Candidacy Pathway

To embody God’s love in the world,
   the work of the church requires the ministry and discipleship
   of all believers. 

—A Song of Faith (2006)

For communities of faith to thrive there must be collaboration between clergy and lay people, among communities of faith, and between communities of faith and their neighbourhood. Relationships are core to ministry and central to the pathways into ministry in the United Church of Canada.  

Candidates of The United Church of Canada are expected to possess and demonstrate a capacity to develop:

• a strong and active spiritual life
• the ability to articulate the faith traditions of the United Church and historic Christian traditions
• social and theological awareness and ability to inspire faithfulness within community
• vocational identity, effective ministry, and responsible leadership 

These competencies form the foundation of the ethical standards and standards of practice for ministers in the United Church of Canada.

The United Church of Canada celebrates that God calls individuals with varying gifts and abilities specifically to the vocation of ministry in order to faithfully lead the church in living out its purpose for the sake of a broken world.

We are each given particular gifts of the Spirit.
For the sake of the world,
   God calls all followers of Jesus to Christian ministry.
In the church,
   some are called to specific ministries of leadership,
   both lay and ordered;
   some witness to the good news;
   some uphold the art of worship;
   some comfort the grieving and guide the wandering;
   some build up the community of wisdom;
   some stand with the oppressed and work for justice.

— A Song of Faith (2006) 

How to Enter Ministry Leadership

The first step, and an ongoing practice when considering ministry leadership, is discernment. Contact candidacypathway@united-church.ca to request a conversation about discernment opportunities. Ordered ministry is only one expression of ministry leadership. Begin your discernment by reading Vocations of the Whole People of God (2025), available at the bottom of this page.

If you would like to learn about the candidacy process for ordered ministry, please download the Candidacy Pathway: Roadmap from the link below or watch the Roadmap video. The Roadmap is the best place to start before you explore other resources. 

The Candidacy Pathway Policy is designed to assist people in discerning their call to ministry leadership and to assist the church in walking with them in the formal process of candidacy.