(RNS) — How does one become a pastor in the new Global Methodist Church?The fledgling Methodist denomination, a home for congregations and clergy that have broken away from the United Methodist Church amid ongoing debate over the role of LGBTQ Christians, has announced a list of recommended educational institutions for candidates seeking ordination as a deacon or elder.
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“None of these schools are Global Methodist schools,” said the Rev. Keith Boyette, who heads the denomination as its transitional connectional officer. “They serve diverse constituencies, diverse student bodies. We don’t expect them to be exclusively for the Global Methodist Church, but we’re looking at are they as an institution aligned with who we are and our mission and our doctrine and our practices as a church?”
The first six schools approved as recommended educational institutions of the Global Methodist Church are:
Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.
Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio.
Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.
Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
Wesley Biblical Seminary in Ridgeland, Mississippi.
All of the institutions applied for the recommended status with the Global Methodist Church.
United is the only school on the list that is owned and operated by the United Methodist Church. The others turn out clergy of various Protestant denominations, though Wesley focuses on small, historic Methodist denominations such as Congregational Methodists.
On Wednesday (March 22), the Global Methodist Church added a second alternative pathway toward completing the educational requirements for ordained ministry outlined in its Transitional Book of Doctrines and Disciplines. Those pathways include online, hy …