Deadline for Submission of Completed Postulancy Application: Holy Cross Day, September 14
Aspirants Retreat: 2024 Dates TBD (usually November), Huston Camp & Conference Center, Gold Bar, WA.
Link to Full Application: https://dioceseofolympia1551.formstack.com/forms/application_for_postulancy
An application may be submitted after a discerner has:
- completed the Diocesan Phase 2 discernment process,
- the discerner’s Vestry/Bishop’s Committee has nominated the discerner for postulancy, and
- the Vestry/Bishop’s Committee has submitted that form to the Office of the Bishop, the discerner becomes a Nominee for Postulancy.
The application deadline is September 14, Holy Cross Day. This application is based on Episcopal church canons and material developed by the Diocese of Olympia to give a clear sense of the Nominee, their work, and call to ministry.
It is only necessary to submit the applications, letters, and other material listed in the application. Please do not submit any other material. If you do it will not be part of your file and neither the Commission on Ministry nor the bishop will read it.
To apply for postulancy, the nominee submits an application online, including the documents listed below which should be uploaded with the online application.
It is the responsibility of the nominee to ensure that all materials are complete and arrive on or before the deadline for submitting completed applications. Incomplete or late submissions may not be considered. Neither the Secretary for Vocations nor the Commission on Ministry is responsible for application materials that are lost or arrive late. Therefore, we highly recommend that you submit the full application and supporting documents using the online application.
Some guidance for completing your Application to Postulancy:
- You should review the full application as early as possible to ensure you are able to request all of the necessary supporting documents before the application deadline. A PDF of the full application for viewing can be found here.
- You may work on your application in stages using the “Save and Resume” Formstack feature. You will be asked to create an account to access your application after saving.
- Some of the application questions have a word-limit. We recommend that you prepare your responses in a Word processing document, utilizing the word-count tool, and pasting those responses into your online application.
- All supporting documents must be uploaded as PDF documents.
- If you do not have access to a scanner at home or with your sponsoring congregation, a free mobile app called “Genius Scan” is available for assistance with scanning documents that need to be uploaded to your application. The Office of the Bishop also has a scanner available to you, and is open Monday-Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm.
- All letters should be addressed to the Bishop.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS INCLUDED IN THE POSTULANCY APPLICATION (to be gathered by the Nominee and submitted with the application)
- Financial Assessment to be completed by your spouse/partner. A Financials Assessment and a Financial Information & Worksheet are included as part of the application. Spouse’s/Partner’s of the Nominee are additionally asked to complete a Financial Assessment using this link.
- A letter of acceptance of the vestry/bishop’s committee nomination to postulancy and a request to be admitted to postulancy. This letter should be addressed to the bishop, should include a brief statement of what leads you to respond to your congregation’s nomination to postulancy. It must conclude with the following sentence: “I, (your name), in accordance with Canon III.6.3or III.8.3b (choose the relevant one), accept my nomination to the (diaconate/priesthood) as put forth by (congregation/community of faith name) and humbly request to be admitted to postulancy.” This letter should be no more than one page in length.
- Official transcripts from your post-secondary education. This includes the Nominee’s undergraduate and graduate work regardless of whether or not you have completed your degree(s). Official transcripts are available from your college or university’s registrar’s office.
- A statement of financial support from your congregation. This indicates the financial support of the Nominee's congregation of the expenses associated with postulancy (seminary support, professional fees, etc). You should have your Rector/Vicar/Priest-in-Charge/Sr Warden complete the form linked below, and return to you in order to scan and upload with your application.
- Letter of support from the Nominee’s clergy/leader exercising oversight. Please note this is a separate letter from the vestry/bishop’s committee letter. There is no limit to the length of the letter.
- Letter of support from the nominee’s vestry/bishop’s committee. In accordance with Canon III.8.3a this must be signed be two-thirds of the vestry/bishop’s committee and signed by the clergy/leader exercising oversight.
- The letter from the nominee’s Phase 2 discernment group that was sent to the Vestry or Bishop’s Committee. This letter should identify the members of the discernment group and be signed by them. There is no limit to the length of the letter.
Next Steps
When the application, materials, and letters have been received, the Secretary for Vocations will confirm with the Nominee that their application is complete. The Bishop will review completed applications submitted and will invite applicants that they feel are called to the Aspirants Retreat at Huston Camp & Conference Center, Gold Bar. The Aspirants Retreat will include group activities and a series of interviews with the Commission on Ministry (COM). After the nominees depart, the Commission on Ministry will meet and discern each nominee’s call based on the application, experiences, and the interview. The COM will then submit their recommendations regarding each Aspirant to the Bishop. Admission to postulancy is granted solely by the Bishop, and nominees will be notified formally in writing by Epiphany.
Additional Note
While this is rare, when the volume of postulancy applications increases significantly, the Bishop might decide to invite some Nominees to a Spring meeting of the Commission on Ministry for consideration of their postulancy application. When there is an opportunity for a Spring conversation, the deadline for submitting the completed postulancy application for the Spring meeting would be Ash Wednesday. The same details noted above apply for this cycle.