Ordination Examinations

Pergamum · #1 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 04:06 PM

On another thread Dennis McFadden stated that he had examined over 500 candidates for ordination.

WOW!

I would love to hear about what are some of the questions you all had to answer for your ordination.

And also, for those who also have examined others, what are you looking for, and what are the biggest weaknesses that you see all too often.

What were some of the weirdest answers, and what examinations particularly stand out in your mind?

Poimen · #2 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 04:27 PM

There were too many questions in my various exams to list here but to give you an idea of what our URC federation requires of candidates read the following:

Quote:

a. The prospective candidate must submit three written sermons for evaluation. Two of these must be on an assigned Old Testament text and an assigned New Testament text. The third sermon must be a catechism sermon on a Lord's Day or question and answer of his choosing. One of these sermons must be preached in a public worship service.

b. The two areas to be covered in this exam are (1) biblical and confessional commitment, and (2) ministerial competence. The former regards the prospective candidate's knowledge of and loyalty to Scripture and the Confessions; the latter investigates his theological and ministerial knowledge and ability. This exam should, therefore, investigate the following specific areas:

(1) Practica: the prospective candidate's personal and spiritual life, his relationship with the Lord, his growth in faith, his background and preparation for ministry, his understanding of ministerial office and his motives for seeking entrance thereto, liturgics, homiletics, pastoral care, evangelism and church polity.

(2) Bible knowledge: the prospective candidate's doctrine of Scripture, canonicity, hermeneutics, etc., and familiarity with the contents of the various books of the Bible.

(3) Biblical exegesis: an Old Testament and a New Testament passage should be assigned to the prospective candidate at least three week in advance (one of them in connection with one of his assigned sermons); the examiner should inquire concerning the meaning of the text and the prospective candidate's ability to work with the original languages and with a suitable exegetical method.

(4) Confessional knowledge: the history and content of the Three Forms of Unity, the prospective candidate's willingness to subscribe to them by signing the Form of Subscription.

(5) Reformed doctrine: the teaching of Scripture and the Confessions regarding the six major areas of Reformed doctrine (Theology, Anthropology, Christology, Soteriology, Ecclesiology, and Eschatology).

(6) Church history: the flow of church history, in terms of major persons, heresies, etc., with special emphasis on the Reformation and the history of the Reformed churches.

(7) Ethics: the meaning and function of the Decalogue, also in relation to Christian motivation and character, and to contemporary moral problems.

-----Added 7/11/2009 at 04:23:22 EST-----

What I would be looking for is (in no particular order): 1) adequate knowledge & use of scripture & the confessions in their answers 2) acknowledgment of a divine call 3) humility in 1 & 2 4) a desire to submit to the government of the church (session or consistory in particular) 5) holiness of life and character (as testified by the calling church and churches they have served in the past)

-----Added 7/11/2009 at 04:27:36 EST-----

With regards to a weird exam: I was not present but some pastor colleague told me about a candidate hoping to be ordained in a Reformed denomination who did not know what TULIP was. My colleague told him and everyone else on the floor of Classis that even his catechism students knew what TULIP was!

**Marrow Man** · #3 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 06:13 PM

Most of the "technical" questions for my ordination were asked in committee. I also had to take an extensive written exam (took >8 hours!). In committee, they wanted to make sure I was ok on things like justification (the first real question they asked about!), the historicity of Genesis, inerrancy, etc.

On the floor of presbytery, that's where I got some of the "weird" questions. They were mostly pastoral care type questions (unusual situations that would arise -- how would you handle thus and so). The only one I can really remember went something like this:

Quote:

One of the members of your Session (the clerk, patriarch, and chief monetary contributor) comes to you one day and announces to you that his son (whom you've never met) is a homosexual and wants you to perform a commitment service with him and his partner. You know that if you don't, the elder will leave the church along with his family (which makes up a noticeable percentage of your church members). The ceremony will be done in private and no one else (outside of the family) has to know. What do you do?

**py3ak** · #4 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marrow Man

On the floor of presbytery, that's where I got some of the "weird" questions. They were mostly pastoral care type questions (unusual situations that would arise -- how would you handle thus and so). The only one I can really remember went something like this:

Quote:

One of the members of your Session (the clerk, patriarch, and chief monetary contributor) comes to you one day and announces to you that his son (whom you've never met) is a homosexual and wants you to perform a commitment service with him and his partner. You know that if you don't, the elder will leave the church along with his family (which makes up a noticeable percentage of your church members). The ceremony will be done in private and no one else (outside of the family) has to know. What do you do?

Really? That seems too easy: quote Isaiah 5:20 and say you're more afraid of God than of human displeasure.

**Marrow Man** · #5 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 07:44 PM

I think the question was meant more to see how the candidates think on their feet -- or to see is something stupid comes out of their mouths under pressure...

Rich Koster · #6 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 07:57 PM

I was given a 21 question survey to respond to. When I met with the Elders, they had very little follow up questioning. They were more curious with my home life, at that point, because I may have been gulity of TMI on the survey answers. However, looking back, I think they should have tested me a lot harder/deeper than they did. I was ordained as an Elder at Columbus Baptist Church in 2002.

Athanasius · #7 (**permalink**) 08-07-2009, 05:15 PM

I had to take 5 written exams which took about 8 hours in total - I was examined orally on Theology, English Bible, Church History, Sacraments, and Church Order for around 5 hours and then another 1 hour on the floor of Presbytery.

I was asked to outline the Book of Nehemiah in my committee exam my first time through. I failed on the English Bible in my first licensure exam, but it was good because it really forced me to the Word to prepare again.

I'm now on my current Presbytery's Credentials Committee and love it. I think if you want to know what is going to be "core" in exams (at least for us in the PCA) - you should pick up Chapell/Meek's "Preparing for Licensure and Ordination" pamphlet: Covenant Bookstore: Preparing for Licensure and Ordination Exams - Covenant Seminary Bookstore

raekwon · #8 (**permalink**) 08-07-2009, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Athanasius

I had to take 5 written exams which took about 8 hours in total - I was examined orally on Theology, English Bible, Church History, Sacraments, and Church Order for around 5 hours and then another 1 hour on the floor of Presbytery.

I was asked to outline the Book of Nehemiah in my committee exam my first time through. I failed on the English Bible in my first licensure exam, but it was good because it really forced me to the Word to prepare again.

I'm now on my current Presbytery's Credentials Committee and love it. I think if you want to know what is going to be "core" in exams (at least for us in the PCA) - you should pick up Chapell/Meek's "Preparing for Licensure and Ordination" pamphlet: Covenant Bookstore: Preparing for Licensure and Ordination Exams - Covenant Seminary Bookstore

Thanks for the link, Jonathan. Licensure exams are on the horizon for me.

Athanasius · #9 (**permalink**) 08-07-2009, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raekwon

Thanks for the link, Jonathan. Licensure exams are on the horizon for me.

I meet with guys every other week to prep them for the exams for an hour or two - and I am helping a couple guys remotely. I think it is a very important ministry of the church and being willing to say to a guy "Not this time, go back and study..." blesses our people more than we think because it drives guys who are, by and large, weak in the Bible to go back and really derive their theology from the Bible rather than the other way around.

I'd also pick up Talk Thru the Bible -

Amazon