Becoming a Minister.

Minister Roles

Here are the roles you can pursue in ministry:

Elder

An Elder is a person who commits to serving the church as a lay leader, working on church council and in the pastoral care of the worshiping community.

Lay Preacher

A Lay Preacher undertakes training and applies (candidates) to be recognised as a preacher, available to serve in their own congregation and elsewhere upon invitation.

Find out more by visiting the Ministry of Lay Preacher.

Pastor

A Pastor is a lay person employed to work in a Uniting Church congregation, school or agency who is equipped for a particular ministry such as youth worker, or regional pastor of a group of congregations or working as a chaplain.

A pastor is only recognised as such for the duration of their term of employment.

Find out more by visiting the Ministry for Pastor.

Minister of the Word or Deacon

Ministers of the Word or Deacons are both specified ministries recognised as ordained and called to serve the wider church for life.

Ministers of the Word and Deacons are both recognised as those who serve with sacraments (Holy Communion and Baptism) by calling.

Because of the nature of this calling, these ministers are tested and trained over a period of not less than three years.

Ministers of the Word primarily seek to serve in congregations, but many also serve as Chaplains.

Deacons

Deacons primarily seek to work within the community at large. Some are chaplains, others may seek to renew the church by their service in various agencies or via congregations.

Period of Discernment

A Period of Discernment (POD) is a time of not less than a year during which a person commits to engage in seeking the calling of God upon their life by;

• intentional conversations with a mentor,
• potentially enrolling in some theological study
• reflection on their journey.

If you are unsure of future directions in life, a POD may be relevant to you.

This is a gift to the whole of the church, committing to walk with people in their journey with God.

Some in POD will decide to go on to candidate for Minister of the Word or Deacon or as a Lay Preacher.

Training for Minister of the Word (MOW) and Deacon

After completing a POD and with the support of their congregation, a person can apply (candidate) to become a MOW or Deacon.

This sense of vocation will be tested in a series of interviews over a period of some months.

PHASE TWO: INTENSIVE STUDY

Having been tested by the councils of the church, the candidate then undertakes a period of intensive study, phase two.

The study requirements are determined in consultation with the principal of the Perth Theological Hall and will be tailored to the individual depending on their ability, taking into account prior study and their particular gifts for ministry.

For further information on study requirements, visit Ordained Ministry.

FORMATION PROGRAM

Candidates will also undertake a formation program for not less than two years.

Our formation program is developed to work with the strengths of individual candidates and to develop skills for ministry, particularly engaging in developing ways of renewing congregations and engaging in fresh expressions of ministry for the 21st Century.

During the formation process, there are three interviews each year with formation panels who will decide when a candidate is ready for ordination.

Ordination takes place when the candidate has gained a placement as a minister (employment).