Advice for those going to Board of Ordained Ministry Retreats

So yesterday I began my time on the Frederick District's District Committee on Ordained Ministry. Having had a father who has served on district committees and BOOM (the conference's Board of Ordained Ministry) for something like a decade--and who, in my understanding at least, has loved it, and according to others, has done a dang good job of it, it is a great privilege to be asked to serve in such a role.

For those who don't know, the DCOMs and BOOM serve to examine candidates for ministry. This ministry takes different form, ranging from Local Pastor and Certified Lay Ministers to deacons and elders. The ordination process in particular (the only process I was involved in prior to this, and thus the process I know best) is quite involved. In addition to educational requirements (for *all but a few* elders, this means the graduate degree of Master of Divinity--comparable to a law degree really, rather than a regular masters), candidates must undergo and share results from physical and psychological exams, undergo criminal and financial background checks, progress through a series of interviews and mentoring relationships, all to get to the point of attending the commissioning retreat, which then requires pages of written responses (think 30-50 pages), recorded sermon, recommendations, etc. all of which you are questioned about when you appear for a series of intense interviews. Once you pass the commissioning retreat/exam, you are then "on probation" (the language is changing, but that's still probably a good understanding) for three years--at least. At this point it is very similar to the university tenure process. You get tried out, and after three years, you go back for another retreat/exam, and if you pass this and are voted in, you are, at least at present in the UMC, guaranteed a job for the rest of your career barring removal.

BOOM also further has oversight for clergy once commissioned and ordained, but at least as I understand it, the DCOMs primarily deal with candidates.

For more information about the candidacy process, etc., CLICK HERE for our denomination's resources.

All that said, it is both a great challenge and joy to be part of this process as an elder in the church (I was ordained in 2008). I have a great sense of the responsibility we in the orders of elder and deacon have to one another, and indeed, that all United Methodists have to one another as we lift up, train and empower our leaders. I am fortunate to be part of an annual conference that I believe strives to do a good job, not just to make things difficult, but to make things challenging so that we can truly discern who is called to and prepared for different forms of ministry. All annual conferences deal with this process a bit differently--though the Book of Discipline outlines the basic process, the way it is implemented differs, and some conference require more than the minimum requirements of the BOD.

Like any such endeavor, there are times when things are not handled perfectly by the committees, but also times when candidates have neglected their own responsibilities within the process. Also, at times, a candidate may not be ready for, or, even, perhaps, appropriate for a particular form of ministry. These are difficult points, because as United Methodists, at least, we understand the community's discernment to be at least as important as the individual's own discernment. For that reason, there will inevitably be times when people disagree. We believe and hope that God is at work in and through each person involved.

That said, much of the workings of DCOMs and BOOMs are not great spiritual mysteries. In the United Methodist Church, we certify and ordain people to different forms of ministry based on their skills and calling. We also understand that a certain degree of personal health (emotional, spiritual, physical, etc.), leadership skill (tact, assertiveness, self-control, etc.) and theological understanding are vital. In addition, since we are not ordaining people to just any Christian group, but rather within the United Methodist Church, we have certain expectations for a person's ability to function within our system. For example, ordained elders in the UMC are part of the appointment process and ought to expect to itinerate a number of times in their ministry. Anyone not prepared to do so would not be an appropriate candidate for ministry in the UMC. That doesn't mean God hasn't called them, just that serving as an elder in the UMC isn't for them. Another example would be the hierarchical structure of our denomination. Someone who completely bristles under others' authority would not be an appropriate match for the UMC (I would personally suggest that such an extreme rejection of being subject to another is downright unChristian, but for polity's sake, there are certainly less hierarchical denominations).

All that said, both from my own personal experiences, and after gleaning from the wisdom, guidance and experiences of others, and without any official justification or backing, here are my helpful tidbits for persons in the candidacy process in the UMC, especially as they prepare for BOOM exams:

