You sense a call to ministry. Let's walk it through together.
Wherever you are in life — a teenager who came forward at a service, a college student, someone mid-career — the next step looks different for you. This is a place to find your step, not someone else's.
The goal is not to pipeline anyone into ordination. It is to be a faithful companion while you discern.
Five roads to the same table.
A fourteen-year-old and a forty-seven-year-old are not on the same road, even if they end up in the same place. Choose the one that sounds like you.
Youth
I'm in middle or high school
You came forward. That took courage — and you are not alone.
Find your next stepCollege student
I'm in college
A season to explore widely before you narrow anything down.
Find your next stepYoung adult
I'm out of school, early in my work life
Old enough to begin in earnest, young enough to take the long way.
Find your next stepSecond career
I'm later in life or changing careers
It is not too late. The church has always been led by the re-called.
Find your next stepIn seminary
I'm already in seminary
Studying is not the same as being credentialed — mind both tracks.
Find your next stepLet us help you find it
Answer a few gentle questions and we'll point you to your path and your next step.
Plain answers to the questions nobody quite explained.
The candidacy process can feel like a fog of paragraphs and committees. We try to say it plainly — and always point you back to the people who can walk with you.
The process, step by step
From first stirring to ordination — explained without jargon.
Forms of ministry
Elder, deacon, local pastor, chaplain, lay — with honest trade-offs.
Seminaries
The UMC schools, including hybrid and online options.
Resources & mentorship
Books, retreats, money, and the people who guide you.