Ordained Ministry

Ordained Ministers (deacons and priests) are called to represent the church in the wider world. They lead the church’s mission and ministry through worship and prayer, preaching and teaching, community engagement and pastoral work. Some ordained ministers are self-supporting and serve locally, and some are stipendiary. Some are parish-based, while others serve in schools, hospitals, prisons and elsewhere as chaplains.

Training

The 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.

Find out more in this booklet: