I am officially the Associate Pastor at the church where I've been going since the young age of 4 years old. I've been studying under the Senior Pastor's wing for the past 14 months and am now beginning the process of Ordination. The process, if everything goes smoothly, should only take about a month to two months. Ordination, in the Southern Baptist Convention, is a four-step process. The first step is for the Candidate and the Pastor to sit down and talk and pray together. The second step is for the Pastor and the Deacons and other Ordained Ministers (Ordaining Council) within the local body to meet and discuss the Candidate's readiness. The third step, if the Ordaining Council agrees, is for the OC and the Candidate to meet and discuss. At that time, it will either be determined that the Candidate is ready to be Ordained, or needs to wait a period of time. If the Candidate is ready to be ordained, then the papers will be signed at that meeting and a Ordination Ceremony will be scheduled for a Sunday morning a few weeks down the road so as to give the Candidate time to invite whom He would like.
While I'm going through the process of Ordination, I am taking on the role of Associate Pastor, assisting the Senior Pastor in delivering the messages on occasion, assisting in the Lord's Supper and Baptisms, and making visitations to the new visitors, shut-ins, and hospitalized, and any other member who can't make it on a regular basis to church.
I won't be paid for this role as my church can't take on another payroll member, but I will be the Associate Pastor anyway.
Congratulations!
That's awesome.
