Seminary Required for Mission?

[Backroads]

I just heard a little rumor.

Apparently someone told my coworker's son that 4 complete years of seminary are required for a mission to Japan or Brazil.

Is there any truth to this?

[The_Phoenix]

I just heard a little rumor.

Apparently someone told my coworker's son that 4 complete years of seminary are required for a mission to Japan or Brazil.

Is there any truth to this?

I doubt it.

[Dravin]

Actually my understanding is that to be considered legally clergy you need to have completed schooling in some countries. Seminary counts as schooling for those purposes. That said it's not like I got that 'knowledge' from an official source, and I'm not sure how important it is that our missionaries be considered clergy for legal purposes.

Edited December 12, 2011 by Dravin

[Windseeker]

My parents are coming home from a temple mission in San Paulo next month. My Dad had to find and submit his seminary records before they went. So it's sounds plausible.

[Gwen]

It depends on the mission. As already stated in some countries you have to be "clergy" to preach. Seminary counts as religious schooling to allow to apply as clergy.

[Justice]

From another angle, they have been raising the bar for missionaries and who they deem is "worthy" to enter the mission field. Maybe it's a change that's spreading.

[Mamas_Girl]

Well, that's a good question, especially since many members are converts who've never had seminary, and yet serve missions. Does that mean that they would not recieve callings to Japan, or any of the other countries mentioned in this post? Maybe that's why I was kept in the good ol' USA for my mission.

[classylady]

I had never heard of this requirement before. I tried searching on LDS.org, but nothing came up with my search. I googled to see if I could find anything and this is what I found for Brazil (look at the 2nd bullet point):

Religious / Missionary Temporary Visa: VITEM-VII

Eligibility:

Travel for religious/missionary purposes

Procedure:

Submission to the Embassy or Consulate of the following documents (all supporting documentation that is not originated in Brazil must be authenticated by the Consular Service. Copies of Brazilian supporting documents must be notarized by a "Cartório" in Brazil):

• Two visa application forms per applicant, properly and completely filled in. Note: Every applicant must complete Item 21 of the visa application form, "Comments" (Purpose of Trip). In this section, the applicant must explain precisely what they are going to do while in Brazil. For especially complex trips, the applicant may submit details on an extra sheet of paper, if necessary. Each visa application form must be duly signed by the applicant (and parents must sign the application forms for those under 18 years of age);

• Ordination certificate and/or diploma and school transcript for complete undergraduate theological studies;

• Curriculum vitae;

• If applicable, marriage, birth certificate or official dependency document for spouse/children/dependents;

• Signed statement of commitment that the applicant will not engage in any activity in indigenous areas without the proper authorization by FUNAI - "National Indian Foundation";

• Brazilian notarized documents (send the documents with the original stamp by the "Cartório", plus one copy each):

o Constitutive minutes/statutes of the Brazilian religious or missionary organization;

o Empowerment certificate issued to the Brazilian religious or missionary organization's head officer;

o Financial affidavit drawn at a "Cartório" by the Brazilian religious or missionary organization on behalf of the visitor and on his exit from the country;

• Passport with a minimum validity of six months (it must also have at least one blank page available for the visa stamp);

• Two recent 2" x 2" passport-type photo, in color or black and white, front view, full face, light background (snapshots are not accepted);

• Letter from the employer or sponsoring organization, on its letterhead stationary, specifying the nature of the job to be performed and the duration of the contract, as well as providing proof of assumption of full financial responsibility by employer/sponsor for the applicant's stay in Brazil.

• Recent (i.e., less than 90 days old) non-criminal record issued by the (i.e., applicant's place of residence) Police Department;

• A person under 18 year of age not traveling with both parents or legal guardian(s) must provide a notarized letter of consent signed by the non-accompanying parent or guardian, together with appropriate payment to facilitate formal authentication by the Consular Service of the notarized letter of consent and, as applicable, the guardianship document (proof of guardianship is required);

• Visa fee payment of US$ 210.00 per visa.

[maiku]

can't we do a poll to find out. There have to be a bunch of us who served in either Brazil or Japan.

I served in Chile and had no seminary at all.

Anybody here serve in Brazil or Japan? What was your seminary experience?

[UrbanFool]

From another angle, they have been raising the bar for missionaries and who they deem is "worthy" to enter the mission field. Maybe it's a change that's spreading.

They seem really desperate for more missionaries at the moment. Raising the bar would take a lot of young men out of the running.

[skippy740]

I only completed about 2 1/2 years of seminary... so maybe THAT'S why I was sent to Tennessee! But I had never heard of such a requirement until this thread.

[pam]

I heard this rumor awhile back but couldn't find anything official on it. But it does make sense with the "clergy" requirements.

[Gwen]

I heard it from our CES director (or whatever they call the title lol).

For those that did not get the chance to attend seminary there are institute and "make up" courses available. I'm sure if they were absolutely needed in such an area they would find a way to meet the qualification. But odds are they would just be out of the running for those countries. There are lots of places to serve.

[Blackmarch]

I just heard a little rumor.

Apparently someone told my coworker's son that 4 complete years of seminary are required for a mission to Japan or Brazil.

Is there any truth to this?

nope.

THe rumor may have started from something where a leader said he'd prefer missionaries to have had some seminary experience.

I'd think that such a requirement would be counterintuitive to the gospel actually.

