How does a person become a Presbyterian minister?

​

To become a pastor in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), one must first sense God’s calling to serve and love the Church and then come under care and supervision of the session of the church of which one is a member, as well as the local presbytery.

​

In order to be ordained as a Presbyterian minister, one must have an undergraduate degree and Master of Divinity degree from a theological seminary.

​

Following 3 years of seminary education, one must pass ordination exams that demonstrate competence in the fields of theology, Bible, church polity, and worship and Sacraments, and receive other training through church internships and hospital chaplaincies. Only a presbytery may ordain a minister, not a congregation. A congregation calls (chooses) a pastor, but it is the presbytery that ordains and installs the minister.

​

If you’re interested in beginning the process by becoming an Inquirer (the yearlong first step in the process), contact your pastor or Mary Currie mcurrie@pbyofnewcovenant.org, Coordinator for Committee on Ministry and Committee on Preparation for Ministry, at the Presbytery Center.