How do you enter the clergy?

Answer 1

You can become a clergy by going to seminary. However you can become a minister online. You can sign up on a web site and immediately be a minister. This is perfectly legal in the United States, however some states have additional requirements.

Answer 2

First, do not go to a College of Theologians for there you will only be taught the precepts of men and not of God.

Second, repentance of all your sins and having the Holy Spirit confirm to you that your sins are forgiven you.

Third, have an unshakable testimony that Jesus is the Christ, this is another witness of the Holy Spirit.

Fourth, study the gospel as contained in the King James Version, this is the most accurate of all translations of the holy scriptures. To be able to understand what is contained in the scriptures one must study, fast and pray for understanding and wisdom.

Fifth, and this is probably one of the most important, search for the church which is not a breakaway from others churches. The church must be called by the name of Christ. It must have a Prophet at its head with twelve assistants (Apostles) who had been called and set apart to their Holy calling by Holy Angels and not by man.

Sixth, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins and have the Holy Spirit confered upon you, he will be you constant companion to help and guide you in your desire to preach the gospel. In doing so you will receive no payment for your reward will be in heaven.

Finally, the desire to preach the gospel is conditioned upon ones faithfulness in keeping ALL of the commandments.

Answer 3

Answer 1: No license is required to be clergy... at least not in the US. And bear in mind that by "license," I'm referring to a secular thing, granted by government... like a driver's license, or a medical license, or a nurse's license... that sort of thing.

Because of the US's First Amendment separation of church and state, the state (the government) takes no position as to when or how any person may either call themselves, or be called by others, "clergy." It's simply none of government's business. And that's not my manifesto. Rather, it's simply a statement of how even government views things. And that's as it should be.

Within any given religious tradition, however, there may, indeed, be both special requirements in order to become clergy; and one of them may be called "licensure" or "clerical license" or any derivative thereof; but such is not the same as going out and getting a license from government in order to be "clergy."

Now, that said, some states more strictly and tightly define "clergy" than others; and states care about who is and who isn't legitimately clergy whenever something official, and with standing in law, must be performed by clergy... like a wedding, for example. Marriage is, indeed, a religious thing; but it also has serious meaning and consequence in law. And so, then, most states don't want just anyone performing weddings; and many states fairly specifically define what things must be true about the person in question before s/he may legally call himself/herself "clergy" for purposes of doing something with legal consequences, like, for example, presiding over a wedding ceremony.

But even then, the state doesn't "license" the clergy. Rather, the state simply specifies what must be true in order for anyone to call himself or herself clergy for purposes of performing a act with such profound legal consequences as marriage. Such things that state laws which attempt to define clergy generally tend to include are that, for example, the clergyperson has been ordained by a recognized religion or denomination; and has said religion or denomination's official endorsement... sometimes called "ecclesiastical endorsement."

Other states, though, are pretty laissez faire about it all; and tend not to get too persnickety about who is and isn't clergy. It all just depends on the state.

But, regardless, the state doesn't issue licenses for it.

A given denomination or religion might, though. Before one may be clergy in such religions or denominations, they may, indeed, need to obtain said religion or denomination's "license." But such a "license" has no meaning in secular law, to the state. It's strictly a convention of the religion or denomination in question.

Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, and other Christian denominations sometimes have, as an educational credential, what's called a "Licentiate in Theoloogy" or a "Licentiate in Sacred Theology," which they sometimes consider to be the bare minimum that their clergy must have in order to be ordained and called "clergy." But higher-level degrees -- a Master of Divinity degree, for example, which is the most common and normative professional degree for clergy -- will also work. Some denominations also use the "Licentiate" designation to indicate that the masters-level degree was earned, but that the graduate didn't have the requisite bachelors-level degree when s/he entered the program. And "licentiate" can have all kinds of ther meanings to different faith traditions. There's nothing in the secular law of the state about it.

So, then, the answer to the question, "[h]ow to get licensed as a clergy," is to go talk to whatever religious tradition in which you'd like to become clergy, and find out what are its requirements. With the large, mainline Christian denominations, for example, it usually requires an academic bachelors degree in almost any subject (but best if something like religion or, better yet, philosophy); and then a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree, usually from the official seminary of whatever is the Christian denomination in which one wants to be ordained. There may also be additional requirements, such as, for example, that the canididate must be recommended for clergy by other clergy, or that s/he must do a year or two of practicum in a church either during or immediately after the earning of the aforementioned MDiv. Then there's also, likely, a detailed background check to ensure that the new MDiv graduate and soon-to-be-clergy isn't a convicted pedophile or something. That sort of thing.

If all of that is in order, then most mainline Christian denominations will simply then just ordain the candidate, and assign him/her to his/her ministry (either a church, or a non-profit organization, or as a health care chaplain, or whatever).

Some denominations, though, may first issue a denominational license... which is where you might have heard about "licensed clergy." Again, it's not a state-government-issued, secular license. Rather, it's simply a formality of whatever is the denomination in question.

Answer 4

Repent of your sins