Vineyard USA Ordination
Ordination begins in the local church, where community discerns and affirms God's call. Vineyard USA comes alongside that discernment to offer national endorsement and support across the movement.
Formed in the local church
Ordination itself is carried out by the local church, the community that has witnessed the Candidate’s life, character, and formation up close and over time. Vineyard USA issues national endorsement as an expression of shared discernment, affirming that a pastor is recognized across the broader Vineyard movement.
These two actions are distinct and complementary. Together they reflect our conviction that pastoral identity is formed in community and recognized through relationship — with Vineyard USA stewarding a common theological and formational standard so that ordination carries consistent meaning across the movement.
"This process centers the call God has placed on your life and the formation of the pastor you are becoming."
Roles & partnership
Four parties hold distinct responsibilities that work together: relationally, formationally, and with mutual accountability.
Participates as an active partner in their own formation, with honesty, openness, and spiritual attentiveness. Responsible for their own growth, health, and readiness throughout.
Carries primary responsibility for the Candidate’s formation within the life of the local church. The Sponsoring Pastor leads the development pathway and provides pastoral care throughout the journey.
Stewards a shared framework for pastoral formation across the movement. Provides structure, tools, and guidance, and facilitates key conversations that anchor each phase of the process.
Invited to offer perspective from beyond the local context, with fresh eyes that may notice patterns those closest to the Candidate cannot see as easily. Their role is consultative and pastoral in nature.
What a Vineyard pastor is
The ordination process is organized around a simple but profound question: what does it mean to be a Vineyard pastor? The Be–Know–Do framework answers that question across three dimensions of pastoral identity. Every phase of the process, from the initial application to the development pathway, is shaped by these areas and the 10 ordination competencies that flow from them.
Identity & Character
Who the pastor is becoming: their inner life, relational maturity, emotional health, and character formed in intimacy with God.
Theological Formation
What the pastor understands: theological clarity, Vineyard distinctives, knowledge of Scripture, and the broader story of the Church.
Practices of Ministry
How the pastor leads, serves, and equips: practicing ministry with wisdom, humility, and love in the real life of the church, and engaging the world with compassion, justice, and Spirit-empowered mission.
Read the Be–Know–Do Framework · 10 Ordination Competencies
Mutual Accountability
You bring yourself honestly to this process. Here's what everyone else brings.
How it works
The process unfolds across four phases, each building on the last: from establishing call and story, to honest assessment, to a carefully led season of development that leads to ordination and endorsement.
Phase 1
The process begins with confirming sponsorship and submitting your application. This phase formally opens the journey by inviting you to tell your story: your faith, your call, your ministry experience, and what you’re hoping for from this season.
Phase 2
Candidates reflect more deeply on their pastoral health and formation, engaging in a structured self-assessment, honest conversation with their Sponsoring Pastor, completing a background check, and participating in a psychological assessment.
Phase 3
Phase 3 is where everything that has been gathered comes together. The Sponsoring Pastor, Translocal Leader, and Candidate each offer independent written reflections on what stands out from the process. The Ordination Guide synthesizes those perspectives and prepares for the Pastoral Conversation — a gathering of all the key participants to give thanks for what has been offered, name what has been noticed, and ask the questions that still need asking.
From that conversation, the Sponsoring Pastor and Ordination Guide work together to shape a personalized development pathway for the Candidate. The Sponsoring Pastor authors a letter naming the plan and committing to walk through it with them. Then the real work begins — a season of formation led by the Sponsoring Pastor within the life of the local church, with the Ordination Guide staying connected throughout.
Abbreviated Pathways
In rare cases, the Pastoral Conversation may lead to a recommendation to move toward ordination and endorsement without a full development season. This is not a shortcut and is not assumed. It is reserved for Candidates whose formation and readiness are already clearly evident — for example, a Candidate with significant ministerial experience who was formed and ready but came to formal ordination later in their ministry journey, or certain ordination transfers where equivalent formation has already taken place. These situations are discerned carefully by the Sponsoring Pastor, Ordination Guide, and Candidate.
Phase 4
When the development pathway has been completed and readiness has been affirmed, the local church proceeds with ordination. Vineyard USA then issues national endorsement, recognizing the Candidate as an ordained Vineyard pastor within the movement.
