Ecclesiastical Program for Ministerial Candidacy

An applicant for the Ecclesiastical Program for Ministerial Candidacy is required to submit or arrange for the following:

1. A completed application form (pdf) or online application form accompanied by an autobiography, a statement of Christian commitment, a recent photograph, and the application fee of $25.00.
2. Official transcripts of all academic work beyond high school.
3. An ecclesiastical recommendation from the governing body of the Christian Reformed church in which the applicant holds membership.
4. Three other recommendations: writing and speech recommendations from the applicant's most recent professors most able to evaluate the applicant's ability in writing and public address, and one personal recommendation from a seminary professor with whom the student has done considerable course work or from an employer, supervisor, or colleague.
5. If you intend to enroll in the summer seminar you must be admitted to the EPMC program by April 1 of that year.

All students enrolled at seminaries other than Calvin Theological Seminary who desire licensure to exhort in Christian Reformed congregations and who intend to seek candidacy in the Christian Reformed Church must be admitted to the Ecclesiastical Program for Ministerial Candidacy. Requirements for such admittance are the same as those for admission to the Master of Divinity program. The Ecclesiastical Program for Ministerial Candidacy, in combination with other theological study and ministry practice experience, must form an acceptable equivalent to the entire pre-seminary and seminary program required of Calvin Seminary graduates as preparation for Christian Reformed ministry.

Applicants should review those standards as well as guidelines for possible adjustment to them in the description of the Master of Divinity program. A continuing relationship to Calvin Theological Seminary must be maintained through annual submission of transcripts, continuing status as a theological student with proper academic standing, satisfactory evaluations, and annual licensure renewals. Further information is found in the Calvin Theological Seminary Student Handbook.

Calvin Theological Seminary wants the ten weeks and two weeks of in-residence study to be an enjoyable and rich experience for every student. A hospitality team designs several community building social events for the time students are in residence as well as opportunities to meet various denominational leaders, tour significant denominational sites, and enjoy the natural beauty of Western Michigan. These social events and field experiences underscore one of the most valuable features of the EPMC program, namely, the opportunity to get to know other students and pastors, seminary professors, and leaders in the CRCNA. Lifelong collegial friendships and networks of support often develop from the relationships that are formed during the EPMC experience.

Special note for Canadian students: Please note that you will need an F-1 Visa to participate in both the summer seminar and the fall term. In order to allow for sufficient time to process and issue an I-20 form, you must submit your declaration of finances and other documentation by May 1 of the year in which you intend to begin your program.

Students seeking candidacy for ministry in the Christian Reformed Church should apply for candidacy in December of the year prior to the meeting of synod at which they intend to be declared candidates. Please click on this Candidacy Application Requirements link for important information on the candidacy application process.