At the very heart of all district ministries is the role of credentialing. The district leadership considers it an honor to recognize the call of God in the life of each minister, and to partner with them in ministry. In order to facilitate the credentialing of district ministers, the PenFlorida District has created a streamlined process of application and renewal. The following credentials are recognized by the district:

  • Certificate of Ministry
  • License
  • Ordination
Credential Brochure

Minimum Requirements

Below are the minimum qualifications for ministerial credentials with the Peninsular Florida District:

  1. A minimum of 18 years of age.
  2. Saved for a minimum of one year.
  3. Must be an active member of an Assemblies of God church for at least one year.
  4. Evidence of a divine call.
  5. Baptized in the Holy Ghost with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues, according to Acts 2:4.
  6. Manifest a reasonable ability for a future successful ministry.
  7. Must have completed the minimum prescribed courses for level of application as listed in this brochure.
  8. If divorced & remarried, must apply for marriage entanglement exception before credentials are processed.  This is also applicable to the spouse.  ($100.00 non-refundable fee). Contact Yohanna Irizarry by email.
  9. Must have an “active” ministry.
  10. For License one must have a clear evidence of a divine call, character and preparation suitable for that calling, practical ministry experience, and an evident purpose to devote one’s life in service to the proclamation of the gospel.
  11. To qualify for ordination, one must be at least 23 years of age & have held license for two consecutive years immediately prior to applying for ordination

Educational Requirements

Educational Requirements for ministerial credentials can be earned through multiple options:

Certificate of Ministry | Level One

  • BIB 114 Christ in the Synoptic Gospels
  • BIB 121 Introduction to Hermeneutics: How to Interpret the Bible
  • BIB 212 New Testament Survey
  • BIB 214 Old Testament Survey
  • MIN 171 A Spirit-Empowered Church: An Acts 2 Ministry Model
  • MIN 181 Relationships and Ethics in Ministry
  • MIN 191 Beginning Ministerial Internship
  • THE 114 Introduction to Pentecostal Doctrine
  • THE 142 Assemblies of God History, Missions, and Governance
  • THE 211 Introduction to Theology

OR:

  • A minimum of 48 credit hours toward a religion or Bible related major (not including transfers credits from non-AG schools), OR
  • any graduate in any major (including non-Biblical/non-Church Ministries majors).

License | Level Two

  • BIB 115 Acts: The Holy Spirit at Work in Believers
  • BIB 117 Prison Epistles
  • BIB 215 Romans: Justification by Faith
  • MIN 123 The Local Church in Evangelism
  • MIN 223 Introduction to Homiletics
  • MIN 251 Effective Leadership
  • MIN 261 Introduction to Assemblies of God Missions
  • MIN 281 Conflict Management for Church Leaders
  • MIN 291 Intermediate Ministerial Internship
  • THE 245 Eschatology: A Study of Things to Come

OR:

  • A minimum of 72 credit hours towards a religion or Bible related major (not including transfers credits from non-AG schools), OR
  • any non-Bible/non-Church Ministries major with at least 24 hours in Bible and Theology.

Ordination | Level Three

  • BIB 313 The Corinthian Correspondence
  • BIB 318 The Pentateuch
  • BIB 322 The Poetic Books
  • MIN 325 Preaching in the Contemporary World
  • MIN 327 Church Administration, Finance, and Law
  • MIN 381 Pastoral Ministry
  • MIN 391 Advanced Ministerial Internship
  • THE 311 Prayer and Worship

OR:

  • A BS or BA in a religion or Bible related major.
  1. Submit a letter to Rev. Steve Powell, District Secretary. The letter should be written in a professional manner with complete sentences and paragraphs, follow generally accepted guidelines of formatting, and include the following information:
    • What is your calling?
    • Describe ministry involvement and plans (past, present & future).
    • In what way are you proclaiming the gospel?
    • Why do you desire credentials with the A/G?
    • What is your legal residency status?
    • What level of credential do you wish to obtain?
    • Are all educational requirements completed for the level of credential for which you are applying?
    • Include your mailing address
    • Email the letter to credentials@penflorida.org
  2. Order your transcript(s) from any college you have attended & request that they be sent directly to our office.
  3. Upon recognition of need for credentials, we will respond with a credentialing packet.
  4. The packet must be returned to our office no later than February 1 or September 1, depending on the credential period for which you are applying. A non-refundable processing fee of $200.00 must also accompany the completed application packet.
  5. This packet will be reviewed & we will then send the credential exam to the Presbyter, who will contact you to come in & take the exam.
  6. Your exam & file will be sent to a Screening Committee who will review it in detail and make a recommendation to the Sectional Committee.
  7. Your file will then be sent to your Presbyter & Sectional Committee. They will contact you for a personal interview. This interview is mandatory. If married, your spouse should accompany you to this interview.
  8. If approved by the Sectional Committee you will be notified by the district office to appear before the Presbytery for approval. This notice will come in the form of an “Order of the Day” no later than two weeks prior to the District Presbytery meeting. Your appearance before the Presbytery will be mandatory. (Check with the office for the exact date.) A Commissioning Banquet is held after the interview with the Presbytery. If married, your spouse should accompany you to this meeting and banquet.
  9. All applications & supporting documents will then be sent to the General Council in Springfield, Missouri, for final approval
  10. You will receive your Fellowship Card & certificate from the General Council of the Assemblies of God within approximately 8 – 12 weeks.

PLEASE NOTE: New Credential applicants will be entertained only twice a year; in January & June. The deadlines for turning in the completed application packet are as follows:

  • September 1— Deadline for January Presbytery
  • February 1— Deadline for June Presbytery

Credential Advancements (i.e. Certified to License, or License to Ordination) are processed annually, and an application packet may be obtained during the minister’s annual sectional interview in August. Please contact the District Office for more information or visit the “Credential Advancement” tab to the left.

  • When a minister (Certified or Licensed) meets with his or her Sectional Committee in August/September for the annual interview, he/she should request an Advancement to License or Advancement to Ordination packet from the Presbyter. The Committee will ask a few questions to confirm that the minister has met the minimal requirements for the next level of credentials and, if the requirements are met, the Presbyter will provide the minister with the advancement packet. ALL REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET PRIOR TO MAKING APPLICATION FOR ADVANCEMENT.
  • The applicant will have approximately two weeks to complete the application and return it to the credentials office (there will be a letter with a specific deadline included with the packet).
  • Once the applicant has submitted the application, supporting documents (release forms, etc), and fee, reference forms will be sent to those listed on the application and a background check will be run.
  • The candidate will then be scheduled to take the license or ordination exam (a synopsis will be included in the application packet).
  • The completed file will be reviewed by the Credentials Screening Committee.
  • If there are no issues flagged, the file will be presented to the District Presbytery in January for recommendation (Ordination candidates are NOT required to attend the Presbytery Meeting, LICENSE candidates ARE required to attend). (If there are any issues the candidate will be interviewed by the Sectional Committee regarding those items prior to the Presbytery meeting.)
  • The file recommended by the Presbytery will be forwarded to the General Council for final approval.
  • If the applicant is applying for Ordination he/she would then be ordained in May at District Council.

You will receive notification from the General Council in November of each year.

Here are the instructions for renewing online:

  1. Go to https://ministerrenewal.ag.org/
  2. Follow the prompts and instructions on each screen.
  3. Please note that if you are applying for advancement of your credential you must renew at your current credential level.

Note: You may find your account number on your Minister (Fellowship) Card; or by emailing na@ag.org (include your full official name and address); or calling 417-862-2781 extension 1114.

If you have any questions, contact the General Council at minister-renewal@ag.org; or your District Council office atdistrictsecretary@penflorida.org or call (863) 683-5726 ext. 225 and speak with Yohanna Irizarry.