Ministry Training Application Form 2026/27

Ministry Training Application 2026/27
Full Name
Have you been known by any other name or changed your name by Deed Poll
If yes please give details
Email Address
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: 00000 000000.
Mobile Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: 00000 000000.
Current Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2
Town or CityCountyPostcode
National Insurance Number
Passport Number
Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 – If invited to interview, applicants must provide documentary evidence of their right to work in the UK.

Section 1 – Criminal Record and Safeguarding
Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence?
If yes please give details - note that convictions regarded as spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 may be omitted but may appear in DBS checks
Are you currently under any legal investigation or facing any legal charges?
If yes please give details
Are you a registered sex offender?
In order to safeguard young people and vulnerable adults, the Interview Panel will seek Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance before any offer of training can be confirmed.

Section 2 – References
Please give details of five referees, including at least two Unitarians, one of whom must be a Minister on the Roll of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. Referees should have known you for at least five years (except the Minister and Unitarian referee, who should have known you for at least three years). They must be willing to testify to your personal character and fitness for Unitarian ministry. No referee should be a relative or partner. Please ensure your congregation secretary is aware of your intention to apply, keeping the information confidential to those who need to know.
Referee 1
Full Name
Role or capacity such as Minister, Friend, Colleague
How long have they known you and in what capacity
Email Address
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: 00000 000000.
Mobile Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: 00000 000000.
Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2
Town or CityCountyPostcode
Referee 2
Full Name
Role or capacity such as Minister, Friend, Colleague
How long have they known you and in what capacity
Email Address
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: 00000 000000.
Mobile Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: 00000 000000.
Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2
Town or CityCountyPostcode
Referee 3
Full Name
Role or capacity such as Minister, Friend, Colleague
How long have they known you and in what capacity
Email Address
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: 00000 000000.
Mobile Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: 00000 000000.
Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2
Town or CityCountyPostcode
Referee 4
Full Name
Role or capacity such as Minister, Friend, Colleague
How long have they known you and in what capacity
Email Address
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: 00000 000000.
Mobile Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: 00000 000000.
Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2
Town or CityCountyPostcode
Referee 5
Full Name
Role or capacity such as Minister, Friend, Colleague
How long have they known you and in what capacity
Email Address
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: 00000 000000.
Mobile Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: 00000 000000.
Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2
Town or CityCountyPostcode
Section 3 – Previous Denominational Training
Have you been wholly or partly trained for ministry in another denomination?
Name and address of educational establishment
Name of referee at that establishment
Referee job title
Referee email
example@example.com
Referee phone
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: 00000 000000.

Section 4 – Congregational Membership
Name of Unitarian Congregation endorsing your application
How long have you belonged to this congregation?
Candidates should have had at least 3 years of active participation or membership of a UK Unitarian congregation before applying for training.

Section 5 – Education and Academic Record
Evidence of academic achievements will be required at interview. A GCSE grade C or equivalent in English or Welsh is required.
Secondary Education - Name and location of school or college
Secondary Education - Qualifications awarded
Further or Higher Education 1 - Name and location of establishment
Further or Higher Education 1 - Qualifications awarded
Further or Higher Education 2 - Name and location of establishment
Further or Higher Education 2 - Qualifications awarded
Further or Higher Education 3 - Name and location of establishment
Further or Higher Education 3 - Qualifications awarded

Section 6 – Professional Memberships
Name of professional body or organisation 1
Date attained 1
Membership status 1
Membership number 1
Attained by examination 1
Name of professional body or organisation 2
Date attained 2
Membership status 2
Membership number 2
Attained by examination 2
Name of professional body or organisation 3
Date attained 3
Membership status 3
Membership number 3
Attained by examination 3
Section 7 – Work and Ministry Related Training
Training course or event 1
Training course or event 2
Training course or event 3
Training course or event 4
Training course or event 5

Section 8 – Current or Most Recent Employment
Name of employer
Address of employer

Street Address

Street Address Line 2
Town or CityCountyPostcode
Job title
Salary
Date of appointment

