Prep 4 Min
About this blog
The Rev. Timothy Cargal, Ph.D., serves as Assistant Stated Clerk for Preparation for Ministry in Mid Council Ministries of the Office of the General Assembly.
“... the Land that I Will Show You” is the blog of the Office of Preparation for Ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This blog is designed to serve as a resource for those discerning and preparing for a call to the ministry of Word and Sacrament as ordained teaching elders of the church. It will also provide a place for reflecting on and dialoging about the changing context of pastoral ministry in the early 21st century.
For quick announcements about changes or developments in the preparation process, dates related to exams or other key events, discussion boards, surveys, etc., you can follow us on Facebook at “Preparing for Presbyterian Ministry.”
Recent posts
- Clarification of Evaluation Standards for the Standard Ordination Exams
- BCE Preparation Resource Released
- PCC Responds to September 2016 BCE
- PCC Letter on BCE Preparation
- Bible Content Exam Results
Categories
- Ordination Process (34)
- Ordination Exams (30)
- Ministry Context (16)
- Ordained Ministry (8)
- Bible study (2)
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Archives
Posts with category: Ordination Exams
April 28, 2015New Formats for BCE Questions
My two previous posts have reviewed changes coming to the Polity, Theology, and Worship exams in response to referrals from the last General Assembly (2014). In this post I will go over changes approved by the Presbyteries’ Cooperative Committee on Examinations for Candidates (PCC) related to the Bible Content Examination (BCE). These changes will take affect beginning with its next administration on September 4, 2015.
The BCE differs from the other standard ordination exams in almost every way. The senior exams in the areas of Bible Exegesis, Church Polity, Theological Competence, and Worship and Sacraments are designed to be taken …
- Posted at 3:30 p.m.
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April 16, 2015
Oral Component for Standard Exams
In my previous post I discussed the action of the Presbyteries’ Cooperative Committee on Examinations for Candidates (PCC) in response to referrals from the 221st General Assembly (2014) to change the time allotted for the exams in the areas of Church Polity, Theological Competence, and Worship and Sacraments beginning with the July 2015 administration. In this post I will review the PCC’s action in response to the GA’s directive to “integrate oral presentations into the standard examination process.”
The PCC has always permitted presbytery committees or commissions working with inquirers and candidates (CPMs) to approve “special accommodations” in the …
- Posted at 10:31 a.m.
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June 25, 2014
GA Approves Preparation for Ministry Recommendations
Last week the 221st General Assembly received the report of its Special Committee to Review the Preparation for Ministry Process and the Standard Ordination Examinations and approved all twelve of its recommendations. In doing so, the Assembly referred to the presbyteries for their consideration and action constitutional amendments to G-2.0607 and 2.0610 that would facilitate implementation of the first ten recommendations.
On Sunday afternoon the special committee presented a summary of its report to a plenary session of the Assembly. You can view a video version of that report by clicking here (or go to YouTube and search for …
- Posted at 4:10 p.m.
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May 2, 2014
Registration Opens for First Quarterly Exams
The Presbyteries’ Cooperative Committee on Examinations for Candidates (PCC) has given final approval to the revision of policies and procedures needed to make quarterly administration of the senior ordination exams (Bible Exegesis, Church Polity, Theology, and Worship and Sacraments) a reality. With these approvals, registration is now open for the exams that will be given on July 25 and 26 (and the Bible Content Exam [BCE], which will be given on August 29, keeping with the “Friday before Labor Day” schedule begun in 2010).
There are a number of changes that are coming to both the registration process and the …
- Posted at 6:48 a.m.
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April 11, 2014
Readers and Quarterly Exams
The first round of quarterly exams will be offered July 25 and 26. This expanded opportunity for candidates obviously brings with it an expanded need for ordination exam readers. Notifications were sent to all CPM moderators and presbytery stated clerks this morning with information from the Presbyteries’ Cooperative Committee on Examinations for Candidates (PCC) about how the presbyteries will be asked to provide readers under the new schedule. Since interest about how this will work extends beyond just committee/commission moderators and stated clerks, I want to share some details of the plan.
- Quarterly exams mean that each presbytery will be …
- Posted at 4:37 p.m.
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