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ALABAMA COURSE OF STUDY SCHOOL
The Alabama Course of Study School educates part-time local pastors in The United Methodist Church. The Alabama Course of Study School is sponsored jointly by the North Alabama and the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conferences of the United Methodist Church. The Alabama Course of Study School is an extension of Emory Course of Study School. The General Board of Higher Education & Ministry in Nashville is the governing body for all Course of Study programs.
Click here for more information on Alabama Course of Study.
Click here for more information on Alabama Course of Study.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the District Committee on Ministry (DCOM)?
Every Annual Conference of the UMC has a Board of Ordained Ministry (BOOM) that gives oversight to all official clergy matters in the Annual Conference. The BOOM typically focuses on issues related to ordination. Each District then has its own extension of that group called the DCOM that focuses on clergy who are not ordained and people who are interested in exploring ministry.
Where to start?
If you are sensing a call to ministry in any form, the first thing to do is speak with your pastor. Your pastor will then get you in touch with the District Superintendent (DS) for an initial interview. If there are some complications, you can contact the DS directly. The DS will get you in touch with either the Chair of the DCOM or the District Candidacy Coordinator (DCC) to set up some next steps. This is the Inquirer stage where you will work on discerning your call. Once you have completed some work with the DCC, you will be invited to an Introductory Interview with the DCOM. After completing some more steps (a background check, psychological profile, affirmation from your local church, etc.) you will be invited to another interview with the DCOM to become a Certified Candidate. Each year, you will meet with the DCOM to continue in that status. There are time limits for how long someone can remain in a certain status, but they can typically be extended by the DCOM based on circumstances. Someone can remain a Certified Candidate for 12 years.
Pastoral status: Licensed vs Lay Minister vs Supply
There are several expressions of non-ordained ministry in the UMC. A Supply Pastor is one who is assigned to serve a congregation but in a very limited capacity. Supply pastors are not granted the authority to consecrate the sacraments or perform baptisms. They are also not required to fulfill educational requirements because this status is only meant to be temporary. A Lay Minister has completed certain classes in specific areas of ministry, like speaking and missions, and is recognized by the Annual Conference for doing so. Supply and Lay Ministers do not have to engage in the Candidacy process, but you can serve in these roles while working through Candidacy. Licensed Pastors have completed the work with the DCC and attended Licensing School. Licensing school is a special course, typically offered in February, that prepares someone for full-time or part-time ministry as a pastor. Following licensing school, the pastors are required to complete educational steps called a Course of Study (COS). Full-time pastors have 8 years to complete COS; part-time pastors have 12 years. Alternatively, completing half of seminary classes qualifies someone for a license. As a note, we recommend becoming a Certified Candidate before starting seminary. Each year, a Licensed pastor, like every other person involved in the ministry process, will meet with the DCOM for an interview. For many, especially those who are bi-vocational or who work as part of a church staff, there is no desire or need to pursue ordination because they are granted authority to perform all matters related to ministry. However, this only applies to the place they are appointed to serve. To have universal authority to perform all matters related to ministry, one must pursue ordination.
Ordination: Elder vs Deacon
After someone is Licensed, they can pursue ordination. This requires completion of seminary and a series of interviews with the BOOM. The first step in this process after being awarded a License is to let the DCOM Chair know so they can set up a special interview to formally recommend them for an Ordination interview. These interviews with the DCOM take place in the fall. Once a pastor is interviewed by the
Transfers
The progress and status of someone pursuing Candidacy or Licensing is maintained by the BOOM, so someone can change Districts within an Annual Conference without any issues. Transferring from another Annual Conference requires obtaining records from the DCOM and a conversation with the DS where the process was started.
Transfers from other denominations
Pastors from other denominations or affiliated denominations are often frustrated when their status and/or credentials are not officially recognized in the United Methodist Church. As a DCOM, we have no ability to change this.
Steps overseen by the DCOM:
- Inquirer, initial work with the DCC
- Introductory Interview, granted access to the Candidacy process by the DCOM
- Certified Candidate, granted by the DCOM after work with the DCC
- Continuing Candidate, meet annually with DCOM
- Licensing school, approved to attend by the DCOM
- Alternatively, completed 1/2 seminary required courses, including the United Methodist specific courses
- Licensed Local Pastor in COS or in seminary
- Licensed Local Pastor, completed COS or seminary
- A person’s path may end here.
- Application for Provisional status toward Ordination, approved by the DCOM after completion of seminary to meet with the BOOM
Free access to the Book of Discipline: https://www.cokesbury.com/book-of-discipline-book-of-resolutions-free-versions
Answers to most questions can be found here. Paragraph 310 (page 229) begins the section on Licensed and Ordained ministry.
Every Annual Conference of the UMC has a Board of Ordained Ministry (BOOM) that gives oversight to all official clergy matters in the Annual Conference. The BOOM typically focuses on issues related to ordination. Each District then has its own extension of that group called the DCOM that focuses on clergy who are not ordained and people who are interested in exploring ministry.
