As I mentioned yesterday, I had my initial meeting with the District Committee on the Ordained Ministry. I prepared for a week, having my wife ruthlessly interrogate me in preparation for the worst-case scenario: a hardball interview by a dozen people simultaneously. Some would say that the waterboarding was excessive (as I did), but my wife said, "Why take chances? Be prepared for anything. Now hold your breath, Hubbybear."
The whole thing took no more than four minutes from start to finish and was completely painless. They only asked me two questions: (1) do you intend to seek Certification in May and (2) do you have any questions for us?
Speaking more generally, if you sat on your DCOM, what would you ask candidates?
Friday, December 23, 2005
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
John,
I still go thru the same thing year after year. My experiences have all been the same: one big, fat paper shuffle and, essentially, a complete waste of time. It's the same here in Arkansas, my friend. There is no test on this level and to be perfectly honest, I don't know why they bother.
I'm looking forward to some answers you get.
Hm. My first year at the district level, I had quite a lengthy interview, with questions not unlike those I faced years later at commissioning interviews. But after the first year, for renewal, I got more of the 4 minute routine and questions like, "what was your favorite class in seminary." I think that the district level should be taken more seriously by interviewers. This is the place to help people who are not going to ever make it through ordination interviews, instead of letting them spend years of their life in a process that is taking them nowhere.
I was fortunate enough to have a very good Education and Students Committee (which I think to be our equivalent to DCOM). My annual interviews were always helpful and raised important stuff--even if it took me a few years to figure out why it was important.
That group was honest enough at one point to tell me "we have a responsibility to protect you and to protect the church. If we let you go forward before you were ready we think the church would survive...". They really helped me through my 10 year candidacy.
The DCOM is one of my pet peeves. As a local pastor, I have to go to this every year. It drives me batty to send in reports and biographical sketches and then have the DCOM committee ask me, "Are you married?" as their first question.
If I was on a DCOM, I would insist that all members review the bio sketches and recent charge conference reports (if available) from local pastors and candidates. Then they would be able to ask some questions pertinent to what is really going on.
If it's in a licensing process, I'd think I'd talk some basic doctrine -- you know, a heresy check.
But that's just me...
Hmmm... my first interview was grueling. They stopped after I told them that I did NOT subscribe to the doctrine of supralapsarianism.
My district takes this stuff very seriously.
I sat on the dcom in the Melbourne District. We always asked candidates to share with us their calling, history of ministry involvement in the local church, a history of their life before their call and some about their personal Christian faith on their initial appearance before the board. Trust me, the heavy stuff will come later, the Florida Conf. is rigorous. I was on the theology committee and before we sent candidates onto the conf. board, we made sure they knew their stuff. I would advise you to listen carefully in your theology and doctrine classes at Asbury, Asbury students are immediately red flagged because of the recurring weaknesses in their ability to articulate and apply basic Methodist theology.
Gregory said it best as local pastors go. I am a local pastor as well, and I truly get a sense that our ministry is not seriously considered. We are merely tolerated for lack of ordained elders who would serve the churches we serve. The paperwork is nothing more than a Disciplinary requirement.
At least, this is how I feel each time I leave a DCOM meeting.
John,
As recently ordained elder in North Indiana, I do now sit on my district's DCOM (my district has relatively few elders, and actually two of us just ordained are on the committee). We are structured so that the first time a candidate comes to the DCOM, the whole committee interviews him or her. We look for primarily two things: 1. genuine sense of calling to ordained ministry, and 2. evidence of gifts and graces for that calling. We do rely considerably on the recommendation of the mentoring pastor. We don't grill on theology at this level, although I think we should ask more. The only exception is if someone is coming to us from a tradition in which Methodist doctrine and practice would be different (we have had a few people come through recently who were raised Baptist). We do read their papers ahead to get an idea of any red flags, and we do hear a summary of the psychological report. We have told some that they needed to wait a year and do some additional work before being willing to certify them. My best guess is that your DCOM will give you a much more substantial interview when you are actually up for certification in May - is that when you go back?