Common questions
Anyone who demonstrates a clear call to lifelong pastoral ministry in the Vineyard, is affirmed by a Sponsoring Pastor and local Vineyard church, and is willing to engage the process with honesty and openness. Candidates should have demonstrated experience in ministry. However, they come from a wide range of ministry contexts and do not need to hold a particular title or be in a full-time role. Ordination is about recognizing the shape of a call, not fitting a fixed mold.
No. Many ordained Vineyard pastors serve as associate pastors, co-vocational pastors, or in other ministry roles. What matters is the demonstrated experience, call, and connection with the local church, not a specific title or employment status.
Every Candidate must have a Sponsoring Pastor and a Sponsoring Vineyard Church. In rare cases, a Vineyard USA National Ministry may serve as the Sponsoring Church, but every Candidate must still have a Sponsoring Pastor who commits to walking with them through the process.
Licensing and ordination are distinct but complementary. Licensing is a year-to-year certificate granted by the governing body of your local church that authorizes you to perform the functions of the pastorate. Ordination is a recognition of a lifelong call to pastoral ministry, carried out by the local church and nationally endorsed by Vineyard USA. If you’re currently licensed and sense a call to lifelong pastoral ministry in the Vineyard, talk with your pastor. Ordination may be the right next step.
No rigid deadline exists, and the process is designed to move at a pace that serves formation, not just completion. That said, we’d encourage steady engagement. A number of factors shape the timeline, including a Candidate’s ministry context, their readiness at each stage, and the length of the development season in Phase 3. For many Candidates, the full process from Phase 1 through ordination is expected to take approximately 18–24 months — but that is a general picture, not a guarantee.
The Sponsoring Pastor is the primary leader of the Candidate’s formation throughout the entire process. They walk closely with the Candidate, offering pastoral care, spiritual guidance, and leadership support. They complete their own parallel assessment in Phase 2, participate in the Pastoral Conversation in Phase 3, and lead the Candidate’s development season. They name both strengths and areas for growth with honesty and charity, create space for the Candidate’s voice and self-understanding to be heard, and prioritize the Candidate’s long-term health over speed or organizational pressure.
The Ordination Candidate and Sponsoring Pastor meet and talk with one another and the Vineyard USA Ordination Guide. If something surfaces that needs attention, we are likely able to make the adjustments that are necessary. Among other possibilities, this may include adjusting the development pathway, pausing to address something specific, or having a direct conversation about readiness. The emphasis is always on care, clarity, and shared discernment.
Ordination is carried out by the local church: the community that has witnessed the Candidate’s life, character, and formation. National endorsement is Vineyard USA’s affirmation of that ordination, recognizing shared alignment with Vineyard theology, values, and pastoral identity. The two are distinct and complementary. Local churches ordain; Vineyard USA endorses. Together, they ensure that ordination carries consistent meaning across the movement.
Yes. Churches always maintain the responsibility to provide oversight to those they ordain and may revoke ordination based on the standards outlined in their bylaws. When that happens, Vineyard USA will withdraw national endorsement to reflect the local church’s decision.
Vineyard USA may also withdraw endorsement in rare cases where serious concerns arise — such as misconduct, failure to meet shared expectations, or breach of relational commitments — even if the local church has not taken formal action to revoke ordination. In these situations, Vineyard USA commits to working directly with the local church and its board to address concerns collaboratively, seeking clarity, accountability, and alignment whenever possible.
Endorsement reflects a shared affirmation of a pastor’s call, character, and conduct. If circumstances call that into question, both the local church and Vineyard USA have roles to play, but neither acts lightly. Any potential removal involves pastoral conversation, clear communication, and a commitment to handle the process with integrity and care.
The application fee is $650 for the Candidate alone, or $1,000 for the Candidate and spouse, if the Candidate chooses to complete the psychological assessment with their spouse or if the Candidate’s Sponsoring Church requires this. The fee covers the cost of the background check, the psychological assessment, and a small processing fee.
Ordination is a recognition of a lifelong call to pastoral ministry. How the fee gets covered is up to you and your church. Some Sponsoring Churches cover it, some Candidates cover it, and sometimes it’s split. A limited scholarship fund exists for situations where financial need is necessary. If scholarship funds are needed, they will likely be partial. Please contact with additional questions.