Where to start?
If you are sensing a call to ministry in any form, the first thing to do is speak with your pastor. Your pastor will then get you in touch with the District Superintendent (DS) for an initial interview. If there are some complications, you can contact the DS directly. The DS will get you in touch with either the Chair of the DCOM or the District Candidacy Coordinator (DCC) to set up some next steps. This is the Inquirer stage where you will work on discerning your call. Once you have completed some work with the DCC, you will be invited to an Introductory Interview with the DCOM. After completing some more steps (a background check, psychological profile, affirmation from your local church, etc.) you will be invited to another interview with the DCOM to become a Certified Candidate. Each year, you will meet with the DCOM to continue in that status. There are time limits for how long someone can remain in a certain status, but they can typically be extended by the DCOM based on circumstances. Someone can remain a Certified Candidate for 12 years.
Pastoral status: Licensed vs Lay Minister vs Supply
There are several expressions of non-ordained ministry in the UMC. A Supply Pastor is one who is assigned to serve a congregation but in a very limited capacity. Supply pastors are not granted the authority to consecrate the sacraments or perform baptisms. They are also not required to fulfill educational requirements because this status is only meant to be temporary. A Lay Minister has completed certain classes in specific areas of ministry, like speaking and missions, and is recognized by the Annual Conference for doing so. Supply and Lay Ministers do not have to engage in the Candidacy process, but you can serve in these roles while working through Candidacy. Licensed Pastors have completed the work with the DCC and attended Licensing School. Licensing school is a special course, typically offered in February, that prepares someone for full-time or part-time ministry as a pastor. Following licensing school, the pastors are required to complete educational steps called a Course of Study (COS). Full-time pastors have 8 years to complete COS; part-time pastors have 12 years. Alternatively, completing half of seminary classes qualifies someone for a license. As a note, we recommend becoming a Certified Candidate before starting seminary. Each year, a Licensed pastor, like every other person involved in the ministry process, will meet with the DCOM for an interview. For many, especially those who are bi-vocational or who work as part of a church staff, there is no desire or need to pursue ordination because they are granted authority to perform all matters related to ministry. However, this only applies to the place they are appointed to serve. To have universal authority to perform all matters related to ministry, one must pursue ordination.
Ordination: Elder vs Deacon
After someone is Licensed, they can pursue ordination. This requires completion of seminary and a series of interviews with the BOOM. The first step in this process after being awarded a License is to let the DCOM Chair know so they can set up a special interview to formally recommend them for an Ordination interview. These interviews with the DCOM take place in the fall. Once a pastor is interviewed by the
Transfers
The progress and status of someone pursuing Candidacy or Licensing is maintained by the BOOM, so someone can change Districts within an Annual Conference without any issues. Transferring from another Annual Conference requires obtaining records from the DCOM and a conversation with the DS where the process was started.
Transfers from other denominations
Pastors from other denominations or affiliated denominations are often frustrated when their status and/or credentials are not officially recognized in the United Methodist Church. As a DCOM, we have no ability to change this.
Steps overseen by the DCOM:
- Inquirer, initial work with the DCC
- Introductory Interview, granted access to the Candidacy process by the DCOM
- Certified Candidate, granted by the DCOM after work with the DCC
- Continuing Candidate, meet annually with DCOM
- Licensing school, approved to attend by the DCOM
- Alternatively, completed 1/2 seminary required courses, including the United Methodist specific courses
- Licensed Local Pastor in COS or in seminary
- Licensed Local Pastor, completed COS or seminary
- A person’s path may end here.
- Application for Provisional status toward Ordination, approved by the DCOM after completion of seminary to meet with the BOOM
Free access to the Book of Discipline: https://www.cokesbury.com/book-of-discipline-book-of-resolutions-free-versions
Answers to most questions can be found here. Paragraph 310 (page 229) begins the section on Licensed and Ordained ministry.
committee members
Tim Tatum
Co-Chair [email protected] Alex Beaube Co-Chair [email protected] Dale Capron Candidacy Coordinator [email protected] |
LINDY SMITH
BETTY ZOLLER WHITNEY O'NEAL ROD STALLWORTH TIM TATUM AMANDA ROCHELLE BRENDA GREEN GERALDINE WRIGHT JOHNNIE HARGROVE DALE CAPRON BELINDA FREEMAN EARL FREEMAN TIWIRAI KUFARIMAI ALEX BEAUBE DAVID TUBBS STEVE SCREWS |
MIKE BRINKMAN
WAYNE HICKS JOHN MULLANEY MIRIAM SMITH ADLENE KUFARIMAI MICHAEL KATSCHKE SUZANNE KATSCHKE BRYAN SISSON BYRON VANCE EVELYN ROMINE DEAN BOWERS JOHN HARDEMANN DALE COHEN BRITTANY CAMP HOLLY WOODALL |