Clergy Candidacy Process and Assessment

Psychological assessment serves the two major goals of the Candidacy process. First, to facilitate increased understanding of self by the candidate in the context of capacities for, and interests in, ministerial work; and second, to enable the church to examine with more accuracy the candidates who present themselves as aspirants for professional ministry.

During this process, the Candidacy Mentor works with the Exploring Candidate in a relationship that is largely focused on nurture and growth, particularly in terms of an exploration of the vocation of ministry in the context of understandings of self, the church as community and as mission, and the sense of calling of the individual candidate. In addition, psychological assessment is utilized as a means to get an early reading of the fitness or potential of the candidate for functioning in the role of ordained minister. Typically, recommendations from the psychological assessment to the candidate include experiences that would be helpful in the development of the candidate's full potential during his or her preparation for professional ministry, and suggestions about achieving and maintaining optimal mental health and effective interpersonal functioning in whatever vocation is finally selected by the candidate.