Nebraska Synod ELCA
Candidacy is the process of preparation and formation for those seeking to be rostered in the ELCA as ministers in Word and Sacrament or Word and Service.
Candidacy is a collaborative partnership among candidates, congregations, synods, seminaries, cultural communities, and the churchwide organization. ELCA seminaries, in consultation with these partners, provide theological education that includes academic study, practical experience, and ministerial formation. Students may study full- time or part-time through on-campus, distance, collaborative, or accelerated learning options, with financial assistance and scholarships available.
The Candidacy Committee is a group of lay and clergy, who are tasked with meeting with candidates and discerning together how God is calling each of them into ministry. Together with the candidate, home congregation, and seminary, we form a team that surrounds each person in prayer and mentorship. We seek to advocate for healthy leaders who are called by the Holy Spirit to serve in a variety of contexts and roles, utilizing unique gifts for ministry.
Contact us at candidacy@nebraskasynod.org. We will pray for you, answer any questions you may have, and direct you to resources you may need. We host a free, annual retreat for those engaged with the candidacy process, and those who are discerning a call to ministry.
If you feel called to support the Candidacy process or efforts, make a gift through the giving page, and designate it to the Candidacy fund