The Committee on Preparation for Ministry provides care and oversight for all Inquirers, Candidates, and potential Commissioned Ruling Elders for the ministry under the care of the Presbytery. (G-2.06)
Beginning the Process
This ordination process is for anyone who perceives themself to have been called by God into ordained ministry in the PC(USA) and wants to formally pursue this sense of call in partnership with the Presbytery of Long Island. The first thing to do is to ensure that you are a member of a congregation in the presbytery and to be active in the work and worship of that congregation for at least six months (G-2.0602).
Required Steps
- Your first step is to meet with your pastor, describing your sense of call and your plans. Your pastor and session will contact CPM if necessary to ensure they understand the process you are undertaking and their role in supporting you.
- Ask your pastor to put you on the agenda for a Session meeting. At that meeting, provide a copy of Form 1D, “Session Evaluation and Recommendation,” for each member of Session. Describe your sense of call to Session and answer their questions. Make sure the pastor and clerk know that the Session shall take formal action to endorse you. After the meeting, the clerk should complete form 1D and send it directly to the CPM chair of the Presbytery of Long Island (it should not be sent through you). The session should also appoint a liaison to work with you and the CPM as its representative and communicate the name of the liaison to the CPM chair.
- Contact the CPM chair to be placed on the docket for an upcoming meeting. (Presbytery 631-499-7171)
- Have copies of transcripts and diplomas from all college and graduate school work sent to the Presbytery office at adminassociate@presbyteryofli.org.
- Complete and submit the following forms to the Presbytery office at least two weeks prior to your scheduled meeting.
- Form 1A, “Application to be enrolled by Presbytery as an Inquirer”
- Form 1B, “Questions for Reflection”
- Form 1C, “Financial Planning for Theological Education” At CPM’s discretion you may be asked to fill this form out again when you go to seminary, especially if there is a gap of time between initial completion of the form and seminary.
- Meet with CPM, which will review your background information as reflected on all submitted forms. The CPM will also discuss with you your journey of faith, your exploration, and testing of your perceived call to ministry, as well as your educational plans for seminary (which shall be approved by CPM). A CPM liaison will be assigned to you at this meeting. Finally, the CPM will work with you to complete the following forms:
- Form 2A, “Report of Consultation Regarding Application,” which records the growth objectives agreed to by you and the committee. Once this report is completed by CPM, copies will be sent to you, your seminary, and your sponsoring session.
- Form 2B, “Covenant Agreement and Inquirer Release,” which sets in motion an understanding that permits CPM to secure information necessary to make responsible decisions and recommendations.
- At the conclusion of your meeting with CPM, you will be invited to leave the room while the committee considers your application and votes whether to take you under care as an Inquirer. If approved, your one-year minimum in the Inquirer Phase begins on that date. The CPM will then present your name to the presbytery to be enrolled as an Inquirer at the next presbytery meeting. In preparation for that meeting, the applicant shall prepare, in writing for inclusion in the Presbytery Pack, a brief paragraph of biographical information that might include schooling, church relationship, volunteer work or employment, family, children, interests, etc. The CPM encourages the applicant to be present at this presbytery meeting so that they may be introduced to the presbytery. No examination will take place at that meeting.