Credentials to be licensed?

I think that depends upon the church. My pastor and senior pastor have said they plan to license me soon. I am waiting upon God's timing. But then again I was asked for a letter of testamony and resume from a church in Missouri in view of a youth pastor position. So, I am not sure where to proceed from here. I have submitted the requested material and am awaiting response. It has been almost 2 weeks. Pray that God's perfect will is done.

 

All I did to get licensed by my home church was to share my testimony before the deacons, then they recommended my licensure, then this recommendation went before the church in a business meeting, where the congregation voted on my licensure.

 

Yeah, basically the same happened with me. After a period in which they waited to see whether I would remain faithful to my calling, my pastor presented the idea of liscensing me to the deacons.

After they voted to liscense me, I was presented a certificate on Sunday Night and preached a sermon for it. It was pretty special for me.

 

For many Baptists licensing has been an initial step for a church to recognize a man's gifts and calling to ministry. The spring I was to graduate from college I planned to take a summer pastorate, so I asked my pastor what I should do. He had me meet with the deacons and I was licensed that next week. Ordination is usually a further step after a man has prepared and is now into or ready to embark on his life's ministry. I was ordained while an assistant but a year or so before I became a senior pastor. However, that can vary. Some bible colleges which are in churches even ordain men at graduation. The best idea is to talk with your pastor about how he feels about it and follow his lead.

 

What is licensing? Is it even Biblical. Isn't that why John Bunyan spent something like 12 years in prison--because he refused to be licensed? I was never licensed. But I do read in the Bible of elders or pastors being ordained to the ministry.
DHK

 

I believe Bunyan refused to be licensed by the state . In the context of this thread, men answering God's call on their lives are licensed by the local church . There is a difference.

 

After I preached my first message, about a month later I recieved a license to preach. It is more like a certificate stating your role in the ministry. I find the wallet size license very useful at hospitals and nursing homes.

 

I was ordained about four years after receiving the license. I did not ask to be ordained. The Board of Deacons voted to ordain me based on my ministry in the church and local prisons. I have never pastored a church, although I am now hearing a call towards church planting.

 

Licensure is a formal statement by a church recognizing a person's calling and/or gifts with regard to certain functions of ministry (e.g. preaching). All Christians are ministers, but not all Christians are specifically recognized by First Baptist Church of Baptiston as called to a preaching ministry. Licensure may be to other functions than preaching, it's entirely up to the local church, but "licensed to preach" is the most common one. As someone noted, a card noting your license may be very handy in dealing with hospitals etc.

Haruo