Eastern North Dakota Synod

Discipleship

Candidacy

Candidacy is the churchwide process of discernment, preparation and formation leading to rostered ministry. It is a partnership that engages candidate, congregation, synod, seminary, and the Vocation and Education unit of the ELCA in guidance, evaluation, theological education and practical preparation. All potential candidates are strongly encouraged to begin the candidacy process one full year prior to beginning theological education. An applicant must be an active member of an ELCA congregation for a minimum of one year prior to registration.

The EaND Synod is committed to building a strong relationship with each individual who enters the candidacy process. When an individual is entranced into candidacy, he or she is assigned a liaison from the Candidacy Committee who stays in contact with that candidate throughout their entire time in the process (typically four to six years). The committee also meets formally with the candidate at other times throughout the process to honestly evaluate their progress toward successful completion of the candidacy requirements. The final step of candidacy is an approval interview with the Candidacy Committee, after which the individual is open to being —called to serve God’s people through the ELCA.

Learn more:

Discerning Your Call to the Ministry

There are many needs to fill as we carry out our mission to share God’s boundless love with the world. Ordained Pastors, Associates in Ministry (AIMs), Diaconal Ministers, and Deaconesses are all rostered leaders that have been called to serve in the ELCA to carry out the ministry of the church in different ways.

So how do you know if you should become a leader in the ELCA?
If you haven’t already done so, you might begin with a conversation with your pastor. Your congregation and pastor will be important partners in your candidacy process, so you’ll want to bring them into the conversation as soon as you’re ready. The synod staff can also help orient you to the candidacy process, answer your questions and let you know of upcoming meeting dates for the synod’s Candidacy Committee.

The Candidacy Process

After meeting with your pastor and the synod staff, you can begin the application process to Candidacy. This initial candidacy packet (download .pdf file) will help orientate you to the application as well as the rest of the process.

Initial Steps:

Application for entrance
Congregational registration and support forms

When we have received your application, the next steps are:
Arrange for an initial interview with a member of our Candidacy Committee
Complete a psychological evaluations and career consolation (You do not pay a fee at the time of the assessment; the EaND Synod Office will be billed)
Complete background check
Upon completion of the candidacy application process, you will be invited to meet with the Candidacy Committee at their next meeting for an entrance interview and decision

Please call with any questions you may have as you begin this process. Please know that members of the Candidacy Committee pray regularly for our candidates and the process of discernment that we enter together as partners in the church. May God continue to bless you on this journey of faith.

Contact

If you are considering a call to ministry, contact us for more information and guidance.
Download: Initial steps for Candidacy (download .pdf file)

Rev. Kari Bahe
Associate with the Bishop
kari@eandsynod.org

Kristi Morsch
Support Staff for Candidacy
kristi@eandsynod.org

EaND Candidacy Committee

The Eastern North Dakota Synod’s Candidacy Committee is composed of representatives from all eight conferences in the synod, approximately half lay and half clergy. We also are supported by a representative from Luther Seminary and a Region 3 representative from churchwide. We meet as a committee at least three times a year as well as travel to Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota (and occasionally other seminaries) once a year. It is important for us to stay in contact with those who are in the candidacy process and the Candidacy Committee takes this responsibility seriously.
Contact the Candidacy Committee...

Candidacy Resources

What Shall I Say? Discerning God’s Call to Ministry invites you into a process to discover your gifts and to discern the ministry to which God calls you.