People witness God’s majesty and inspiration in different ways. Natural beauty is one. You might see the Lord’s grace in the colors of the autumn leaves in Talcott Mountain State Park, or in a bright sunrise over a choppy ocean at White Sands Beach. You might see the presence of Jesus in the face of a homeless person on a cold winter day as it lights up when you spoon a ladle of soup into their bowl at the YWCA in Hartford. You might feel God’s power when you make a strong connection with a fellow traveler at a Bible study group in your local community.
Regardless of how you witness the Holy Spirit’s inspiration and glory, once you have there’s no honest way of going back. And there’s no stifling it either: you want to –must– spread the word to others. You’re called to be a pastor; a minister of God’s good news.
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You’ll need to invest time and effort into becoming a pastor in Connecticut. This is a position that comes with great responsibility; becoming a competent pastor means earning an education, gaining experience, and, if you’re called to plant a church of your own, ensuring that you’ve jumped through the right legal hoops.
It’s not the easiest journey, but nothing worth doing ever is. Ultimately, it’s a journey that can be an extremely rewarding experience, and it starts with the right education.
Follow these simply steps to find out how to become a pastor in Connecticut:
Steps to Become a Pastor in Connecticut
Step 1. Earn a Bachelor's Degree in Christian Ministry, Pastoral Studies or Other Similar Major in Connecticut
Statewide people need to hear the Lord's good news now more than ever. In the last year alone the number of drug overdose deaths in Connecticut has risen by more than 11%. Nearly 3,000 Connecticut residents are homeless. In 2020 things were so desperate for 359 people that they took their own lives. Connecticut has one of the lowest per-capita attendance rates at major churches of all states in the nation at only 5.1 per 1,000 people.
A bachelor's degree in a field like pastoral studies or Christian ministry gives you the foundational knowledge and basic skills you need to help people and society address their deepest challenges. This sets you a cut above the average layperson and can open up more possibilities for you at your local congregation.
In addition to online opportunities, schools in Connecticut offer bachelor's options in fields like religious studies and theology. Earning a bachelor's degree in a relevant field also serves your career prospects well in the long-term; an undergraduate education is a typical prerequisite for entry to a master's program.
Step 2. Look for Ministry Jobs and Gain Experience Serving the People and Churches of Connecticut
With your bachelor's degree in hand, you'll be able to show a demonstrable credential when you apply for positions at your local church.
Working among the local community of faithful is essential to understanding the most organic pressing issues where you live and worship. It will give you valuable experience that you'll depend on for the rest of your journey as you work towards becoming a pastor.
This is the starting point for a serious career trajectory within a congregation; you need to hone your skills in entry and mid-level roles before you move into more senior positions of leadership.
For example, Valley Community Baptist Church in Avon has a congregation that's 2,000 strong. To apply for the Pastor of World Outreach at this church you need to have a least a bachelor's degree, however candidates with a Master of Divinity or Missiology degree are preferred.
Black Rock Congregational Church in Fairfield, also with 2,000 members, requires applicants for the director of young adult and children's ministry job to have a bachelor's degree, ideally in a relevant field like ministry or theology.
Explore Ministry Jobs with One of Connecticut's Many Churches
Christian jobs that may require a relevant bachelor's degree include:
- Sunday school or Christian education teacher
- Ministry associate or assistant
- Church office manager
- Children’s and adult services assistant
The largest Christian organizations in Connecticut are the ones most likely to be looking to fill these kinds of positions:
- Black Rock Congregational Church in Fairfield
- Crossroads Community Cathedral in East Hartford
- Faith Church in New Milford
- First Cathedral in Bloomfield
- Kingdom Life Christian Church in Milford
- New Beginnings Community Church in Darien
- Valley Community Baptist Church in Avon
- Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel
Salary Expectations for Church Ministry Jobs in Connecticut
In 2020, religious workers in Connecticut in non-leadership roles, earned an average of $52,260. This puts Connecticut in second place among the states with the highest salaries for religious workers.
Directors of religious activities and education earned an average of $48,720 that year, while those in the top ten percent earned more than $71,320.
Step 3. Earn a Master of Divinity (MDiv) or Similar Graduate Degree in Connecticut and Establish Your Role in Christian Leadership
As your pastoral career continues its upward trajectory you’ll eventually hit a ceiling where you’ll need a Master of Divinity or similar advanced education to breakthrough to the next level. There’s a stark difference between entry and mid-level jobs, and more senior leadership positions where souls are at stake.
