MAKING APPLICATION FOR MINISTRY
MAKING APPLICATION FOR MINISTRY
Virgil Warren, PhD
I. Cover Letter
Applying for a ministry can have two written aspects beyond any (a) verbal contacts with the prospective church by phone or otherwise. The first is a (b) cover letter and the second is a (c) resumé. In the cover letter you can indicate how you became aware of the opening and why you are interested in the job. Depending on the circumstance, you may reinforce your interest in that ministry by relating you background briefly as well as the reason for your sense of calling to ministry. You may include some statement about your family’s commitment with you to this work. Giving a general statement of faith helps those who review applications know where you are doctrinally. They will want to know about your view of the nature and work of Christ, the nature of scripture, the process of salvation, and so forth. Christian churches will be interested in your commitment to the restoration plea. Giving your concept of ministry may also be useful. In the statement of background applicants may give an account of their conversion, especially if they became Christians after their high school years.
The way you write your letter of introduction will show the selection committee how well you can express yourself in writing; so take care in making it reflect an acceptable level of competency in written composition and awareness of form in typed correspondence. Be sure to date the cover letter, include inside address and return address in it, and sign it. Make a copy for your own records.
Since the resumé contains objective information without comment, you may use the cover letter to personalize yourself to the readers in regard to any of the specifics listed on that other form. Here is the place where you can spell out reasons you consider your skills and their level appropriate to the ministry you are applying for. Of course, do not oversell yourself. It will probably be detected before the church hires you; and if not, you will not be able to live up to expectations if you actually go to that field. Their disillusionment will work against you in that job and in the ones that follow if “things do not work out.” You should give enough information to create interest in your application compared to other applications, but you do not have to say everything that would be good for them to know. After the preliminary selection has identified the more promising prospects, there will be phone conversations and letters as well as actual interviews with the selection committee, church leaders, and members of the congregation. You can leave something for later.
As a general safeguard against unintentional omissions, offer to furnish orally or in writing any additional information, including a transcript of your college work (legally they will not be able to get a transcript except through you).
II. Resumé
In addition to the cover letter, a resumé has become traditional. Whereas the above item has the form of a letter with full sentences and paragraph layout, a resumé has the form of an outline, or listing, organized under main headings with sub-entries. Usually it differs from a strict outline in not using Roman numerals, capital and lower-case numbers and letters before the headings and sub-entries.
Resumés typically include your age, sex (if not clear from the name or other factors), birth date, marital status, the name of your spouse, the names and age of your children, address, phone numbers where you may be reached at work or at home, parents, educational background, previous experience particularly in roles related to the one you are applying for as well as a listing of other kinds of work you have done, any awards or honors you have received, special interests and hobbies that may even be unrelated to ministry, organizational memberships, any publications to your credit. Customarily resumé begin with a short statement of objective. Obviously the younger you are the fewer entries your resumé will have.
You can include a category for special interests, hobbies, or skills that you have, particularly if they would enhance this prospective ministry. Dated entries are customarily arranged in reverse chronological order, the most recent listed first.
Three to five references normally appear at the end of a resumé. They could come at the end of the cover letter if you prefer to make the resumé look more like a vita sheet. A note about how each reference relations to you helps interviewers anticipate what they can learn from each reference. Although people you select as references seldom refuse to serve in this role, out of courtesy ask their permission so they will be able to give some thought to what they will say if and when someone contacts them. Besides, employers often request written recommendations that they can share with other members of the search committee; so your references may end up spending an hour or so in order to help you out in this way.
Select references who relate to you in various ways so the committee can get different kinds of input. Remember that just because someone agrees to be a reference he is not necessarily promising to give you a positive report. Employers will understand that the people you give as references, however, are likely to give you a positive recommendation. Consequently, they will talk to other people as well. They may even ask your references for further contact persons. Interviewers will ask your references about matters beyond the distinctives of their relationship to you and your abilities in the tasks you performed for them. As a matter of fact, church employers are particularly interested in such intangibles as your personality and social skills. It is best then to choose references who are more than passing acquaintances even though they may be respected people whose opinions would be valued for that reason.
As a final entry in your application, include a recent photograph of yourself and if possible a picture of your spouse (and family).
RESUMÉ FOR BIBLE COLLEGE GRADUATE
POSITION OBJECTIVE: ministry with a congregation desiring to strengthen its educational program
PERSONAL
Address: James R. Dobbins Health: Excellent
1415 Anderson Avenue
Manhattan, Kansas 66502
Phone: (913) 539-3571 Marital Status: Married (no children)
Home Address: 707 S. Jefferson Street Age: 24 (born August 27, l966)
Stillwell, Kansas 67721
EDUCATIONAL
A. B. Bible/Christian Education (Spring, l991); Manhattan Christian College, Manhattan, Kansas; 3.25 GPA
One semester’s study at Barton County Community College, Fall, l986
VALUABLE COLLEGE EXPERIENCES
Weekend youth ministry, August, l990 to June, 1991; Lenexa Christian Church, Lenexa, Kansas. Responsibilities included calling, preparing youth lessons for senior high youth group, teaching junior high Sunday school, organizing youth activities
Gospel Team captain for two years: l987-l988 and l988-l989 school years. Responsi- bilities including liaison work between churches and the gospel team, scheduling, making arrangements for travel, housing, and the like.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Summer, l990 Gibson’s Discount Center, 2219 East 6th, Stillwater, Oklahoma. Full-time stocker
Summer, l989 Hardee’s Restaurant, 606 N. Manhattan, Manhattan, Kansas. Full-time cook.
