Torn between going the Local Licensed Route or Ordained Route

[Rawtheran]

How is everyone doing? When I was 17 in Basic Training I felt the call of God on my life to become a Pastor and for several years I've been praying about it. Two years ago I started attending a United Methodist Church, and they have been very supportive of my call in fact I'm currently mentoring with one of the Deacons in my church, and I plan on beginning the Candidacy process next year. Right now I'm a Sophomore in College and I'm torn between the Ordination route or the Licensed route because both seem like good avenues for my call. The truth is I'm kind of leaning towards a Local License because I don't really see the need to rack up a bunch of debt from seminary, and I also don't see why its necessary to pay lots of money just for a certificate, and a "Guaranteed" position within the church. At the sometime being a Licensed Local Pastor while it only requires a Bachelor's degree, and completion of the Course of Study can be limiting because you can only preach, and teach within the confines of your church, and in order to become an Associate member of the Conference you have to wait until your age 40(Although I understand that this might change at this years General Conference). So those of you who have experience in the Licensed routes and Ordained routes, or who know people who have gone through this what would your recommendation be to an aspiring 20 year old who is considering a career in Ministry?

 

[GraceSeeker]

For a 20-year old who is called into the ministry, seminary is the route I would recommend. And we need lots of seminary trained young people. The Course of Study program is designed for folks who are significantly older than you. The role of a licensed local pastor isn't something that is meant to be a permanent fix for either the pastor or the church -- in some annual conferences I am aware that it becomes so long term that it may appear otherwise, but that isn't what it was designed for. It tends to work that way for lay persons who end up helping to cover for churches that we can't find enough seminary-trained or COS-trained pastors to provide for the needs of the denomination, but that isn't the plan.

If that is all you are interested in, then realize that you're basically going to have to look at pastoring as a second or part-time job as generally it is only our smallest congregations that receive the LLP and they rarely have the ability to provide for their pastor.

However, I don't believe that not being ordained an elder is really all that limiting. We really have no business leaving our congregations to perform sacramental duties where other pastors are already serving. And nothing prevents you from providing counseling or preaching where ever it is that you're asked to. You may not be able to go as an evangelist and do a baptism of the person who responds to your altar call, but if an evangelist did that with one of my congregation's people that I was going to be pastoring after they were gone, I would still be upset whether he was an ordained elder or not. Hence, the good evangelists let the local pastor lead those services anyway.

 

[dayhiker]

I went to Bible college later in my 20's. The things I liked about doing that was that I had matured and had some experience and knowledge that helped me evaluate the ideas that was talked about much better than if I was right out of high school. You would be in the same place as I was with your bachelor's degree. But some work
and local church service would give you a broader perspective on the church if you went to seminary later.

 

[circuitrider]

How is everyone doing? When I was 17 in Basic Training I felt the call of God on my life to become a Pastor and for several years I've been praying about it. Two years ago I started attending a United Methodist Church, and they have been very supportive of my call in fact I'm currently mentoring with one of the Deacons in my church, and I plan on beginning the Candidacy process next year. Right now I'm a Sophomore in College and I'm torn between the Ordination route or the Licensed route because both seem like good avenues for my call. The truth is I'm kind of leaning towards a Local License because I don't really see the need to rack up a bunch of debt from seminary, and I also don't see why its necessary to pay lots of money just for a certificate, and a "Guaranteed" position within the church.

I am concerned that you seem to believe that seminary is just paying a bunch of money for guaranteed appointment, etc. You really seem to be discounting the training and educational value of seminary.

While seminary isn't for everyone and being a LLP is a very important role in the church, a seminary education can be invaluable to your knowledge, training and maturity as a pastor.

I'd not want a surgeon to operate on me who wanted to rush straight into surgery rather than going to medical school. Frankly pastoring is harder in many ways than surgery.

I believe a call to pastor also includes a call to prepare and train to pastor. For some situations LLP training may be all you need. But you may also limit your knowledge and training for ministry roles you've never thought about that you may want to accomplish later.

I personally don't think the UMC should be allowing the LLP program to be used to allow people to take a short cut to pastoral ministry who otherwise would normally go through the ordination track. It has its place for a number of situations in the Church. But skipping out on being prepared shouldn't be one of them.

 

[RomansFiveEight]

Worth noting that there are actually a couple of other options. You can do Course of Study and Advanced Course of Study, and then complete a handful of Seminary courses and then become Ordained. It's pretty universally understood though that Seminary will be a far easier route than that (and MUCH shorter).

