College student
A season to explore widely before you narrow anything down.
College is one of the most common places a call gets named — often through campus ministry, a mission trip, or a late-night conversation that won't let go.
You don't have to choose between exploring a call and the rest of your life. This is exactly the season to test it without committing to it.
What to actually do next.
- 1
Find your campus minister
Connect with the Wesley Foundation or United Methodist campus ministry at or near your school. If there isn't one, your home pastor can help you find a guide.
- 2
Talk with your home pastor over a break
Tell the pastor who knows you best that you're discerning. Ask them what they noticed in you that you might not see.
- 3
Go to a discernment event
when you're readyGBHEM's Exploration event and conference gatherings are built for exactly your stage. They are a low-stakes way to meet others on the same road.
- 4
Learn what the paths actually are
Read about elders, deacons, local pastors, and lay ministry, so the words people use stop being a fog.
The things worth naming honestly.
You do not need a religion major
Plenty of pastors studied biology, business, or music. What matters more is staying connected to a community that can help you listen.
Campus ministry is your nearest companion
A Wesley Foundation or campus minister can be the single most helpful relationship you have right now — start there.
Exploring is not deciding
You can begin learning about candidacy without entering it. You can visit a seminary without enrolling. Curiosity costs nothing.
Keep these in view.
- Don't pick a major out of fear; pick what forms you well.
- If seminary is on your mind, you can start visiting now — most love prospective students.
- Beware of deciding alone. Calls are tested in community.
Your annual conference is the on-ramp.
Candidacy is run by your annual conference. We've mapped the on-ramps for Rio Texas and North Georgia — and how to find yours if it isn't listed yet.