Covenant Partners in the Preparation Process

Although the emphasis usually falls on questions of process, policy, and procedures, preparing for ministry in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is fundamentally about entering into a covenant relationship between three partners:

Now as this illustration makes clear, the applicant is the focus within this relationship, and it is not a covenant among equals. It is the presbytery, usually acting through a committee or commission, that has oversight with regard to its inquirers and candidates. In exercising this oversight, presbyteries have broad discretion regarding whether to accept and continue a person "under care" in the process. But the Book of Order prescribes that both the individual and the session--as partners in the covenant--are to be provided with opportunities to be heard when making these decisions.

Each partner to the covenant has responsibilities both to the individual under care and to the broader church as they engage in this work of discernment.

• Applicants must be prepared to engage in serious self-assessment and reflection, with openness to the guidance of both the session and the presbytery.
• Sessions need to advocate both for the applicant and for the whole church in considering the person's gifts for ministry.
• Presbyteries also both advocate for those under their care and also serve as "gate-keepers" whose primary responsibility is to the broader church.

At each stage of the process, each covenant partner has specific responsibilities to the others. Those details go far beyond what can be covered in this overview. They are, however, treated in detail within the "Advisory Handbook on Preparing for Ministry in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)." A link to that handbook is provided in this section.