1. Be yourself and give your own answers. This includes: (a) being able to explain your process for arriving at your response, (b) using your own words--if you don't, it's pretty obvious and (c) don't try to give the answer you think the board wants to here. Point c is very important, and is the sole reason for the one question I royally bombed at my own ordination exam. You fall prey to c when you let yours and others' anxiety go to your head. It's ugly. Because once you give your answer, when asked how you arrive at it, you can't really say, "Well, I though that's what you wanted to hear." And so it all goes downhill from there. Show you can process the question, give justification for it (i.e. don't just make stuff up), and trust that if God is indeed calling you, it will be enough. 
2. Take a deep breath and don't let people stress you out. You may think it's most likely to be the board who stresses you out, but in my experience, that is not the case. Other candidates are far more effective at this, so just be careful how much you get drawn into it all. The year of my retreat, there was a rumor swirling around the local seminary (I was studying at another and so hadn't heard the rumor till I arrived for the retreat) that a hard quota had been set and only a certain proportion would pass the exam. Like we were all embarking upon some crazy reality show competition. I was fortunate that because my dad was on BOOM I could ask him and got his response of "Of course not." Here's the thing. Don't trust the crazy rumors. Even if they were true (which they almost never are) believe them and getting caught up in them will almost certainly doom you since it will affect your attitude and anxiety.
3. Act like you care. Well, how about this, actually CARE. Put good time and work into your written responses. Attend all required meetings. Meet all deadlines. Everyone on BOOM and DCOMs are busy--many probably busier than you, though that may be hard to believe. No one will feel bad for you in you couldn't do a good job on a required piece. Remember that as intense as the process is, it is certainly no less intense than the schedule and demands of ministry at times. Just think of it as Advent come early. Have people proofread your answers, both for content and grammar. If you don't show in your materials that you care, please do not expect the boards to go out of their way to cut you a break.
4. Know your own materials. In all seriousness I know this can be difficult. I well remember late nights trying to finish up questions, and that sometimes I had to choose between one of three ways to answer a question. But under no circumstances should you show up at the retreat without a very detailed knowledge of your own responses. In fact, if you're really on top of things, have someone read your answers and note for you any questions they would have or anticipate you getting asked based on your answers. This will not only make you more prepared and comfortable when questioned, but will evidence a high degree of self-awareness.
5. Don't try to answer questions you honestly don't know the answer to. It's a very uncomfortable position to be in, I know, but at least evidence an understanding of how you would find or discern the answer. Don't take this approach to all questions, but once or twice this is far better than digging a whole you can't get out of later.
6. Be engaged. Even if another candidate is responding to a question, don't zone off. It appears disrespectful to the board, and will just turn them off. That said, I don't really know how you're supposed to look at someone who is six inches from you and not feel awkward, so find your own way, just make sure you are engaged, or at least learn to act engaged well.
7. Remember that there are a wide range of views represented on the boards. This doesn't mean they can't all agree that an answer was bombed or rocked, but it does mean that most of the time, some people will agree with you more than others. But keep in mind that most board members aren't just judging how well you agree with them, but rather, how well you can process and answer important questions.
8. In regards to your written materials, please keep in mind several things (this is by no means an exhaustive list):

• I’m glad you like UM theology and/or polity, but we didn’t ask you if you liked it, but rather if you can explain it. Spend more time doing that and less time sucking up. The Book of Discipline doesn’t really “get” flattery.
• Please cite things like this is an actual writing, not like you are tossing in a title or something. If you didn’t learn proper citation in college or seminary, learn very quickly.
• There ARE some right and wrong answers. Please use “connectionalism” in some part of your response to the question about primary characteristics of the UMC. It would be a good idea to talk about Holy Conferencing as well. Please use “prevenient grace” as often as possible in your answers. If you don’t understand why these are important words to use, go back to seminary until you do.
• Please do not abbreviate or use initials (even, and perhaps especially “UMC”). This is a real grown up writing, so please take a moment and spell out the words. If you want to be lazy, simply type “UMC” then when you’re done writing, use replace all to replace it with “United Methodist Church.”
• When asked about your personal experience of God, please do, indeed, actually give us a personal experience. Not just a theological discourse. In a more general sense, answer the actual question asked of you. A good answer to a different question doesn't help you.
• It’s the United Methodist Church, not the Methodist Church. Get it straight. And unless you mean “United Methodist theology” (in which case, still, use “United”) then you should probably use “Wesleyan theology.”
• The Golden Rule is not actually in the Bible. It’s one thing for lay people to think it is. It makes you look silly to write it into your answers for ordination.
• And most of all, taking the point of accurate citation one step further, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you fail to cite the material of someone else--even the Book of Discipline. It is dishonest, and will almost certainly disqualify you from the exam. Remember that the board has read a lot of answers. Not only can they catch a quote from the BOD from a mile away, they are catch writing that does not sound like yours. I know working with others to write answers can be tempting, but be very careful (personally, I totally avoided this). You simply should not underestimate the problems you will cause if your response sounds too much like someone else. Not sure a phrase you're using is someone else? Good news. Google can help. Not sure if you have quoted enough of the Book of Discipline to justify quoting it (does "making disciples of Jesus Christ" need to be cited?)? QUOTE IT. You do not want to be the person the board has to split plagiarism hairs over. You just don't.

Keep in mind that clergy board members are looking for someone they would like to have as their colleague, even maybe their parents' pastor. Lay members are looking for someone they would like to have as their pastors. So be nice to them. They do, you know, really try to be nice to you. Just remember it's actually their jobs to learn as much about you as possible. It's what we in the denomination expect of them.

That's about it for now...I'm sure there are other helpful hints, but that's what I've learned so far, for what it's worth.