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Declaring my candidacy

Election Night seems as good a night as any to declare my candidacy for ordination in the Presbytery of New York City in the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA). It's not quite official yet. I've cleared two of three hurdles. I've been approved by the session (a group of elders from the local church) and the Committee on Preparation for Ministry (CPM) from the presbytery, but I still need to go before the full presbytery, which I'll do next month. Then I'll need to spend a year as a candidate before being certified ready to receive a call to serve the Church in some capacity somewhere (TBD).

Ordination in the PCUSA is a two-step (and minimum two-year) process. The first year is spent as an inquirer, during which we reflect on whether we think we're actually being called to serve in ordained ministry. If approved by the session, CPM, and presbytery, we then move on to candidacy, which consists of at least a year of trying to discern (in conjunction with the session, CPM, and presbytery) in what capacity we are being called to serve the Church (pastor, educator, chaplain, missionary, etc). At the completion of the candidate stage, we are certified ready to receive a call (assuming we've passed all of the ordination exams--I've passed three, with two more to go in January).

Although I have a year to go before being certified, graduation from seminary is only 6 months away. It's time to start thinking in earnest about life after seminary. It's like being 22 all over again, although this time I can't while away the summer playing basketball.

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