How can one ecome an ordained minister in the ame church?

Answer 1

To become an ordained minister in the AME Church, one must first be a regular and in good standing member of an AME Church for two years. If you feel a calling, you must then make your wishes known to the pastor of that charge. The pastor will then determine if you are pursuing the itinerant or local track. You must give a trial sermon at which point, the church will have a church conference in which to vote a person to be submitted as a potential licentiate. At the quarterly conference at that church, the Presiding Elder will then issue a preaching license, valid for a year. A candidate will be taken before the District Conference to be voted to be admitted into Annual Conference. It is only after these steps will you be allowed to go to the admission's class of the Board of Examiners (BOE). It takes five years to go through the BOE. If taking the itinerancy route, in three years after starting the BOE, you will be ordained a Deacon if you have a bachelor's degree. To be an itinerant Elder, you must have a Master's degree from an accredited seminary. To be a Local Deacon, you must have attended the BOE for three years. To be a Local Elder, you must complete all five years of the BOE. Deacons, both itinerant and local, can marry, bury, baptize, and assist with communion. Elders, both itinerant and local are the only ones that are able to consecrate the elements for communion and they perform the same rites as Deacons.