The canons (III.8) require that before ordination a Candidate must be examined and show proficiency in (1) The Holy Scriptures; (2) History of the Christian Church; (3) Christian Theology; (4) Christian Ethics and Moral Theology; (5) Christian Worship according to the use of the Book of Common Prayer, the Hymnal, and authorized supplemental texts; and (6) The Practice of Ministry in contemporary society. These are known as the six canonical areas.
Source: General Board of Examining Chaplains website
Please note: while this is a public LibGuide, some of the resources on this guide are available only to Southwest students, faculty, and staff.
Access slides from the 11/4/2022 session called GOE and Canonical Exam: Logistics, LibGuide, and Library Resources.
Dr. Claire Colombo is the Assistant Professor of Writing, Theology, and the Arts and Director of the Center for Writing and Creative Expression at Southwest.
Photo credit: The Rev. Charles Lane Cowen, MDiv '18
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General Board of Examining Chaplains
The official website of the General Ordination Exams. This page gives suggestions and tips for taking the GOEs.
Previous Questions
A collection of the previous GOE questions from 2003-2022.
General Board of Examining Chaplains. Previous GOES. n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2019.