Also, look into what your conference offers you; you might be able to get quite a lot of scholarship opportunities. There are local churches all over that provide scholarships. I know many Pastors who left Seminary debt free. Either way; it's not just about "that piece of paper". You'll learn invaluable skills. However, as someone who has actually attended COS classes; I can tell you that they provide excellent knowledge and training as well. I would echo the suggestion for the seminary route for you though.

 

[Maid Marie]

Worth noting that there are actually a couple of other options. You can do Course of Study and Advanced Course of Study, and then complete a handful of Seminary courses and then become Ordained. It's pretty universally understood though that Seminary will be a far easier route than that (and MUCH shorter).

Also, look into what your conference offers you; you might be able to get quite a lot of scholarship opportunities. There are local churches all over that provide scholarships. I know many Pastors who left Seminary debt free. Either way; it's not just about "that piece of paper". You'll learn invaluable skills. However, as someone who has actually attended COS classes; I can tell you that they provide excellent knowledge and training as well. I would echo the suggestion for the seminary route for you though.

Yes, check into what your local conference offers. For example, the Susquehanna Conference will pay for one's seminary completely so that there is no debt.

 

[circuitrider]

Yes, check into what your local conference offers. For example, the Susquehanna Conference will pay for one's seminary completely so that there is no debt.

The Iowa Annual Conference Methodist Foundation is offering low interest loans to help pastors pay off seminary debt.

 

[Dave-W]

the Susquehanna Conference will pay for one's seminary completely so that there is no debt.

The Iowa Annual Conference Methodist Foundation is offering low interest loans to help pastors pay off seminary debt.

That is wonderful. I wish that was available in Messianic circles. I have been (strongly) encouraged by some of the international leaders of the movement to take coursework leading to a Rabbinic ordination. There is a huge lack of ordained leadership and part of the reason is the cost. That, and the very difficult coursework.

 

[circuitrider]

That is wonderful. I wish that was available in Messianic circles. I have been (strongly) encouraged by some of the international leaders of the movement to take coursework leading to a Rabbinic ordination. There is a huge lack of ordained leadership and part of the reason is the cost. That, and the very difficult coursework.

Being very short on ordained clergy is encouraging the UMC to find additional ways to help clergy with their education and training. The cost of seminary has become very high.

 

[Dave-W]

The cost of seminary has become very high.

Indeed!

At least in the Methodist camp there are a few choices. Not so in the Messianic world. While some groups have their own training facilities, they are more like bible school than a true seminary. And MJ seminaries want to be as close to both high end Christian seminaries and Rabbinic seminaries as possible to be able to convey a Rabbinic ordination. That requires fluency in both Biblical Hebrew and Talmudic Aramaic.

 

[circuitrider]

Sounds like hardk work for sure! I had both Hebrew and Koine Greek in college and seminary. I'm no where near fluent in either. But they were both a big help in doing Biblical interpretation.

 

[Maid Marie]

That is wonderful. I wish that was available in Messianic circles.

And Nazarene circles.

 

[High Fidelity]

Personally I'd try and move away from what seems like only negative connotations around seminary. Yes, it can be expensive, but the training you'll learn there is, well, necessary.

I very much doubt many men, especially young men, are even close to adequately equipped for Pastoral ministry without the structured and academic training behind them.

You'll be leading a flock. You'll be responsible for their spiritual well-being. They'll come to you with incredibly difficult answers of theological, philosophical, historical, apologetics, moral and a host of other questions that you'll be expected to not just answer, but answer sufficiently and accurately. Granted, no one can know everything, but seminary is, in my opinion, a necessity for anyone assuming a role as critically important and potentially detrimental to the spiritual well-being of others.

I mean, that or you're another Charles Spurgeon, in which case go right ahead

 

[Rawtheran]

Thank you to all who replied to this thread each of your answers were filled with much wisdom, and truth. After careful prayer and thought I've decided to attend Seminary after completion of my Bachelor's degree

 

[circuitrider]

Thank you to all who replied to this thread each of your answers were filled with much wisdom, and truth. After careful prayer and thought I've decided to attend Seminary after completion of my Bachelor's degree

Wonderful! I hope you are in contact with the District Superintendent in your area and the District Committee on Ministry. If not, talk to your pastor about making those contacts and she/he will help you do so. It makes your process go smoother if the committee is aware that you are desiring to enter ministry and want to enter the candidacy process. This is particularly important before entering seminary.

Blessings,