This past Saturday, February 26, was my Entrance Panel with three members of the Candidacy Committee. It was going to be scheduled for sometime in April, but the Committee decided to do them a bit differently this time and have them done before their April meeting instead of coinciding with. Anyway, Saturday was the day.
My meeting was in Seymour (my hometown, of all places!) at St. Paul-Borchers. I'd never been there before. It's a very nice church. I met with the Chair of the Committee, a pastor from Indianapolis, and a retired pastor. The interview itself was supposed to last about an hour. Well, mine lasted about an hour and a half. It consisted mainly of me telling my story. My jobs, my family, my church life. And yes, I was just a wee bit nervous. They assured me that it was fine (and quite normal!) to be such.
They then sent me out into the lobby while they wrote up their recommendation and about 1/2 hour later, called me back in to discuss it with me. They also allowed Rebecca to come in with me.
Their recommendation is that I be entranced. They gave me a few suggestions on things I can do, starting now, to prepare myself for this coming fall and beyond.
Overall, I think it went well. I will hear the final decision of the entire committee in early May.
Congratulations, God Bless, Good Luck! I am very happy for you! Candidacy committees usually follow the recommendations of the interviewers. The only people I know who had only hour-long interviews where people not quite ready to begin the program. I'm praying for you, your continued discernment, and your growth as a minister! I'm sure that this is another step in a wonderful journey that will take you places beyond your imagination! Blessings, Chris
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