Summer, l987 and l988 Brewer Motor Company, 606 N. Poyntz, Manhattan, Kansas. Full-time sales assistant.
COLLEGE EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND HONORS
Junior class President
Residence Hall Council
Long Range Student Affairs Planning Committee
Who’s Who Among College Students (1991)
Sunday School Teach at Crestview Christian Church, Manhattan, Kansas
REFERENCES
Mr. Hiram Cassel
Church Relations Officer (work study supervisor during two years at MCC and one
Manhattan Christian College of the professors for several courses I took)
1415 Anderson Avenue
Manhattan, Kansas 66502
Ph. (913) 539-5031
Mr. John Brewer
Sales Manager (my supervisor while I worked at Brewer Motor Company)
Brewer Motor Company
606 N. Poyntz
Manhattan, Kansas 66502
Ph. (913) 539-3328
Mr. James Conway
Chairman of the Elders (elder at Crestview during the time I was teaching Sunday
Crestview Christian Church school there)
4761 Tuttle Creek Boulevard
Manhattan, Kansas 66502
Ph. (913) 776-3798
BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
Dr. Virgil Warren
PERSONAL
Born: September 25, l942
Parents: Ervin and Elanora Warren
Married: Ruth Ann Messimer, June 7, l963
Children: David, born May 31, l965
Steven, born September 8, l966
Tara Daun, born November 3, l968
Donna Michelle, born February 1, l977
EDUCATIONAL
Public Schools, Guilford (grades 1-9) and Lawrenceburg, Indiana (9-12), l948-l960
A.B., The Cincinnati Bible Seminary, l960-l967
Th.B., The Cincinnati Bible Seminary, 1968
M.Div., Wheaton College Graduate School of Theology, 1968-1971
M.A., Wheaton College Graduate School of Theology, 1973
Graduate Study, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 1975; Indiana University, 1975; University of Louisville, 1975
Ph.D., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1977
MINISTERIAL
Board of Elders and Deacons, The Lawrenceburg Christian Church, Lawrenceburg, Indiana, 1965-1968
Interim Ministries at Franklin, Ohio; Oxford, Ohio; Amelia, Ohio; Mt. Eden, Indiana; Antioch, Kentucky, 1972-1974; Chester, Nebraska, 1977-1978; Lawrence, Kansas, 1979; Vermillion, Kansas, 1979-1980; Onaga, Kansas, 1980-1981; Gridley, Kansas, 1981; Topeka, Kansas, 1981-1982; Dover, Kansas, 1983-1984; Hope, Kansas, 1984-1986; Skidmore, Missouri, 1986-1987; Twin Rivers Christian Church, Emporia, Kansas, l988-
Writer for Straight Magazine of The Standard Publishing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio 1967-1968; Devotion: A Daily Guide, 1970-1971
Guitarist for Missionary Broadcasts of The Southeast Asia Evangelizing Association from The Far East Broadcasting Company, Manila, Philippines, 1968-
Minister of the Maryville Church of Christ, Louisville, Kentucky, 1974-1977
ACADEMIC
Assistant to R. C. Foster, Head of Bible Department, The Cincinnati Bible Seminary, 1963-1968
Student Instructor in Greek, English, and Biblical Theology, The Cincinnati Bible Seminary, 1964-1968
Graduate Assistant to Merrill C. Tenney, Dean of the Graduate School, Wheaton College, 1968-1971
Assistant Professor in Theology, New Testament, and Greek, The Cincinnati Bible Seminary, 1971-1974; in Linguistics, The Cincinnati Christian Seminary, 1971-1974; in Theology for The Cincinnati Christian Seminary, 1976
Professor of Theology, Manhattan Christian College, 1977-
Courses taught: Written Composition I & II, Introduction to Greek I & II, Intermediate Greek Readings and Syntax I & II, Advanced Greek I & II, Introduction to Hebrew I & II, Advanced Hebrew I & II, Critical Introduction to the Old Testament, Critical Introduction to the New Testament, Introduction to Bible Study, Interpretation, Eighth Century Prophets, Hebrew Wisdom Literature, Salvation, Apologetics, Basic Christianity, Gifts of the Spirit, Epistles I & II, Life and Teachings of Jesus I & II; Christian Ministries Seminars CM 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106; Theology Seminar
ORGANIZATIONAL
Delta Aleph Tau, The Cincinnati Bible Seminary Honorary Society, 1967-
Eta Beta Rho, National Scholastic Honor Society in Hebraic Studies, 1970-
Outstanding Educator of America, 1973
Who’s Who in the Midwest, 1980-1981 (17th Edition), 1985 (20th Edition)
Personalities of America, 1978-1979
Outstanding Young Men of America, 1978-
Evangelical Theological Society, 1968-
International Council on Biblical Inerrancy, 1978-1988
Evangelical Philosophical Society, !978-
American Academy of Religion, 1978-
Society of Biblical Literature, 1978-
Creation Social Science and Humanities Society, 1978-
Near East Archaeological Society, 1981-
Men of Achievement, 1983 (10th Edition)
Associates for Biblical Research, 1983-
Who’s Who in Biblical Studies and Archaeology (1st Edition)
PUBLICATION
What the Bible Says About Salvation. Joplin, Missouri: College Press, 1982.
Articles for Christian Standard, Lookout, and Straight published by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio
Video-tape series of 13 x 1/2 hour presentations entitled Building Life on a Firm Foundation: Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Good News Productions, Int’l; Joplin, Missouri, 1984
Basic Christianity (39 x 1/2 hour tapes) GNPI, 1985