have a call to a specific ministry of a congregation, presbytery, or the General Assembly.

You should not move to the field on which you hope to serve until after the presbytery has approved the call and given you permission to move to the field.

After you have received a definite call, you should contact the LDT and express your desire to be ordained at the next presbytery meeting.

Be Ordained in a PCA Presbytery

“Ordination is the authoritative admission of one duly called to an office in the Church of God” (BCO 17-2).

Ordination is the final step in becoming a Teaching Elder (Pastor) in the MNYP and in the PCA.

The Process

Each person seeking ordination must comply with the following:

• He must be a candidate under care of MNYP.

• He must have completed his internship.

• He must have a bachelor’s degree and a seminary education (or its approved equivalent).

• He must have an official call to a particular church or ministry.

• He must contact the LDT to arrange a meeting between the committee and himself.

• He must read the Position Papers of the MNYP

• He must submit the appropriate paperwork (see below) to the LDT no later than 3 weeks prior to the committee meeting, or 6 weeks prior to the presbytery meeting.

• He must meet with the LDT and be examined by the committee in the following areas: Christian Experience and Call to Ministry, English Bible, Theology, Sacraments, Church History, and Church Government (BCO 21-4c). With the LDT’s recommendation, he will then be examined by the presbytery in the same areas.

• PLEASE NOTE: If the candidate does not have a seminary degree which includes study in the original languages, he will also be examined in his knowledge of the Greek and Hebrew languages.

• He must preach a sermon at the presbytery meeting, embodying both explanation and application of a passage of Scripture.

• If the presbytery sustains his examination, the candidate will then be ordained and installed by a commission of presbytery.

PLEASE NOTE: Ordinarily a candidate or licentiate may not move onto the field to which he has been called, prior to his examination for licensure or ordination. Likewise a PCA ordained minister, or a minister from another denomination, ordinarily shall not move onto the field to which he has been called until examined and received by MNYP (BCO 21-1).

Necessary Documents

The following documents must be submitted to the LDT no later than 3 weeks prior to the committee meeting, or 6 weeks prior to the presbytery meeting:

• Application Form (by this time, we should already have this, but we may ask for it again if significant time has elapsed since the candidate came under care)

• Questionnaire to Candidates’ Wives (if applicable)

• Theology Statement

• Copy of seminary transcript

• Written exam on: English Bible, Theology, Sacraments, Church History, Church Government (to be provided by the LDT)

• Exegetical paper requiring the use of the original languages

• Theological paper

• Sermon manuscript

• Written terms of call to a particular work, properly attested and signed (BCO 20-1, 20-6 through 20-8)

PLEASE NOTE: Some of these documents and examinations may have been completed in earlier steps of the ordination process (such as in candidacy or licensure). Each candidate should consult with the LDT regarding the specific documents and areas of examination still required to complete the ordination process.

The requirements for specific transfers are listed below. In every case, the person seeking to transfer into the MNYP must do the following:

• He must contact the LDT to arrange a meeting between the committee and himself.

• He must submit the Application Form (and all other appropriate paperwork) to the LDT no later than 3 weeks prior to the committee meeting, or 6 weeks prior to the presbytery meeting.

• He must meet with the LDT to be examined by the committee. With the LDT’s recommendation, he will then meet with the presbytery to have his particular transfer approved.

Candidates

A candidate from another presbytery in the PCA may, for various reasons and upon the approval of that presbytery, request to come under the care of MNYP. The candidate must present a letter of dismissal from that presbytery to MNYP.

An applicant from another denomination must follow the steps outlined above for coming under care.

Interns

If during the course of an internship, the intern should move from his presbytery into the boundaries of MNYP, the presbytery may, at its discretion, take up the internship at the point at which it was left, and conduct it to a conclusion (BCO 19-11). The intern must submit proper testimonials from the former presbytery to MNYP, and fulfill the requirements for an internship with MNYP as outlined above.

Licentiates

Licensure is not transferable from presbytery to presbytery. Each presbytery is responsible for licensing those who preach within its own boundaries. Thus any who desire to be licensed in MNYP must fulfill the requirements for licensure.

PCA Ordained Ministers

A PCA ordained minister must submit the following to transfer his membership to MNYP:

• Application Form

• Theology Statement

• 5 References (please ask your references to send this form directly to the LDT)

• Questionnaire to Candidates’ Wives (if applicable)

• Letter from the Stated Clerk of his current presbytery attesting that he is a member in good standing

• Written call to a particular work, properly attested and signed (BCO 20-1, 20-6 through 20-8)

He must be examined by the LDT and the presbytery on his Christian experience and call to ministry, and also touching his views in theology, the sacraments, and church government (BCO 13-6).

Ordained Ministers from Other Denominations

A non-PCA ordained minister seeking to transfer his membership into MNYP must follow the steps outlined above for candidates pursuing ordination (BCO 13-6, 21-4). In most cases, due to his ministry experience, an internship will not be necessary.