Provisional Membership

PROVISIONAL MEMBERSHIP IN THE UMC

After you have been certified as a candidate for at least one year (and no more than 12 years) and have completed at least half of your educational requirements, your annual conference may choose to approve you for commissioning. Once commissioned, you begin provisional membership and are brought into the clergy covenant.

Learn more about Provisional Membership in the UMC by visiting GBHEM’s Provisional Membership Page.

As you continue in your journey as a Provisional Member Candidate for ordained ministry, we know that this process may seem rather complex and intimidating. If you have questions or concerns along the way, please don’t hesitate to contact the Provisional Member Registrar Rev. Chris Owens, or Ministerial Services Coordinator Hilary Ann Golden.

Process and Requirements for COMMISSIONING as Provisional Member 

New Provisional Member Application documents will be available here beginning May 1.

All candidates must be invited by the Provisional Member Registrar to submit materials for consideration to become Provisional Members of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, after having been approved by their District Committee on Ordained Ministry.  The following materials have been provided for informational purposes, but applications will only be accepted by those who have been officially invited to submit materials.

General Information and Instructions

• Before you do anything, please read the Plagiarism, Copyright, and Respect for Intellectual Property document in its entirety.
• All application materials will be submitted through the BWC Application Portal. You will not submit any materials by mail or email. Please keep a personal copy of everything.
• All deadlines listed are considered hard deadlines. No application materials will be accepted after the relevant deadlines, except in extenuating circumstances.
• Contact the Provisional Member Registrar Rev. Chris Owens or Ministerial Services Coordinator Hilary Ann Golden with questions or concerns.

 Download the 2025 Exams Checklist of Requirements

Sermon Review Download the 2025 Sermon Submission Instructions Download the Sermon Evaluation Rubric	Biblical Skills Download 2025 Biblical Skills Instructions Download the Biblical Skills Student Evaluation Form Download the Biblical Skills Evaluation Rubric
Medical Summary Report Download the Medical Summary Report (Form 103)	Written Responses Written Responses Submission Instructions and Template Written Responses Evaluation Rubric