Recommendation for Recommendation for Approval

Just a brief update this time:

The latest stage in this ongoing process occurred today—the faculty approval panels. These are interviews with two members of the faculty to consider a seminarian's theological understanding and articulation and his or her preparedness for practical ministry. At Gettysburg, the seniors had their faculty approval panels today, and the news is good. I was recommended for recommendation for approval. No, that's not a typo. The faculty members with whom I met made a recommendation to the whole faculty (who will meet in a few weeks). Even when the whole faculty meets, they don't make the final approval decision; that's up to the candidacy committees. Rather, the faculty makes a recommendation to the candidacy committee, to say that the faculty believes the candidate should be approved.

So today was the recommendation for the recommendation for approval. Slowly but surely, we move closer to ordination.