Suggested Licensing Qualifications

A person seeking to be granted a license by a local church shall:

  • Be a person who has accepted Jesus the Christ as Lord and Savior;
  • Be a person of good reputation in the community, emotionally stable, a proven leader in his/her church, and have the ability to communicate; and
  • Be an active member in good standing of a Church in ABC Northwest.

A local church license shall be valid for one (1) year and can be renewable as long as ministry continues for the licensing church. It can be so written to describe the ministerial/pastoral duties the church so authorizes the individual to do (always in accordance with the laws of the state).                                                         

Pre-Ordination Licensing as a Step Toward Ordination

1.  A person planning to become an ordained minister shall first secure a pre-ordination license from the church of which he/she is a member. To obtain such a license, the Candidate shall: 

  • Be a person who has accepted Jesus the Christ as Lord and Savior;
  • Be a stable person of good reputation; and
  • Be preparing for the Christian ministry as a professional vocation.

2. The Candidate’s church shall counsel with the Candidate regarding the Christian ministry, and shall provide an opportunity for the Candidate to preach and/or conduct public worship. After favorable action by the church, a suitable pre-ordination license shall be presented to the Candidate.

3. This license shall be validated annually by the Church.

4. This license is typically valid for four (4) years from the date of issue unless revoked by the congregation and shall authorize the licensee to perform ministerial duties as defined by the church.

Licensing moves the Candidate toward ordination within Transformation Ministries. Ordination is appropriate not only for local church pastors, but also for missionaries, seminary and Christian college teachers, military and institutional chaplains, pastoral counselors, music ministers, and Christian education directors, etc.

Note:  The church determines the appropriate committee or board to interview the Candidate, review the Candidate’s gifts and experiences, theology and call to ministry. Generally, the board or committee who interviews the Candidate makes the recommendation to the church that gives the approval (by vote and/or acclamation.) One of the best times for this to take place would be during a Sunday worship service.

You may download the complete licensing and ordination procedures and standards document titled, "Ministry Standards in Transformation Ministries."