The Priesthood
Nomination to Postulancy
The process towards ordination begins with parish level discernment. This document will take you through the steps of discernment in your parish. Following successful completion of your parish discernment you may begin the process of submitting your application to the diocese. Your rector should contact the Ordination Officer for direction. Please download the Master Checklist for Ordination to the Priesthood (PDF).
The following items are required when you submit your application to the diocese for ordination.
Be sure to keep a copy of everything you send. Your Social Security number will be required for some forms. The diocesan address is the Diocese of Nebraska, 109 N. 18th St., Omaha, NE 68102-4903. Send all forms to the Ordination Officer at the above address or by email.
The following are the requirements for becoming a Postulant for the Priesthood. They reflect Title III, Canon 8 (priesthood) of the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church and diocesan requirements.
1. Nomination from the parish (Please send all of the papers required in No. 1 in one packet. Use the Nomination for Ordination to the Priesthood cover sheet (PDF) as your checklist.) Form P-1
a. Priest and Vestry Endorsement. (PDF) Form P-1a. The vestry at a meeting introduces and passes a resolution endorsing your application for Postulancy by a two-thirds majority of the entire vestry (excluding the priest). The rector or priest-in-charge also signs the certificate indicating his or her endorsement. The vestry agrees to be involved in your preparation and pledges to aid you financially.
b. You accept the nomination by signing and dating a form (PDF) Form P-1b, made for that purpose and indicating why you want to be ordained a priest.
c. Social History (PDF). Form P-1c. This document includes such things as your name, address, phone number, date of birth, spouse, children, education and church participation. It also asks about your Rule of Life. Be sure the form is signed and dated when you finish.
d. Application Form: Part II - Spiritual Autobiography (PDF). Form P-1d. This reflects your spiritual journey to this day. You can address such issues as when you first became aware of spirituality in your life; who were your spiritual guides and heroes, what were the significant events in your journey, both negative and positive, that affected your spirituality; how you experienced God's call to you for this ministry and what your spiritual practices are currently.
e. Your priest will write a confidential letter of recommendation based on his or her knowledge of you and the input of the Parish Discernment Committee. It is sent to the Ordination Officer for your file.
f. Evidence of baptism. This can include a baptismal certificate, a copy of the entry in the church records or if those are not available, a letter from a participant at your baptism indicating the date and place.
g. Evidence of confirmation. Same as above.
h. Report from your Parish Discernment Committee (PDC) detailing your work with that body and their assessment of your call, gifts and growing edges.
i. Academic transcripts. Please send official copies of your undergraduate and graduate education to the Ordination Officer.
j. Submit a picture with your application. Snap shots are welcome. Portrait (close-up head shots) pictures are preferred.
Your rector or priest-in-charge will then sign the Nomination for Ordination to the Priesthood form (P-1) that has all of the above elements checked, 1a-1j, and you can submit your application to the Ordination Officer. Copies will be made for the Bishop and the Chair of the Commission on Ministry. The Bishop will read the material and then decide whether or not to invite the aspirant to the Vocational Inventory Retreat (VIR).
2. Vocational Inventory Retreat (VIR). The VIR will be held annually in the summer and space will be limited.
3. Vocational Inventory Retreat Report. The team will confer after the interviews and then make their recommendations to the Bishop.
4. Background check. The diocese will begin a 10-year background check on you. We use Oxford Document Management Co., Inc. out of Anoka, Minnesota. They will check for any criminal offenses, will do a credit check and also check your driving record. In addition they will contact previous and current employers for any indication of sexual misconduct. Oxford will send you a consent form and ask for the names and addresses of your previous employers. The diocese pays for this check.
Note: The psychological assessment, medical exam and background check have a three-year limit. If you are not ordained before the expiration date, you will need to repeat the exams in order to be ordained. The vast majority of individuals need to repeat them.
5. Psychological evaluation by a licensed professional. The Bishop will make a referral to a psychologist. You will be notified when that has been done and then you can schedule an appointment with the psychologist. This assessment involves a battery of tests and an interview. You will have an opportunity to review the assessment with the psychologist before it is sent to the Bishop. If you decide at that point that you do not wish it to be sent, that action will suspend the ordination process for you until you are comfortable in having the assessment sent or withdraw from the process. The assessment is sent only to the Bishop. The diocese and parish will share in the cost of this assessment.
6. Release of information. In the psychologist's office you will sign a release giving the psychologist permission to send the report to the Bishop. We ask you to sign our release that states that the Bishop may share portions of the information with the Commission on Ministry and Standing Committee as he sees fit. Sign the document in the presence of your witness. The witness can be anyone 19 or older.
7. Behavioral Screening Questionnaire (PDF) Form P-5. This is a self-reporting questionnaire that asks for a "yes/no" answer to such questions as arrests, criminal behavior, etc. The "yes" answers require elaboration. Sign the document in the presence of your witness. The witness can be anyone 19 or older.
8. Medical Exam. Download the form (PDF) P-6 needed for reporting the results of your medical exam. Be sure the second page is signed and dated. You will bear the cost of the exam and you may choose your physician.
9. Drug Screen. The Bishop may require random drug test at any time.
10. Meet with the Bishop. You will need to schedule this appointment through the Ordination Officer in the Diocesan Office by phone or email. It is best to begin the scheduling process at least a month (two months in the summer) before you want to meet with him because of his busy schedule. In addition to becoming acquainted with you and you with him and his expectations, he will be discussing the costs involved and how you are prepared to meet them. In preparation for the meeting, you need to complete the Review of Finances form (PDF) Form P-8. Please send a copy to the Ordination Officer for your file. The Bishop will also review the results of the VIR at this time.
11.Interview with the Commission on Ministry (COM). Once the Bishop is satisfied with the information he has received from you, the VIR team and the various testing agencies, he will refer your name to the COM for a formal interview. The chair of the COM will invite you to a future meeting.
12. Recommendation from the COM. Once you have completed the interview, the COM will submit a recommendation to the Bishop and also send you a copy. One of the common recommendations is that you find a spiritual director if you do not already have one. The COM may also recommend that you spend some more time in the discernment process before recommending you for Postulancy.
13. Made a Postulant. Once you have received a positive recommendation from the COM and the Bishop is comfortable with that recommendation, he will make you a Postulant for ordination to the priesthood.
Note on privacy: Your Social Security number will never be given out without your written consent. It will be required for your psychological assessment, background check, release of information and, after ordination, for the recorder of ordinations at the Episcopal Church Center in New York City. Your file is maintained at the diocesan office in a locked file cabinet.
