Committee on Preparation for Ministry: Steps for Moving from Inquirer to Candidate

1.       After the Inquirer has completed at least one annual consultation and either field education or Clinical Pastoral Education, the Advisory Group may grant permission to begin the process of application to become a Candidate .

2.       Work to be completed by Inquirer:

A.       Complete Form 5A, “Application to be Enrolled as a Candidate,” including the six candidacy statements.  Statement #1 (Statement of Call)will be reproduced for the presbytery packet.  Please use Arial 11 font and number the lines on all statements.

Please read and keep the background information, “Goals and Responsibilities of Candidate” and “Goals and Responsibilities of Committee on Preparation for Ministry for Candidate .”

B.       Order transcripts for any seminary work you have completed since becoming an Inquirer to be sent to the Presbytery office, Attn: CPM.

C.       Have evaluations from completed field education, internships or CPE sent to the Presbytery office, Attn: CPM or, if possible, sent electronically to gsmith@chicagopresbytery.org  

3.       Schedule a time to meet with your Session. 

The Session will need a copy of Form 5A, Application to Be Enrolled as a Candidate”, including the six statements, and “Goals and Responsibilities of Sessions for Candidates”  to review.  If they approve your application for Candidacy,  the clerk of session will sign  Form 5B “Session Recommendation for Candidacy” and the moderator of session will sign Form 5C, “Covenant Agreement and Candidate Release.” You will also sign Form 5C.  These forms will be mailed to the Presbytery office.

Send Form 5A, if possible, electronically with the six statements to the Presbytery office – gsmith@chicagopresbytery.org

When all forms and information have been received in the Presbytery office, you will be scheduled to meet with the Committee on Preparation for Ministry for your candidacy review.  You will first meet with your Advisory Group and, when they approve, you will meet with the CPM.  If approved, the CPM will recommend to the Presbytery that you be examined by the Presbytery on your statement of call for enrollment as a candidate. 

Mail the signed forms 5B and 5C to:

The Presbytery of Chicago
100 S. Morgan Street
Chicago, IL 60607
Attn:  CPM