After the first year interview with the whole DCOM, annual follow-up interviews are done with groups of three members of the DCOM ("triads"), in which I have taken the approach of asking people to articulate clearly why they are sure they are called to be elders, and I also do not shy away from asking them about their debt load from seminary and what plans they are making to deal with the potential financial strains of early ministry. The triads then report back to the whole DCOM to either recommend continuation as a certified candidate or not.
My personal experience as a candidate was that the DCOM triads always rubber-stamped me through, although my first interview with the whole committee was stressful. Unfortulately, the DCOM did a very poor job preparing me to be grilled in my commissioning interview, the memory of which still leaves a uneasy taste in my mouth - I feel I got ambushed in some ways.
Very interesting to be on the other side of the table now, especially so soon after ordination! I probably do need to take my responsibility on the DCOM more seriously.
I hope to serve on a DCOM someday. I will ask:
"Describe the doctrine of the Trinity and how that will shape your ministry in the local church."
Whaddaya think?
I chair the DCOM in my district. I think it's pathetic they only spent four a few minutes with you. Much can be gained from a good first interview - it sets up all the meetings that follow. We want to learn if the person has a sense of call and can articulate it. I like to ask questions which will help me discern if the person has necessary skills to pastor a local church - leadership being one.
Here are some things that might be worth asking:
1. What do you think you're getting yourself into?
a. If that what you think you're getting yourself into, what are your next steps of preparation?
b. What kind of support do you need from us?
2. What ministry are you involved in now? How your ministry affirming your call (if it is)?
3. How many congregations do you have deep experience with?
a. What elements of health have you seen in each?
b. What elements of unhealth?
c. What did the pastor of each congregation do to contribute to the health/unhealth?
4. What kinds of ministry do you think you'd be best at? Why?
5. What kinds of ministry do you think you'd be worst at? Why?
6. Why do you want to be ordained in the UMC? (and a scary question) Which of the current tensions in the church do you feel most challenged by?
7. How is your practice of the General Rules?
8. Considering your reading of the Book of Discipline, is there anything now in your life that would disqualify you for ministry?
My experience has been decent. I think my DCOM is genuinely concerned with where my path is leading with my calling. One thing they've grilled me on is why I don't pursue Elder instead of Deacon (which I am currently pursuing).
1) I don't trust the intinerant system. I have some friends who have placed in some horrible places considering their gifts, talents, and life track.
2) That same system has on average (at least where I'm from) pulled many pastors out after 5 years. I think this is absolutley absurd. 5 years is just getting started! Now, I know there are good reasons for some circumstances, but on average it's just plain...well...dumb to do that. I just think it sets up any healthy environment for a church.
3) With said #1 and #2 above, I just don't want to be put in a place where I will have to go through the same ol' traditional stuff. Just not interested in doing that all over again.
An interesting question came up last time I was with them though. "If we guarantee you a church plant as Elder, with the autonomy you desire, would you pursue Elder? I said "No, b/c what if you feel after 5 years you need to pull me out for somewhere else.
I guess you can see I have a rough time with the intinerancy. I know it may be a process for me to understand it, but it's a big negative for me.
Now, I think Richard H's comments are very good in asking. I found they were asked of me during our initial interview. I like the question, "Where do you ideally see yourself serving?" or "What would be your ideal ministry?" Questions like what if there were no restrictions whatsoever what would you do type questions.
I know it's a long comment but that's my $.02.
I might ask, "Do you really know what you're getting into?" :)
Actually, I saw my DCOM annual meetings as not only painless, but pointless. They asked me the same basic questions as you. Except each year they asked me to recall my calling into ministy.
I've seen many people go through them and then get into the probationary process only to get denied ordination because the DCOM didn't do their job in either preparing them or taking a closer look at them.
Sorry...pet peeve.
Post a Comment