The Board of Ministerial Standing recently approved John Kuvakas for ordination. It was encouraging for me to be the one to do so on behalf of BOMS.

John was also greatly encouraged. It was a delight for me to read of his journey in his recent blog post. He describes the process very well. He also strongly affirms the process and its importance. For these reasons, I include reference to it here so that you can hear it from John himself. What follows are some of the highlights about which he wrote.

John was called to ministry in 2002, and did not have much experience and with no formal training, either pastoral or theological. He and the elders determined that in light of not attending seminary he would learn through attendance at carefully chosen Conferences (many of those were our Theology Conferences), purchasing and reading of many books and going through GATEWAY in the District. At the conclusion of GATEWAY, he had written a doctrinal statement which prepared him to write the licensing paper and appear before a District credentialing council.

Once he received the license (at this time it was a three-year temporary license, which is now a five-year renewable), he continued to study, write and refine his theology and doctrine. At the end of this time John wrote an ordination paper and articulated his doctrinal beliefs before a District credentialing council. (I appreciate his honest description of this.) This led to a conditional approval in which he was required to study further five doctrinal issues. At the conclusion of this further study, his material was sent to the national Board of Ministerial Standing, who approved John for ordination in the EFCA.

John writes, “It is not a degree and does not allow me the honor of placing any letters before or after my name. However, it does say that I’ve been thoroughly examined in my theology and endorsed as a minister of the gospel and shepherd of the flock by a rigorous council of peers and highly educated men. . . . I give all praise and honor to God! In Him, all things are truly possible!”

I rejoice with him (and many others licensed and ordained in the EFCA)!