Click here  for a glossary of commonly-used terms in the United Methodist Church in general and the ordination process specifically.

Click here for a step-by-step detailing of the Candidacy process (GBHEM).

Click here for the folder with all resource forms – unfiltered.

Phase 0: Local Church/Ministry Process Resources

The following is provided to support the discernment work of the local church with potential candidates for ministry.

• Beginning Candidacy 
• Form 104
• The Ordination Process

Phase 1: District Committee on Ordained Ministry (dCOM) Process Resources

The following is provided to support the work of the dCOM and candidates as they navigate the process of candidate certification.

• Certified Candidate Checklists
  • Deacon
  • Elder
  • Licensed Local Pastor
  • Certified Lay Minister
• Mentor’s Report
• Form 102 – Biographical Information
• Form 103 – Medical Report
• Form 104 – Declaration of Candidacy
• Form 114 – Candidate’s Disclosure
• Candidacy Mentor’s Report II | Certified Candidates
• Guidelines for Accepting Certified Candidate Transfers from another District/Conference
• Core Essentials for Excellence
• Please contact the District Service Center to get a National Background Check.
• Please contact the Board of Ordained Ministry Administrator to request a Psychological Evaluation.
• Form 105 – Application for Clergy Relationship

Phase 2: Apply for Provisional Membership

The United Methodist Church requires a provisional period of a minimum of two years. This process may begin when half the education requirements have been met, but must include at least two years following the completion of a seminary degree. Certified candidates who meet these requirements, have clarity about the setting to which they feel called, and have been recommended by their District Committee to pursue provisional membership will submit materials in December and attend commissioning interviews in January, when they will meet with members of the Board who have reviewed the materials they have submitted. Please contact the Board of Ordained Ministry Administrator (Stephanie Franklin) if you have questions.

Deadline – Saturday, December 1, 2024

All materials can be attached in an email to candidates@pnwumc.org or postmarked by December 1st, 2024. If mailing, please send to:

• Form 102 – Biographical Information Form
• Form 103 – Medical Report of Ministerial Candidate
  • We ask that candidates arrange for a physical exam and provide a satisfactory certificate of good health on Form 103. This is at your own expense. PLEASE NOTE: The committee simply needs to know that you are in good health and that your doctor will state that you are physically able to perform the expectations of the job. ANY tests and/or lab work you have performed are at the discretion of your doctor for your own benefit. We do not need results of lab work. You do not need to have the whole form filled out. The first two pages of the form, which include a doctor’s signature on the form and a note saying you are in satisfactory good health, will suffice.
• Form 105 – Application for Clergy Relationship
• Form 114 – Candidate’s Disclosure Form
  • These must be notarized and mailed, so please plan accordingly.
• Official Transcripts: Transcripts must be official. They may be sent directly from the candidate (and not from the university) and do not need to be sealed.
• Personal References List
• Letters of Reference
• Book of Discipline (2016) ¶324 Responses
• Biographical Essay (500 words maximum): Submit an essay about your family and formative Christian experiences, telling of your journey and growth in faith as it relates to your call to ministry and your plans for service in the church. If you have not completed your educational requirements, please include your plan to complete them. (This meets requirements of ¶324.13, Book of Discipline (2016).)
• Case Study (1-2 pages single-spaced: see here for some guidelines
• CPE Reflection and Evaluation (if applicable): If you have participated in a clinical pastoral education/hospital ministry experience, submit a one-page reflection on that experience. If you receive an evaluation, please include that, as well.
• Plan for preparation (500 words maximum): Include a letter describing how, during your provisional period, you plan to prepare yourself for Full Membership in the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference. Describe how you will engage in ministries of: Word, Service, Compassion, and Justice for the Deacon; or Word, Service, Sacrament, and Order for the Elder.
• Exegesis Paper and Sermon Guidelines
• Service Setting Requirement (500 words maximum): Describe the service setting(s) in which you have been placed for the last two years. Include the general demographics of the surrounding community and setting; if this is a church, describe the personality of the congregation and in what sort of ministries it is involved, as well as your role there. Describe something that you have found quite challenging in this setting as well as something you consider a great success.

Please contact the Board of Ordained Ministry Administrator (Stephanie Franklin) get a National Background Check.

Please print the following version of this checklist for mailing instructions and be sure to print and include a copy with your submissions.

• Provisional Membership Committee Checklist

Candidates who are asked to return to Phase 2 will receive an individual checklist of items to submit.

The Board has provided a few ‘helpful hints for candidates preparing their written work.

• Helpful Hints for Provisional Committee Written Work

Phase 3: Provisional Membership

After successfully completing the requirements of Phase 2, candidates will be commissioned as provisional members of the conference. The following resources are for provisional members. Please contact the Board of Ordained Ministry Administrator (Stephanie Franklin) if you have any questions.

Deacon Candidates

For candidates on the deacon track, all documents needed for Phase 3 are linked on the below checklist. Please submit all materials electronically to candidates@pnwumc.org by December 1, 2024. 

• Phase 3 Checklist – Deacons

Elder Candidates

For candidates on the elder track, all documents needed for Phase 3 are linked on the below checklist. Please submit all materials electronically to candidates@pnwumc.org by December 1, 2024. 

• Phase 3 Checklist – Elders

Phase 4: Applying for Full Membership

After successfully completing the requirements of Phase 3, candidates will be invited to apply for full membership of the Annual Conference. The following resources are for those applying for full membership. Please contact the Board of Ordained Ministry Administrator (Stephanie Franklin) if you have any questions.

Deacon Candidates

For candidates on the deacon track, all documents needed for Phase 4 are linked on the below checklist. Please submit all materials electronically to candidates@pnwumc.org by December 1, 2024. 

• Phase 4 Checklist – Deacons

Elder Candidates

For candidates on the elder track, all documents needed for Phase 4 are linked on the below checklist. Please submit all materials electronically to candidates@pnwumc.org by December 1, 2024. 

• Phase 4 Checklist – Elders