After you have prepared as a certified candidate for at least one year (and no more than 12 years) and have completed at least half of your educational requirements, your District Committee on Ministry may choose to approve you for commissioning and provisional membership. The next steps:
Once you are commissioned, you begin provisional membership and are brought into the clergy covenant. During the provisional period (two to eight years), you will serve under appointment by the bishop during the provisional years in areas of service appropriate to your calling. Provisional members may be appointed to congregations (deacons or elders), to attend school, to extension ministry (elders), or in appointments beyond the local church (deacons). They are supervised by a district superintendents to whom they submit an annual report.
The provisional period is a time to gain experience in ministry. To be approved for ordination, the provisional member must demonstrate fruitful ministry. Partial evidence of that fruitfulness is the preparation of a project "that demonstrates fruitfulness in carrying out the church's mission of 'making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.'" Each annual conference develops guidelines for the project.
During the provisional period, your annual conference will prepare a residency in ministry training program to expand your seminary education in practical ways as well as prepare you for your ordination examination. This is an important time of developing supportive and accountable relationships among your clergy colleagues, learning from experience and clarifying your sense of call.
Take responsibility for your growth in ministry. Attend your residency in ministry gatherings, participate openly and honestly, and ask your Board of Ordained Ministry for clarification, if necessary, on their standards for ordained ministry.