Screening Processes
The processes for screening potential candidates for lay ministry formation programs are most likely to include letter(s) of recommendation and a personal statement.
Please indicate whether the process for screening
potential program candidates includes the following.
Percent responding "Yes"
| Letter(s) of recommendation |
84% |
| A personal statement |
80% |
| Interview(s) |
72% |
| A self-assessment process |
54% |
About eight in ten programs include letter(s) of recommendation and a personal statement
as part of the screening process. Interview(s) are part of the screening process for about seven in
ten programs and some sort of self-assessment is used in a little more than half.
A total of 51 respondents, about one-fourth of the lay ministry formation programs that
completed the survey, indicated that their screening processes include components other than
those listed above. The most common type of other screening tool is some sort of psychological
testing or assessment. Other examples include a spiritual or ministerial autobiography,
participation in a discernment process, and approval or endorsement by a pastor. A number of
respondents listed academic requirements and previous ministerial experience as part of their
screening process.
All CPE programs and most seminary or school of theology programs include letters of
recommendation, personal statements, and interviews in their screening processes.
Please indicate whether the process for screening potential program
candidates includes the following.
Percent responding "Yes"
|
Diocesan |
College |
Seminary |
CPE |
Independent |
| Letter(s) of recommendation |
78% |
88% |
96% |
100% |
67% |
| A personal statement |
71% |
86% |
100% |
100% |
56% |
| Interview(s) |
67% |
63% |
96% |
100% |
75% |
| A self-assessment process |
58% |
44% |
55% |
80% |
38% |
- Programs from the first four categories are most likely to include letters of
recommendation and a personal statement from candidates in their screening
process, while independent programs are more likely to rely on interviews with
candidates.
- Over half of all diocesan programs and seminary/school of theology programs
require some sort of self-assessment process for their potential candidates.
Nearly all of the programs that have a spiritual readiness screening process include
letter(s) of recommendation and personal statements as part of that process.
Please indicate whether the process for screening
potential program candidates includes the following.
Percent responding "Yes"
| Letter(s) of recommendation |
97% |
| A personal statement |
95% |
| Interview(s) |
86% |
| A self-assessment process |
71% |
- Eighty-six percent of the programs include interviews as part of the screening
process.
- Seventy-one percent have a self-assessment process to assess the spiritual
readiness of program candidates.
Among all five program types, large percentages that have a screening process include
each of the elements listed below in that process.
Please indicate whether the process for screening potential program candidates
includes the following.
Percent responding "Yes"
|
Diocesan |
College |
Seminary |
CPE |
Independent |
| Letter(s) of recommendation |
96% |
100% |
94% |
100% |
100% |
| A personal statement |
87% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
| Interview(s) |
84% |
71% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
| A self-assessment process |
73% |
71% |
63% |
75% |
50% |
- All CPE and independent programs that have a screening process include letters
of recommendation, personal statements, and interviews in that process.
- All seminary/school of theology programs with a screening process include
personal statements and interviews in that process and most include letter(s) of
recommendation.
- Self-assessment is the least commonly used of these screening methods across all
five types of programs.