God calls men and women into His service to fulfill a number of roles. No two people are alike and no two people's callings are identical. Recognizing it is God alone who calls people to preaching or pulpit ministry and answering that call is the beginning of a life long journey and process.
2 Timothy 1:6
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
UPCI Licensing Process
Licensing Applications And Requirements
A local license is the first level of the ministerial licensing process.
General Requirements
- Applicant must be seventeen (17) years of age or older
- Applicant must believe in the Oneness of God
- Applicant must have been baptized by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ
- Applicant must have been baptized with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues
- Applicant must be living a holy life according to the Scriptures as explained in the Articles of Faith of the United Pentecostal Church International
Privileges
- A subscription to the Pentecostal Life Magazine
- A subscription to the Forward Magazine
- A life insurance policy
- Performing funeral ceremonies
Ministry Central Training
Licensing applicants must complete required local license training provided through Ministry Central.
A general license is the second level of the ministerial licensing process.
General Requirements
- Applicant must be seventeen (17) years of age or older
- Applicant must believe in the Oneness of God
- Applicant must have been baptized by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ
- Applicant must have been baptized with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues
- Applicant must be living a holy life according to the Scriptures as explained in the Articles of Faith of the United Pentecostal Church International
- Applicant must be engaged at present in the ministry as a pastor, full-time evangelist, assistant pastor, elected or appointed official, or full-time Bible college administrator or instructor. An exception to this may be made by the District Board for those who have graduated from a school endorsed by the United Pentecostal Church International; the Board may grant him or her a general or local license at their discretion
- An applicant who is not a graduate from a UPCI-endorsed school must have held a local license for at least one (1) year
- Applicant must have proven their ministry for one (1) year
Privileges
- A subscription to the Pentecostal Life Magazine
- A subscription to the Forward Magazine
- A life insurance policy
- Performing funeral ceremonies
- Performing wedding ceremonies
- Performing practically all duties and responsibilities of the ministry
Ministry Central Training
Licensing applicants must complete required general license training provided through Ministry Central.
Ordination is the third and final level of the ministerial licensing process. It is the fulfillment of the scriptural process of recognition, endorsement, and anointing.
General Requirements
- Applicant must be twenty-one (21) years of age or older
- Applicant must believe in the Oneness of God
- Applicant must have been baptized by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ
- Applicant must have been baptized with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues
- Applicant must be living a holy life according to the Scriptures as explained in the Articles of Faith of the United Pentecostal Church International
- Applicant must have held a general license for at least two (2) years.
- Applicant must have proven their ministry for two (2) consecutive years
- Applicant must at present be a pastor, full-time evangelist, assistant pastor, appointed or elected official, full-time Bible college administrator, or instructor
- Any exceptions to the above would be at the discretion of the District Board
Privileges
- A subscription to the Pentecostal Life Magazine
- A subscription to the Forward Magazine
- A life insurance policy
- Performing funeral ceremonies
- Performing wedding ceremonies
- Performing practically all duties and responsibilities of the ministry
- The possibility of holding any office in the UPCI unless gender specific
Ministry Central Training
Licensing applicants must complete required ordination training provided through Ministry Central.
How to apply for a promoted license (for currently licensed ministers)
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How do I log-in to wa.upci.org?
a. If you are a credentialed minister, first try your log-in for upciministers.com.
b. If that is invalid, use “Forgot your password?” to reset the password.
c. Your log-in for wa.upci.org will be the email associated with your upciministers.com log-in and the password you choose. -
Can I log-in to wa.upci.org and start my own application if I am not currently a minister?
a. No. If you are not a UPCI credentialed minister, you will not be able to log-in.
b. You should work with your pastor or another ordained minister to initiate the application for you.They will provide your email, and you will get a link to complete the application.
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If I am a pastor applying for a promoted license, can I list myself as the pastor?
a. No. All applications require review from a pastor or another ordained minister prior to review by the district board.
4. What if I have already started a paper application with my district?
a. UPCI WHQ will continue to accept paper applications while transitioning to this new digital process. Please communicate with your district officials if you plan to submit a paper application, so they can plan accordingly.
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What is the password to view the PDF of the application? Why is it password-protected?
a. The default password is “Cama36”. It is unlikely that an unauthorized party would access this information, but this precaution acts as a minimum level of security to protect personal information.
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For Pastors/Approvers. How do I know when an application is ready for me to review?
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The system should email you (using the email provided by the applicant or associated with your UPCI minister account) a notification. It will include a link to go to the Pastor Review page. On this page, you should see applications pending your action.
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You can also navigate to this page, under the tab Ministers, select Ministers Application, then Pastor / Sponsor Review.
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For Pastors/Approvers. What do I need to do to review an application?
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In Pastor Review page, use the action buttons next to the desired application. Use the Review button (triangle icon) to view a PDF of the application. Use the Approve/Deny button (paper icon) to navigate to the decision page. On the decision page, there is a box for comment, and it will ask for your decision: Approve, Deny, or Return to Applicant.
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If you select Approve, when you submit, the application will go to the district for review.
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If you select Deny, when you submit, the application will be removed from the active queue and any
refund due will be processed by WHQ Church Admin.
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If you select Return to Applicant, when you submit, the application will return to the applicant to edit
the application. When he/she resubmits, it will return to you for pastoral approval.
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For Pastors/Approvers. Why would I return a form to the applicant?
a. All questions must be answered on the application. Incomplete answers will cause delay. If an application is incomplete (including insufficient attachments), return it to the applicant to edit to provide all required information.
b. The UPCI requires applicants to meet certain educational requirements and uphold doctrinal beliefs. If an applicant has not met these requirements, return it to the applicant and discuss the matter. If it can be resolved, the applicant should edit the application and resubmit. Doctrinal questions that are answered inconsistently with the UPCI Articles of Faith will be flagged for pastor review. An application cannot receive pastor approval if a flagged question exists. These questions must be resolved before proceeding to the district for review.
Application Process
Every applicant must meet the District Board. Please check the district calendar for the specific dates of the board meetings.
Applications must be received 30 days prior to the date of the board meeting.
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District Mailing Address