Pastoral Internship > Ordination-Commissioning Committee

The ordination committee is tasked with the review of candidates for ordination/commissioning. They generally come in two varieties:

•Standing Ordination Committee. In a standing committee, the membership is relatively static. Often a standing committee is used when the a conference prefers to have an ordination committee meet with interns at times other than just their final interview to determine a recommendation on ordination/commissioning.

•Ad-hoc Ordination Committee. Other conferences will only create and convene an ordination committee only when one is needed to have an interview to determine a recommendation on ordination/commissioning. In such cases it is expected that the Ministerial Director has been closely monitoring interns on their way to the final interview.

In either case, remember that the ordination review process is likely to be a bit intimidating to an intern and that they will feel more than a little anxiety and pressure when they go through it. One thing you can do to help is to allow them to select an ordained pastor from your field that can be a part of the committee when they have their interview. Having the friendly face of a trusted colleague present can go a long way to helping them feel more comfortable in the interview process.

In some conferences, the president will reserve the right to chair the ordination committee. In others, they will leave it with the Ministerial Director.