First Call Process

Completion of the first call process completes candidacy for all people, including those ordained in another Lutheran church or Christian tradition, moving them toward first call and admittance to the appropriate roster in the ELCA. Through prayerful discernment, candidates, synods, regions and the church work together to identify where the spirit is calling each candidate to begin interviewing for first calls.

Confidence in the surprises and faithfulness of God can provide sustenance and comfort for this first call process, addressing the natural human anxieties that come with any venture into the unknown. This is truly a faith venture that includes the candidate and this whole church. We continue to keep you in prayer.

There are several requirements for candidates entering the first call process. A guide, a list of FAQs, a document outlining the dates of each regional consultation and information about required candidate forms are available in the First Call resource page.

For more questions or more information, please contact the program director for first call, Cynthia Zamora, at (773) 380-2666 or send an email. To submit candidate paperwork, please send an email to the first call team.