Picture by Keith Mindham
DiscernmentThe pathway to ordination is the same for all clergy, and involves a discernment process which usually begins within your own congregation and conversations with your own priest or with the Diocesan Director of Ordinands (DDO) or a member of his team. The next step is taken within the diocese when the Diocesan Director of Ordinands takes time to meet with you and discuss your faith and your sense of calling in the light of criteria that have been agreed by the national church. If your call seems to point clearly towards ordained ministry, you will become a member of the 'Fellowship of Vocation' and start working with diocesan staff. We will work with you to identify what type of ministry is right for your unique gifts and talents. This part of the process is one of preparation and formation, and can therefore take a long time. It may take from one to three years. This time is spent discerning your vocation is a time of personal growth. You will be increasing in self-awareness, developing a disciplined prayer-life and building your knowledge. The next step to ordination is to be interviewed by the national church selection board and attend a residential 'Bishop's Advisory Panel' (BAP), If you are successful a recommendation will be made to our Bishop that you can be a candidate for ordination. Our Bishop will need to agree to sponsor your training.
Beginning your curacyUpon successful completion of your course, you will be ordained a deacon by your bishop, and will begin a curacy in a parish. Your curacy is an opportunity to serve alongside an experienced vicar, putting into practice the knowledge gained from your course and learning from them as you prepare for your own ministry. As a deacon you are able to do weddings and baptisms, but you must be ordained priest before you can preside over Holy Communion. You will most likely be ordained a priest by your bishop after a year of curacy, provided this is the type of ministry you have been training for. Contacts and more informationFor further information about discernment, selection and training, email the Revd Stuart Batten, Diocesan Director of Ordinands. Church of England Preparing for Ordained Ministry | Weblink Ordained Vocations Mentor Directory | WeblinkIf you are interested in becoming a Self-Supporting Minister, |