District Ministerial Studies
The Church of the Nazarene believes a call to the ministry is also a call to prepare. A significant part of the preparation is education. The District Ministerial Studies Board is charged with the administration of the educational preparation of ministerial candidates.
Members of the DMSB are assigned as advisors to each ministerial candidate, to provide encouragement, support, prayer and care as they advance through the Course of Study. The “Course of Study” is the term for the educational curriculum students follow to prepare for ministry and ordination in the Church of the Nazarene.
Persons responding to a call to ministry can choose the path of a theological education through our regional educational institution, Caribbean Nazarene College.
Located in Santa Cruz, Trinidad, CNC offers resident and online programs in theological and general education for the spiritual development and character formation of ministers of the gospels.
Learn more about CNC Programs at www.cnc.edu.
The Call to Ministry
The Church of the Nazarene believes God calls men and women into special roles of leadership in ministry. Consistent with our belief, the church has developed many resources to help you determine what God is saying to you, and to prepare you for Christian service. You will find below step-by-step instructions to lead you through the process as well as the forms you will need.
God calls some to special service as full-time ministers. What is this call about? How do you respond to God’s call on your life? You are strongly encouraged to talk with your Pastor and allow him/her to help you discern God’s call on your life whether that is into vocational ministry or serving Him in other capacities.
Steps to Follow
You need to know with certainity that God has called you to ministry. At this stage in your call, it is not always clear. It will be ultimately between you and God to know what he is calling you to. We encourage you to keep an open heart before God, seek him intentionally in prayer and fasting about what type of ministry he is calling you, seek the counsel of your Pastor. Most importantly, trust and obey Him.
Read sections 500-538.9 in the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene.
The local church validates and confirms the call of the minister. The local minister’s license is the first step in the official process towards ordination, whether elder or deacon.
The ministerial candidate must speak with their pastor. The local church board, upon the request of the candidate and the recommendation of the pastor, grants this license (Manual 129.12). The local church pastor should enrol the licensee with the DMSB, who will advise the candidate on the recommended validated Course of Study.
The Handbook for Christian Ministries helps guide applicants through the journey of preparing for ministry.
Ministers are expected to complete a validated Course of Study in preparation for ministry and ordination in the Church of the Nazarene.
Course of Study is the term for the educational curriculum students follow to prepare for ministry. The validated Course of Study is one that meets the standards established by the International Course of Study Advisory Committee (ICOSAC).
The ideal path of preparation for ministry in the Church of the Nazarene is a certificate, bachelor’s or graduate degrees from Nazarene institutions. Our nearest Nazarene institution is the Caribbean Nazarene College. There are many pathways for gaining educational training, a candidate can reach out to the admissions department for enrollment information.
Lifelong Learning Program
CNC offers certificates and diplomas in Ministerial studies, through its Lifelong Learning Program, which is an extension program. This is ideal for the student who does not wish to pursue a college degree. Credits obtained can be transferred to a degree program if the student wishes.
To learn more about the District’s LLP courses and schedule, contact District LLP Coordinator:
Rev. Vilma Mohammed – (868) 292-3078 – farvil2@hotmail.com
Educational Reporting
In October each year, students are to submit to the DMSB unofficial transcripts or grade reports to verify the completion of the courses in the course of study.
Non-Nazarene Educaitonal Providers
The DMSB is charged with the responsibility to grant permission for the pursuit of courses in in non-Nazarene institutions or the transfer of credits.
The DMSB will assess that the provider be accredited to an equivalent standard as the local Nazarene provider. Furthermore, the program must be evaluated against the set curriculum of the Nazarene provider for exact equivalence. That is, course for course and component for component. Furthermore, key subjects in theology, polity and hermeneutics shall be studied through a Nazarene provider prior to ordination requirements being met.
Ministers must have held a local minister’s license for one year. The District Ministerial Credentials Board (DMCB) receives applications and interviews candidates for the District License.
Visit the page “District License” to learn more about the process.
The educational requirement that must be met for a District License is the completion of 30 credit hours (10 courses) in the course of study.
The District Minister’s License is renewed annually. The DMSB annually reviews students progress in their course of study and makes recommendations to the DMCB for the renewal of the district license.
Students must complete at least 2 courses annually to be recommended by the DMSB.
The DMCB is responsible for interviewing candidates for ordination taking into consideration meeting the ministry and educational preparation requirements. To learn more about the preparation for Ordination, read the Guide to Ministerial Preparation and Ordination.
‘GuideTo Ministerial Prep and Ordination’ download
The educational requirements for ordination is the completion of 90 credit hours in the course of study. The DMSB will review the candidates progress and make recommendation to the DMCB.
Candidates who have received their district minister’s license have maximum of ten years to complete their educational requirements for ordination. We expect each candidate to complete a minimum of two courses each year in order to maintain their district minister’s license.
Once a minister receives his ordination credential, he takes the responsibility for his or her own continuing education. The Church of the Nazarene encourages Lifelong learning as a means to develop Nazarene ministers who can grow in their knowledge and skill for ministry, understand the developments in the wider church and surrounding society. It is imperative that ministers increase in personal growth, thus preventing stagnation in the spiritual, mental, and skill development of the individual.
Each Nazarene minister is expected to complete a minimum of 20 lifelong learning hours each year. Visit the Lifelong Learning Registry page to learning more about lifelong learning requirements and reporting via the digital portal.
Questions?
Talk with your pastor or district Superintendent.
nazdstt@gmail.com (868)622-9552)