MonthDayYear
Date
Date of leaving - enter current if still employed
Reason for leaving
Section 9 – Previous Employment
Main duties and responsibilities
Please list previous employment starting with the most recent, including name and address of employer, dates, job title, brief description of role, and reason for leaving.
Previous role 1
Previous role 2
Previous role 3
Previous role 4
Previous role 5
Section 10 – Voluntary and Religious Work

Please give brief details of any voluntary work not already covered in your employment history, starting with the most recent.
Organisation name and address
Dates
Title and activity or reason for leaving
Organisation name and address
Dates
Title and activity or reason for leaving
Organisation name and address
Dates
Title and activity or reason for leaving
Organisation name and address
Dates
Title and activity or reason for leaving
Section 11 – Religious Work

Worship is covered in the next section
Please give details of any practical experience of voluntary or professional religious work such as leading Sunday Schools, church administration, or lay preaching, starting with the most recent.
Religious role 1
Religious role 2
Religious role 3
Religious role 4

Section 12 – Worship and Denominational Involvement
Please describe your involvement in Unitarian worship and wider denominational life.
Worship or preaching involvement 1
Worship or preaching involvement 2
Worship or preaching involvement 3
Worship or preaching involvement 4
What contribution have you made to the life of your current congregation?
Details of involvement at Unitarian District or National level
Unitarian courses or workshops attended
Unitarian societies to which you belong
Non-Unitarian societies to which you belong
Reading about Unitarianism - please list author and title
Reading about contemporary religious debate - please list author and title
General reading interests

Life experiences response
Section 14 – Life Experiences
Choose 4 to 6 key events in your life — which could be positive or negative, major or minor — and reflect briefly on how they have shaped you as a person and been part of your life journey.
Section 13 – Theological and Spiritual Reflection

Write a short (not more than 1250 words) essay or statement of your basic religious / spiritual understanding. Explain what you conceive to be the role of a minister today and why you think you are fitted to become a Minister to a Unitarian congregation.
The GA's policy is that anyone offered training should expect to serve a minimum of 5 years in congregational ministry on completion. Please state any constraints on your personal or geographic mobility.
Section 15 – Personal Reflection and Support
Ministry and ministry training place considerable demands on individuals and those close to them. What are your closest relationships? From whom do you draw sustenance for the demands of life, and who might sustain you in your future ministry?
If you wish to give the Interview Panel any other personal information or to clarify any of your answers, please do so here.
How do you manage your own wellbeing — emotionally, spiritually, and physically — under pressure?
Section 16 – Practical Readiness
Have you discussed your application with your immediate family or those closest to you? What are their thoughts and feelings about your applying?
Do you have any health considerations that the panel should be aware of in relation to training or future ministry? Please note this is asked in the spirit of support, not exclusion.
What is your anticipated timeline and availability for training? Are there any constraints on when you could begin?

Section 17 – Supporting Documents and Declaration
Upload your essay - Write a short (not more than 1250 words) essay or statement of your basic religious / spiritual understanding. Explain what you conceive to be the role of a minister today and why you think you are fitted to become a Minister to a Unitarian congregation.

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Upload your signed declaration

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By entering your full name below, you confirm that all information provided in this application is true and correct to the best of your knowledge. You understand that false or misleading information may disqualify your application.
Full name as digital signature
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Ministry Training Application 2026/27

Section 1 – Criminal Record and Safeguarding

Section 2 – References

Referee 1

Referee 2

Referee 3

Referee 4

Referee 5

Section 3 – Previous Denominational Training

Section 4 – Congregational Membership

Section 5 – Education and Academic Record

Section 6 – Professional Memberships

Section 7 – Work and Ministry Related Training

Section 8 – Current or Most Recent Employment

Section 9 – Previous Employment

Section 10 – Voluntary and Religious Work

Section 11 – Religious Work

Section 12 – Worship and Denominational Involvement

Section 14 – Life Experiences

Section 13 – Theological and Spiritual Reflection

Section 15 – Personal Reflection and Support

Section 16 – Practical Readiness

Section 17 – Supporting Documents and Declaration