Presbyterian Seminary

Acts 4: 31. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Just a quick look at the PCUSA church says maybe, although one is offered I'm not seeing it offhand as an absolute requirement...

Master of Divinity (M.Div.) | Yale Divinity School

Area IV: Ministerial Studies < Yale University


As far as the process of becoming a minister it's this:

• Traditionally, ministry within the Presbyterian Church (USA) is done within a congregational setting. Presbyterian minsters could also serve as hospital, hospice, military, or campus chaplains, as well as domestic or international mission co-workers, church planters, or bi-vocational professionals. The ordination process stems from a calling from God. Anyone that feels such a call should contact their pastor or church board (called a session); one must be a member of the congregation for six months to be considered. If the session confirms the individual call, the presbytery (middle/regional governing body) is notified. The presbytery is the governing body responsible for the ordination process; this is carried out by their Committee for the Preparation for Ministry (CPM). The CPM works with individuals and sessions to assist in meeting the process requirements. There are three stages to the ordination process. Each stage is used to help affirm one’s call to ministry. After the session and the CPM have confirmed the initial call, the individual becomes an inquirer. This step of the process is meant to serve as a time of discernment and prayer; inquirers are interviewed by the CPM, asked to draft a personal statement of faith, and complete their first of five ordination exams. An inquirer could also be asked to draft additional essays, as well as complete psychological and vocational testing. To progress to the next stage, inquirers are examined (questioned) by the members of the presbytery. The presbytery will vote to progress the inquirer to candidate status. As a candidate, one must complete all the academic requirements, complete field education requirements (could include CPE), pass the additional four ordination exams, and draft a statement of faith. Candidates are again examined and voted on by the presbytery before being certified and ready for a call. This is the time when individuals begin job hunting and looking for an ordained call. Only once a church has extended a call (offered a job) and the presbytery has confirmed the call is someone ordained. The entire process often occurs concurrently with a three-year M.Div. course of study; it must take a minimum of two years.

Denominational Programs - Presbyterian Church (USA) | Yale Divinity School

KagomeShuko said:

Do Presbyterian pastors have to take pastoral counseling classes when they are in seminary?

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Every Presbyterian seminary I know of (irrespective of denomination) offers counselling subjects in the standard curriculum for pastors.

Is it possible to go through ordination having somehow skipped such subjects? Quite possibly. Why do you ask?

I know that the primary PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) seminary, Covenant Theological Seminary, has an extensive counseling program. I am not sure if they require students to take pastoral counseling, but I would be willing to bet that they do. I can find out a definite answer for you if you would like. I personally know multiple people who attended Covenant and actually did a focus on counseling alongside their M.Div.