Combining your experience with the advanced education you’ll get in a Master of Divinity program is the best way to prepare for the responsibility that comes from serving as a lead pastor, senior pastor, or senior missions coordinator.
Master of Divinity programs are offered as stand-alone degrees that can be completed online or on-campus. They also often include concentration areas like:
- New evangelization
- Intercultural studies
- Worship ministry
- Church management
- Biblical counseling
Divinity students often report that their time in a master’s program is rewarding. It’s the climax of years of work within a faith community where education helps the bigger picture come into focus, all within an encouragingly supportive environment of your peers.
Salary Expectations for Pastor Jobs in Connecticut
The US Department of Labor reports that pastors and other members of clergy in Connecticut earned an average of $58,460 in 2020. This places Connecticut among the top-10 states in the nation in terms of salaries for Christian leaders.
More experienced members of clergy in Connecticut, those with the most education and experience earning within the 90th percentile, earned more than $93,260 that year.
Step 4. Consider Forming a Christian Ministry of Your Own in Connecticut
Serving as a lead pastor and leading ministry groups at your church is a dream come true for many. However for some this doesn’t entirely feel whole and in line with what God has called you to do.
Some are called to start their own church; to plant their own worship community.
If you’ve found yourself in this category then you’ll need to take care of a few important items of business before you can fully immerse yourself in pastoral life.
Registering your church as a non-profit organization in Connecticut is a two-pronged approach that starts by working at the state level:
- First, you’ll choose a name for your church. Search the Connecticut Secretary of State’s name database to make sure your church’s name isn’t already taken by someone else.
- To register your church, you’ll need to list a physical address within Connecticut on your application. Make sure you’ve met your local city or town’s business requirements.
- Now you’ll be ready to submit an application to register your church with the Connecticut Secretary of State.
- In Connecticut a non-profit religious organization is also referred to a non-stock corporation. Include a Certificate of Incorporation form ($50), and an Organization and First Report form ($150) with your application. The Certificate of Incorporation asks for an NAICS code for the type of business you’re registering. Use this code for religious organizations: 813110.
- If your church is going to be accepting charitable donations then you need to register with the Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protection.
- If you’re going to hire employees then you need a state tax ID number and to create an employer status report for unemployment compensation. You do both these through the Connecticut State Department of Revenue Services.
- You also need to register for a Tax Registration Number with this department, which you can do online here.
Next, you’ll need to go through the federal process of incorporating your church as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the IRS:
- First, you’ll apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) using an SS-4 Form. This is a quick procedure you can do at any point while you’re working through the state registration process. You may need to enter your federal EIN on state forms you submit in Connecticut.
- Draft Articles of Incorporation that describe your church’s governance and management system. You also need to draft a Declaration of Trust. The IRS provides examples of what must be included on these documents.
- Submit a Form 1023 to the IRS ($275 fee); this is your official application for non-profit 501(c)(3) status.
And you’re finished. Congratulations! At this point you can start focusing on what you’ve truly been called to do, which isn’t tax paperwork.
There’s a community of people out there who haven’t heard the Lord’s word, and it’s up to you to spread the good news!
2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures and job market trends for Religious Workers, Church Directors, and Clergy based on state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed February 2022.
Christian Colleges in Connecticut
Hartford Seminary
MA in Interreligious Studies (campus)
MA in Chaplaincy (campus)
Yale University Yale Divinity School
Bachelor in Religious Studies (campus)
Master of Divinity (campus)
MA in Religion (campus)
Master of Sacred Theology (campus)
Online Christian Universities in Connecticut
Holy Apostles College and Seminary
BA in Theology (online, campus)
Master of Divinity (online, campus)
- New Evangelization
MA in Pastoral Studies (online, campus)
- Apologetics
- Catechetical Ministry
- General Studies
- Marriage and Family Studies
- Pastoral Counseling
- Spiritual Direction
- Youth and Young Adult Ministry
MA in Theology (online, campus)
- Bioethics – with NCBC Certification
- Bioethics – non-NCBC
- Church History
- Dogmatic Theology
- General Studies
- Moral Theology
- Sacred Scripture
- Thomistic Studies