Yes. The fee may be paid by the Sponsoring Church, Candidate, or split between them. It may be paid in installments. Sponsoring Pastors can log in at ordinationapplication.vineyardusa.org to make payment on behalf of the Candidate.
The psychological assessment is about growing in understanding of health and readiness for long-term ministry. Conducted by Campion Barrow & Associates or another qualified third-party provider, it offers a practical snapshot of selected aspects of emotional, relational, and spiritual health. It does not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. It focuses on strengths and areas for growth, equipping the Candidate and those walking with them to take next steps with clarity and confidence. Your Ordination Guide will walk you through what to expect ahead of time and is available to address any questions or concerns.
The background check is a standard review of public records, including criminal and court records. It is required for all Candidates before proceeding into Phase 3.
No. Vineyard church plants may be led by a pastor who is not yet ordained. However, once your church transitions from church plant status to an established Vineyard church — which typically happens after a couple of years, when the church meets the criteria defined in the National Leadership Handbook (Section 2.1.2.2) — the Lead Pastor will need to hold Vineyard ordination and endorsement.
The same as for any other Candidate: four phases, the same assessments, the same formation framework. When you begin the process is up to you and your church. Some planters begin during the planting season; others wait until after the church is established. If you have questions about if and/or when ordination may make sense for you as a church planter, talk with your plant’s sponsoring pastor.
The only difference that may apply is this: church planters in the ordination process may be exempt from repeating the psychological assessment if they recently completed it as part of the planting process.
Not necessarily. If you completed a psychological assessment as part of the Vineyard church planting process, you may not be required to repeat it as part of the ordination process. This would also reduce the total cost associated with Phase 2. Your Ordination Guide will talk with you about this when you begin the ordination process.
For the Lead Pastor, ordination comes into the picture at the end of Phase 2 of the adoption process. You’ll be prompted to begin the ordination process at that point. The discernment and alignment work that comes through the ordination process factors into the adoption itself. If the adoption proceeds, the hope is that you’ll be well along in the ordination or ordination transfer process by the time it’s complete — or that it may already be finished. Other pastoral staff at an adopting church should begin the ordination or ordination transfer process after the adoption is complete.
Yes. All Candidates, including those transferring ordination credentials from another church, denomination, or movement, go through the same four-phase process. Depending on your formation and experience, you may be invited to follow an abbreviated pathway through Phase 3, but that is discerned through the process rather than assumed from the start.
Ordination and chaplaincy endorsement are distinct processes. Vineyard USA ordination is the local church’s recognition of your lifelong calling to pastoral ministry, nationally endorsed by Vineyard USA. Chaplaincy endorsement is a separate authorization issued by Vineyard USA — or through Vineyard USA’s relationship with the National Association of Evangelicals — to a specific institution or credentialing body, certifying that you are in good standing and qualified for chaplaincy service. Depending on your chaplaincy context, you may need one, both, or neither. For assistance, please contact .
Military chaplaincy requires both ordination and ecclesiastical endorsement. Vineyard USA routes military chaplain endorsement through the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) and its chaplaincy arm, the Evangelical Chaplains Commission (ECC). The standard flow is: complete the Vineyard ordination process, receive ordination from your local church and national endorsement from Vineyard USA, and then VUSA provides a letter of good standing to the NAE/ECC, which formally endorses you for military service. For assistance, please contact .
Healthcare chaplains pursuing board certification through the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) and its certification affiliate, the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Inc. (BCCI), need denominational endorsement as part of the application process. Vineyard USA provides this. You do not need to be ordained to receive chaplaincy endorsement from Vineyard USA through BCCI. However, you may pursue ordination alongside or following the endorsement process if that reflects your call. To initiate endorsement, contact .
If you are pursuing board certification from the Spiritual Care Association (SCA), the National Association of Veterans Affairs Chaplains (NAVAC), the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP), or another accrediting body, please also reach out to . for assistance.
Ready to begin?
Applications are submitted exclusively online. You can begin, save your progress, and return at any time. Before you apply, confirm sponsorship with your pastor.