2024 Minister Credential Renewal Begins Soon

Annual Sikh Dharma Minister credential renewal notices will be sent out at the end of February.

This is an exam year, so be sure to complete your renewal early this year! 

Our electronic Minister Renewal System facilitates annual Minister credential renewals through a secure online portal. You can review and update your Minister record, submit your renewal letters and exams, and securely pay your annual Minister fees.

We, in the Office of the Secretary of Religion, are dedicated to assisting you if you need help. If you have questions or need assistance in your renewal process, please email Guruamrit Kaur at [email protected].

 2023 Minister Gathering at Winter Solstice

by SS Shiva Singh Khalsa, Gathering Facilitator 

Gurdwara at Winter Solstice 2023 in Lake Wales, Florida.

The Office of the Secretary of Religion hosted the first in-person Minister gathering since the beginning of the COVID pandemic at Winter Solstice in Lake Wales, Florida on Sunday, December 17, 2023. Attendees included SS Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, SS Inderpal Singh Bola and SS Shiva Singh Khalsa. 

We met out front of the wonderful Gurdwara Cabin that Inderpal Singh and his team emblazoned with countless lights that glistened in the Florida mist. (Not shown in the attached picture, but it was magical!)  

Although just the three of us were present, we had a meaningful conversation. Sat Bir Singh and I have spent our adult lives in 3HO and Inderpal Singh was born into a Sikh family, and we all felt like brothers.

Inderpal Singh (“Indi”) spoke about the Gurdwara in Slough, UK, called Guru Maneyo Granth. This Gurdwara has a daily meditative practice, an intense fervor, with Naam Simran for hours. He mentioned later that sangat transcends geography, age and background. Spiritual teachers live there, and come from all over and promote gurdwara love! 

Sat Bir Singh spoke about how he grew up as a Catholic, and his process embracing Sikh Dharma as a young adult. Ever the scientist, he spoke about a conference on spiritual practices. He also shared that the Siri Guru Granth Sahib speaks about the following areas: goals in life; the 10 Sikh Gurus and Naam Simran–a contemplative practice that creates measurable changes in the brain. Meditative and contemplative practices experienced in Gurdwara work on the mind. 

I agreed that we have that, the experience of Naam Simran in our Gurdwaras, and shared, “I feel I was born a Sikh because my father despised elitist religion and my mother was deeply religious, but never said an unkind word in her life. The concept of hell never entered into our lives as children.” 

We talked about more meditation, and agreed that practicing Naam Simran in Gurdwaras was a good goal.

We meditated together to close the gathering.