THE
GREAT COMMISSION OF PAUL
How
then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall
they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear
without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?
Romans 10:14-15
THE
PRESBYTERIAN RESPONSE
The Book of Order,
which serves as a Constitution for the Presbyterian Church, makes the
individual churches and congregation responsible for the guidance and
support of our future ministers. (Book of Order G-14.0301). At Fifth Avenue
Presbyterian Church, the Session has created the Ministerial Candidates
Committee to guide and support those we have taken under care during their
preparation for the ministry. The committee consists of the Elder liaisons
who are assigned to each ministerial candidate for the three, or more,
years it takes to complete the Inquirer and Candidacy phase of his or
her preparation. The ministerial candidates are periodically interviewed
by the committee to track their educational progress, their Christian
service activities and their emotional and spiritual growth. The Elder
liaisons stay in frequent touch with their ministerial candidates and
provide further encouragement and advice.
The Ministerial Candidates Committee is honored to be a part of the preparation process of God's ordained ministers as they seek to discover God's will for their calling. We are grateful to the congregation for its support and the welcome it gives to those under our care.
THE
GLORIOUS CYCLE OF SENDING AND RECEIVING AT FIFTH AVENUE
There are ten people from Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church currently preparing
for the ministry in different congregations around the country. These
are ministerial candidates who, for educational or other reasons, have
sought out other churches to support them while they pursue their calling.
Likewise, Fifth Avenue currently supports ten ministerial candidates —
and three seminarians — who have come from all over the United States
to prepare for the ministry at one of the fine universities and seminars
located in the New York City area. You may wonder what the difference
is between a seminarian and a ministerial candidate. A seminarian is a
ministerial candidate, supported by another church, who is fulfilling
a field study requirement with us and receives a stipend. Ministerial
candidates, on the other hand, become members of our church, freely participating
in our church life, such as teaching the communicants class or assisting
at worship, and receive financial support for their education.
If you are interested in investigating a career in the ministry, a good place to start is the Book of Order for an overview of the Presbyterian process. Next, talk to one of the our ministers for advice and guidance.
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Copyright © 1999-2008
Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church,
7 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019,
212.247.0490
