Synodical Application Instructions for Colloquy Program Candidates

Synodical Application Instructions for Colloquy Program Candidates

Congratulations! Now that you have finished the required course work and survived the exams, we're ready to get you on record as a candidate for a Divine Call as a Commissioned Minister.

The Board of Assignments requires that an initial Call into professional church work happen under the supervision of the Synodical Placement Director of the institution certifying the person. What that means is that, since you have now been certified by a committee of the Concordia University faculty through your Colloquy Exam, I can work to either facilitate a Call to the congregation or school in which you now serve on a contract basis, or we can disseminate your candidacy information to congregations needing a person with your gifts. About ninety-five percent of the time, the Colloquy candidate receives a Call to the site in which they are already serving. It should be understood, however, that the Call itself originates with the congregation or other Calling Body, not with the Placement office nor by a candidate "applying for the job". By definition, a Divine Call is the means by which a worker is "summoned into service" - and the congregation is the entity from which the summons originates and is then sanctioned through the Placement office.

The Application for Synodical Placement is the means by which we record your willingness to enter into the service of the Church. That document and other necessary forms to open your credential file along with the accompanying instructions are available to you by accessing the Concordia University website here. You will need to access a computer with Microsoft Word '97 or later to complete the application.

If you are anticipating that you are going to receive a Call to your current place of service, you may submit a somewhat abbreviated version of the application. Please complete the form as follows:

Page 1: All information requested

Page 2: You may either attach a photocopy of your undergraduate transcript, or you may simply note that "Transcripts are available upon request" and then be willing to provide that information when asked to do so. The Placement Office does not copy the transcripts which you may have submitted as part of your Colloquy Application.

Page 3: All information requested as applicable

Pages 4, 5: Complete only if you anticipate being placed at a site via through the Placement Office, as in, "Here am I; Send me…wherever I'm needed." The information here will be of interest to potential Calling bodies.

Page 6: Please complete as indicated. Your response should be limited to this page only.

Page 7: Submit only if you qualify to receive a Call as a DCE

Page 8: Submit only if you qualify to receive a Call as a Deaconess

Please examine the application to be sure that your page breaks are in the correct places (refer to "Placement Guidelines") and that all information is clear and accurate. Save your own copy of the form. Send an electronic file as an attachment to crfplacement@cuchicago.edu. Make sure that your name and "placement application" is in the subject box of the email. Please contact our office at 708.209.3030 or crfplacement@cuchicago.edu if you have any questions at all about how to complete this application.

In addition to the electronic file submit to the Placement Office one signed hard copy of page 6 of your Synodical Placement Application.

Thank you - I look forward to working through this process with you!

Mark A. Waldron, Director, Synodical Placement Office