Abiding Presence

Vicar

Abiding Presence is an internship congregation for the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg.  As an internship congregation, we welcome a third year seminarian each year to serve as our "Vicar."  

Seminarian Brian Bankert

Abiding Presence Vicar 2011-2012

What's a Vicar?

People who are studying to be pastors enroll in a Master of Divinity program which usually requires four years of fulltime study.  The first two years are spent learning about Bible, theology, church history, preaching and pastoral care.  The seminarian completes Teaching Parish where s/he is in a congregation every Sunday helping to lead worship for a year.  S/he also takes Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) which is a 10 week program in a hospital or nursing home that helps the seminarian develop pastoral care skills.  Once the first two years of academics, Teaching Parish and CPE have been completed, the seminarian is ready for internship. 

Internship places a seminarian in a congregation fulltime for a year to practice being a pastor.  The seminary intern, called a “Vicar,” works under and alongside an experienced pastor who provides the opportunity for reflection and feedback.  During internship, the Vicar begins learning the aspects of ministry that cannot really be taught in a classroom setting.  The seminarian also learns how to take the academics of Bible, theology and church history that s/he has learned and translate them into practical sermons, lessons and other real life moments.  Following internship, the seminarian returns to the seminary for a final year of academic study.  

What a Vicar is and is not

In our Lutheran tradition, the title “Vicar” is used to identify anyone who is currently in or has completed seminary training to become a pastor but is not yet ordained.  This is why the title “Vicar” is used for seminary interns who spend a year serving fulltime in congregations learning and doing various aspects of ministry.  Vicars preach, teach, provide pastoral care, attend meetings, learn about church administration and take part in service to the community.  The Vicar works alongside Pastor Keseley this next year in caring for our congregation and its ministry. 

A Vicar is not yet, however, a pastor.  That means that a Vicar cannot preside over the sacraments (Holy Baptism and Holy Communion).  Due to the legal requirements, a Vicar can also not preside over marriages.  In order to be a pastor, one must have graduated seminary with a Master of Divinity degree, been approved by the synod candidacy committee for ordination and be called by a congregation to serve as a pastor.  Once those three things have happened, one is ordained and given the title “Pastor.”   

The Intern Committee

Each congregation that hosts a seminary intern, called a Vicar, is asked to set up an Intern Committee made up of five to seven members of the congregation who assist the intern in becoming better prepared for effective pastoral ministry.  The committee meets monthly with the Vicar to provide support and evaluation.  They help the Vicar better understand the context of the congregation and become acclimated to its life and ministry.  The committee also provides constructive feedback to help the Vicar learn and grow in various aspects of ministry such as preaching, teaching and forming a pastoral identity.  In addition to Pastor Keseley, members of the committee will provide the seminary and candidacy committee (the synod committee that approves seminarians to become pastors) with an evaluation of the Vicar and internship experience on a quarterly basis.