Reflecting on the white-bias of ordination exams
Photo: Gerald Farinas.
Today was a full day serving as Commissioner on Preparation for Ministry (CPM), walking alongside those discerning calls to ordained leadership in our denomination. Each time we meet, I am reminded how sacred this work is. We listen for God’s voice in the lives of those who feel called to serve, and we do what we can to help them grow into that call.
But I am also reminded how far we still have to go as a Church when it comes to equity in our processes. The examinations for ordained ministry, especially the written exams, remain deeply shaped by white-coded language, grammar, and cultural expectations of theological expression. It is an unspoken bias that privileges a particular academic and linguistic background, often leaving those who express theology through a different cadence, worldview, or communal framework at a disadvantage.
We say we want more pastors. We say the Church is in need of fresh voices, new perspectives, and cultural diversity. Yet the very gatekeeping mechanisms we have built often filter out the people God might be calling.
The essays are not neutral. The evaluative criteria are not neutral. The standards of “clarity” and “coherence” are still too often measured through the lens of a dominant culture’s way of thinking, speaking, and writing about God.
Thankfully, within our Commission, we have structures and hearts willing to see beyond that. We have ways to help inquirers move forward and to support them as they find their voice, rather than punishing them for not fitting someone else’s mold.
Today reminded me that discernment is not about enforcing conformity; it is about recognizing the Spirit at work in all its many expressions.
The inquirer we met with today has already shown clear evidence of call through faithful service, pastoral presence, and deep care for community. The words on a page may not have met the expectations of a standardized rubric, but the Word is already being lived out in their ministry. Our task is to ensure the Church does not miss that truth simply because it was written in a different key.