Edited December 14, 2011 by Blackmarch

[Mamas_Girl]

Ordination certificate and/or diploma and school transcript for complete undergraduate theological studies;

Wouldn't the ordination certificate be our mission call? I mean, it would include the fact that we went through the necessary training of our faith to be a missionary. We had to carry a little book called the Missionary Handbook, and in the front of it was our mission call signed by the president of the Church.

I just assume that since all missionaries go through the same training with the same curriculum for the mission we're called to, that it's established and all we need to do is show our certificate of completion, so to speak. :) When one is at the MTC they get some of the most condensed religious training that one can get from sunup to sundown.

If it would be of any help I can ask a friend on Sunday. I think it was his son, or his son's best friend who went to Japan. Either way he would know if the boy had seminary, though this would have been more than 20 years ago, so may not be relevant.

[Blackmarch]

D&C 4 have the doctrinal requirements;

1 Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.

2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the aservice of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.

3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are acalled to the work;

4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.

6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.

7 Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.

[RMGuy]

I have heard the same theory at various times and usually as it relates to specific countries that required a transcript of training (seminary works for this). We know that in some instances law has shaped policy. For example as we have talked about in the past with marriages. In some nations it is required that a bride and groom be married before going to the temple to be sealed. In the UK for instance it is required that the marriage be open for anyone to attend. We believe in being subject to law and so that is the process in those nations, even though here in the US if you have a civil ceremony first then you must wait a year....it is not the same in those nations.

While I have nothing that says the OP is correct or not, it would not surprise me to find that if a nation has a requirement for allowing individuals into their country on a missionary visa, tha twe would strive to follow the law. If seminary is the only thing that works for that, then I would see us complying by only sending missionaries that have completed seminary. I don't find that in contradiction to the gospel at all.

-RM

[Blackmarch]

Wouldn't the ordination certificate be our mission call? I mean, it would include the fact that we went through the necessary training of our faith to be a missionary. We had to carry a little book called the Missionary Handbook, and in the front of it was our mission call signed by the president of the Church.

I just assume that since all missionaries go through the same training with the same curriculum for the mission we're called to, that it's established and all we need to do is show our certificate of completion, so to speak. :) When one is at the MTC they get some of the most condensed religious training that one can get from sunup to sundown.

If it would be of any help I can ask a friend on Sunday. I think it was his son, or his son's best friend who went to Japan. Either way he would know if the boy had seminary, though this would have been more than 20 years ago, so may not be relevant.

ya pretty much the MTC is the clergical training. and its mostly to provide a spiritual environment where one learns how to interact with strangers without being a total klutz when you're doing your work. And perhaps some language training if youre going on a foreign language mission.

Altho if an area requires a certain amount of time in that training, then they may have to have so much time in seminary, but thats about the only exception i can think of.

Edited December 14, 2011 by Blackmarch

[Magen_Avot]

The Handbook of Instruction #1 doesn't say anything about it that I could find. Nothing resulted from a search of the church news or the Salt Lake Tribune.

I have heard the rumor too, but not from a reliable source.

[Guest gopecon]

The 3 - 9 weeks of training that is received in the MTC is nowhere near the training that ordained ministers in other faiths are required to take. If being educated in the faith is a requirement in some countries, then it makes sense that Seminary (or Institute) graduation would be required.

[Vort]

Probably would not be in the HoI, since it is neither a doctrinal point nor a firm policy. If the need for seminary graduation for some missions is true, it is simply the Church's reaction to various laws that individual countries might require. If and when those laws change, the Church's response would doubtless change, as well.

[Mamas_Girl]

Ordination certificate and/or diploma and school transcript for complete undergraduate theological studies;

I suppose it all depends upon the and/or, but what I'm saying is wouldn't our mission call be an ordination certificate? Then it says and/or, so apparently they may require more, but not necessarily. That was the point I was trying to make.

And I did not mean to imply that the Missionary Handbook had anything on this, just that the front of our's from the 1980s had a flap where we were required to carry our reduced sized mission call signed by the President of the Church. Thus, carrying our ordination certificate.

Added: The mission call, for those who don't know says, "This certifies that the bearer, [Mamas_Girl] who is in full faith and fellowship with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been duly called and set apart as a missionary of the Church, and as such has authority to preach the principles of the gospel.

We invite all people to give heed to her message

_______ President

dated Salt Lake City, Utah

signed by me

and expiration date"

I have no answer to all this, I'm just throwing stuff out as I see it.

Edited December 15, 2011 by Mamas_Girl

[jayanna]

Well, I don't know. That is a good question. But if you didn't finish seminary, there are still lots of great places to serve a mission! I joined the church as an adult and I certainly hope to serve a mission.

[dietmom5]

I know this is a super old thread--but just wanted to verify it.  I am teaching seminary and have had a few kids that wonder why they need to go to seminary if they are not attending a church school.  Already they are missing the point, but I did recognize that seminary is required for some foreign church missions.   I can't attest to all that would be included in that list. However, my son just got called to Recife, Brazil last week and inside the paperwork for his Visa is his transcript from Seminary and completion documents which must be notarized with a Seminary and Institute representative in attendance.  So if you are looking for a current answer to this old question-there's an answer.

[kbuck]

Some countries require missionaries to be formally educated clergy. Spain does, Brazil does, and I know two or three other countries do, but I can't remember which ones they are. If someone doesn't graduate seminary, they can still serve a mission in most of the world, just not a few select countries. (Known from both personal experience as well as having the calling to be a seminary teacher.)