To become a clergyman, you must follow the instructions for becoming a member of the clergy in the religion or denomination where you wish to serve. This process varies greatly between religious traditions, and even within major religious traditions like Christianity, there are significant differences. Typically, members of your faith community must recognize you as a candidate for ministry and you must then complete some type of training program. Before being formally ordained, you may be subjected to an evaluation a committee or high-level church officials after completing training.
Religions that recognize or ordain professional clergy are usually concerned that their clergy are well-prepared for the difficult task of public ministry and are trustworthy. When you decide to pursue a career as a clergyman, you should be aware that you will be subjected to extensive vetting before achieving your goal. You should first approach the leader of your own congregation and explain your desire to become a clergyman, as well as seek his or her help in getting started. You may be asked to speak with a church official outside your congregation, or your clergy person may recommend that you begin an application or training process, depending on your faith community.
You will be expected to complete an educational program in many cases. Before being licensed or ordained to public ministry, clergy in Christian churches are frequently required to attend a theological seminary, Bible college, or Bible institute. Some Christian denominations, on the other hand, do not require clergy to have completed formal education and instead require them to be mentored a more experienced clergy member before being ordained. You should inquire with officials in your faith community about the educational requirements for ordination.
You may be asked to fill out an application when you begin training so that you can be recognized as a candidate for clergy ordination within your faith community. Although this does not guarantee that you will become a clergyman, it does indicate that your preparation has been acknowledged your faith community and that you are eligible to participate in the various evaluations required to continue your candidacy. As part of the candidacy process, you may be asked to complete a psychological evaluation. You may also be asked to volunteer in a local faith community in order to gain ministry experience.
Following completion of your education, you may be placed in a ministry setting while completing the ordination process. You may be asked to meet with representatives from the organization to discuss your educational and ministry experiences, as well as to answer any questions they may have about your candidacy. This final step in the process of becoming a clergyman can take a long time for some people, and it may take a few years before you can be ordained, though some organizations may complete the process faster than others.