“At Licensing School, the students learn preaching, teaching, UM polity, organization and administration, spiritual formation and counseling, missions and evangelism, and many other practical lessons for serving a congregation,” said Rev. Val Reinhiller, dean of the Dakotas Conference licensing school.

There were 13 students from 3 different Annual Conferences - Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin - that attended the weeklong school held at Living Waters Retreat Center.  Photo: The 2016 licensing school class and instructors at Living Waters Retreat Center, Lake Poinsett, SD. Photo courtesy of Rev. Ross Reinhiller.

There were five professors from the Dakotas Conference teaching the courses: Rev. Gary Ball-Kilbourne, clergy effectiveness; Rev. Chet Cataldo, mission and evangelism; Rev. Ross Reinhiller, public worship, preaching and the sacraments; Rev. Valerie Reinhiller, education ministries in the church; Rev. Eric Van Meter, spiritual formation.

Licensing school is a "crash course" in being a pastor for those who want to be available for appointment or assignment to a church or charge as a licensed local pastor or a certified lay minister. In order to become a licensed local pastor a candidate must complete an application process with the District and Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and complete the licensing school and the Course of Study offered through various seminaries.

A licensed local pastor has answered the call from God to serve the mission of Jesus Christ through the work of the local congregation in The United Methodist Church. Though not ordained, the licensed local pastor performs all the duties of a pastor, including proclamation of the Word; leading worship; administering the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion; the services of marriage; burial; confirmation; and membership reception, within and while appointed to a particular charge or extension ministry. 

Candidates have different reasons for attending.  Three of the participants, Krista Mournet, Kippy Udehn and Don Vanderlip, attended because they will be serving churches in the Dakotas Conference.  Don Vanderlip said, “I went to Licensing School because I was not licensed before while serving as a youth director over the last 14 years.  I am now serving as a licensed local pastor in Flandreau, SD.  One of the great things about the UMC is the connectionalism between pastors and churches, this was felt at licensing school.” 

The school involves an intense learning time for all.  There are five courses that are part of the school. Professors have 12-14 hours to deliver a vast amount of content.  All of the courses required the students to do reading and writing before they come for the week and also after the week is over. 

 “I am grateful for the excellent instruction,” shared Krista Mournet of Sioux Falls Southern Hills UMC, “We are blessed in the Dakotas conference with wonderful models of faith and learning in our instructors for licensing school.”

“If I could describe this experience to others I would have to say that licensing school prepares, equips and sends you off energized for pastoral ministry, added Don Vanderlip. “The bond that occurred for me is something that I will never forget.”

Throughout the week, faculty and students spend time a lot of time together, from sunrise to well after the sunsets.  There are many highlights to the intense experience.

“The highlights for me were wonderful preaching by the students, learning together and working together creating camaraderie within the class.  All the students were encouraging each other as they took the intensive courses,” said Reinhiller.

“I do not have words to describe this experience,” said Kippy Udehn, currently serving the Hitchcock UMC. “It is still unfolding as the layers of material are unwound and put into practice. Each one of us walked away with different experiences and knowledge as God intended.”