The Application Process
One careful application. A lifetime of care.
Applications open once every quarter and stay open for seven days. Here is everything that happens from the day the window opens to the day support reaches your household.
Step by step
From open window to onboarding.
Read this through before the window opens. The ministers who prepare are the ones who apply well.
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The window opens
Applications for membership and support open once every quarter. Everyone on our notify list receives an email, and a WhatsApp message where they have agreed to one. The window stays open for seven days and then closes; applications cannot be submitted outside it.
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You prepare, carefully
Gather your documents and speak to your referees before you begin. Check every detail. Names, dates and numbers must be accurate and must match your identification.
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You submit one application
You and your household apply together, as one applicant. You read and agree to our guidelines, then complete the form in full. Please read your answers once more before you send them, because you will not be able to change them afterwards.
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We verify
We review your documents and contact your referees. In some cases the Foundation will arrange a physical verification, sending an agent to confirm your identity, your location and your ministry in person.
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A decision is made
The decision to shortlist or reject rests entirely on the legitimacy of the application. A strong recommendation from an authority figure in ministry carries significant weight.
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You are onboarded for life
A verified applicant who is shortlisted is welcomed into the Foundation and retained for a lifetime. You become eligible for counselling, prayer meetings and Foundation-funded programmes.
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You request support monthly
Once onboarded, you may apply for support once every month for twelve months. Each request is assessed within the limits the Foundation sets at the time.
Please read this carefully
Decisions are final.
We know this is firm. It is meant to protect the honest applicant and the integrity of everything set aside for shepherds.
A rejection is permanent
An applicant who is rejected will not have a second opportunity to apply. That is why we ask you, as strongly as we can, to apply only when you are ready and to tell the whole truth.
Appeals are rare
In exceptional cases, an appeal may be submitted for re-evaluation. Appeals are considered only where there is a clear reason to believe the decision rested on a misunderstanding or incomplete information.
Acceptance is for life
The other side of that firmness is permanence. Once verified and shortlisted, you are retained by the Foundation for a lifetime. You will not need to prove yourself again.
Get ready now
What to have in hand before the window opens.
Digital copies (photographs or PDFs) are fine. Having these ready means you can apply calmly within the seven days.
- A valid Ghana Card. The name on your application must match it, and must match your Mobile Money or bank account.
- Details of your denomination and your role within it, including where you currently serve.
- A letter of recommendation from an authority figure in ministry: a senior minister, bishop, overseer or the executive of your denomination or pastoral association.
- Referees who know your ministry personally and are willing to be contacted.
- Evidence of need, such as medical invoices, school fee demands or tenancy arrears.
- Household details for your spouse and children, if you have them.
How support is assessed
Fair does not mean identical.
One household, one applicant
A minister and his or her household are considered as a single applicant. Spouses and children do not apply separately; their needs are part of the household’s application.
Different circumstances, different measures
Single, married, full-time and part-time ministers live with different pressures, so the Foundation applies different considerations in evaluating each. The same principles of fairness apply to all.
Limits are reviewed
The maximum a minister may request is set by the Foundation and revised from time to time, so that support remains sustainable for every member and for the generations to come.
Recommendations matter
Applicants are encouraged to present authority figures in ministry as referees. A strong recommendation significantly influences the decision.
Shepherds Only Foundation never charges an application fee and will never ask you to pay anyone to have your application considered or approved. If anyone asks you for money in our name, do not pay. Report it to [email protected].
Be the first to know when the window opens.
Leave your email address and phone number. We will tell you by email, and on WhatsApp if you allow it.