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CALCULATING ROUTE… Exploring a Vocation to Ordained Ministry

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CALCULATING ROUTE… Exploring a vocation to ordained ministry Page 1 of 17 Biographical info: This booklet is based on the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham’s booklet “Exploring a vocation to ordained ministry”, and has been used and adapted with permission and thanks. It is designed to help people who are beginning to explore a call to ordained ministry in the Church of England and/or feel strongly called to such ministry, with the particular aim of describing the selection process in the Diocese of Winchester. Page 2 of 17 Introduction Just as the disciples were called by Jesus to make a radical life-changing decision to up sticks and follow him, so every Christian receives a call from God to make his priorities our priorities, to push aside our own agenda and embrace his agenda of love and life in Christ. In recent years, talk of “every member ministry” has emphasised that every Christian has his or her unique part to play in the mission of God. Together we are called to be faithful, but individually, each of us are called in different ways and at different times to do particular things for Christ and to be who we are in him, for others. In this sense, Christian “vocation” is something which all believers share. What this looks like is summed up in the Diocese of Winchester’s “three p’s”: • Passionate personal spirituality • Pioneering faith communities • Prophetic global citizenship Every Christian then, experiences God’s calling, but within the Church, particular individuals are called to exercise roles of licensed leadership as Licensed Lay Ministers (LLM) or as ordained ministers. This booklet is for men and women who sense that God may be calling them to ordained ministry, with the special responsibilities it brings. Our objective is to outline, stage by stage, the process of exploring a call to ordained ministry at both diocesan and national level. God calls all kinds of people to all kinds of places, to live and work alongside all manner of communities, so don’t worry about trying to become what you suppose others might be looking for in a potential leader – be the person God made you, be yourself! As you begin the journey of exploration you should know that this process is quite lengthy. Before any decisions are made regarding the possibility of formal training for ministry, be ready to devote months or even a couple of years praying about your call, discussing it with others, preparing and reading quite extensively about the nature of ordained ministry. Ultimately, there are no guarantees. As one comes to realise where God might or might not be leading, there may be delight in greater discovery of God’s purposes, but equally, there may be pain and, initially, some disorientation when the outcome is not the one hoped for or expected. Be assured that as you undertake this journey, those involved in the process will hold you in prayer, and that God will lead you wherever it is he wants you to be. Rev. Dr. Marcus Throup – Vocations Adviser & Diocesan Director of Ordinands, the Diocese of Winchester. Page 3 of 17 (1) Exploring together What we offer those exploring a call to ordained ministry • Clear information about each stage of the process • Feedback and support from the Diocesan Director of Ordinands (DDO) and local vocations advisers (LVA). • An appropriate circle of confidentiality, initially the candidate and their clergy, the DDO and the Bishop. As the exploration phase proceeds this will extend to include referees, interviewers and parish personnel. • Invitations to participate in events/groups on vocations • Reading recommendations and information about resources and opportunities which may be of use What the Diocese requires of those exploring a sense of calling to ordained ministry • That you understand the possible outcomes of the process as a whole and maintain an openness to all possibilities, not just that of ordination • That you understand that no guarantees can be given • That you understand that the process can take months or years. Ordained ministers are the most visible face of the Church and it is crucial to gain assurance of your calling, capability and readiness at each stage • That you engage actively with the local vocations adviser (LVA), designated early on in the discernment process, and DDO in order to explore your faith and yourself as a person. • That you are willing to take responsibility for providing support and encouragement for yourself, beyond that which is offered by the Diocese, e.g. you may want to share with a small group of people to ask them to commit to praying and reflecting with you during the process. Page 4 of 17 (2) Stages in the journey There are three distinct stages on the journey towards ordained ministry: (A) The Exploration Stage (B) The Discernment Stage (C) The Training Stage The flowchart at the end of this booklet will give you a visual overview of the nuts and bolts of the process. Below is a description, stage by stage, of the journey from the initial exploration of a call to ordained ministry right through to training. (A) The Exploration Stage As an enquirer, if you sense that you might be experiencing a call to ordained ministry the initial contact and discussion should be with your Incumbent or Priest-in-Charge. It is important that even regarding an early or unformed vocation, the DDO is given a clear written indication of clergy support (an e-mail communication will suffice) when a referral is made. In this referral your Incumbent/Priest-in-Charge pledges to support you in your exploration journey, even if you are not very far down the line. After a clergy referral, the enquirer is sent a ministry exploration form and a CV pro forma. As soon as our administrator receives these completed forms, the enquirer will be sent to a local vocations adviser (LVA). Either clergy or lay, the LVA will help you explore calling by talking and praying things through with you. The LVA will give guidance on topics related to the Church of England’s Criteria for Selection for Ordained Ministry. The criteria include priesthood and ministry, the Church of England, spirituality, current moral and ethical issues, personality and the enquirer’s call/faith journey and the impact ordained ministry will have on the family. As well as recommending particular books and possibly courses, the LVA will encourage you in the development of your spirituality. Enquirers are often asked to visit different churches with different styles and traditions, and in some cases a placement experience might be set up. Some enquirers might see their LVA three times over a six month period, others might go through a longer period of meetings spanning a year or more. There is no official time limit or set number of meetings, since the objective is to explore one’s vocation in depth and, where relevant, to prepare for the Discernment Stage of the process. Again, enquirers should expect to do a significant amount of reading and research during this period. Typically, LVAs are very busy people and the onus is on Page 5 of 17 the enquirer rather than the LVA to keep the process alive and get dates in the diary for sessions with the LVA. When the LVA and/or DDO is satisfied that the enquirer is ready to transition to the discernment phase, an interview will be set up with an examining chaplain (see below on ‘The Discernment stage’). The enquirer can expect to emerge from the exploration stage with a clearer sense of his/her vocation, whether it is to ordained or lay ministry and if the former, if it is in terms of primary leadership (Incumbent) or assistant leadership (Assistant Minister), or Pioneer Ministry. While it may be possible for an Assistant Minister to transition to a primary leadership post at some point in the course of his/her ministry, such a transition would imply further assessment. Therefore, when going forward to the discernment stage, unless you are certain that your future ministry will be that of a secondary support role, you ought to apply for priestly ministry as an Incumbent. The process for Pioneer Ministry is slightly different and at the time of writing is being re-assessed in the National Church. Currently, those wanting to pursue ordained Pioneer ministry have to fulfil all the requirements of standard primary leadership and further requirements pertaining specifically to Pioneer ministry. Page 6 of 17 (B) The Discernment Stage (i) Going to a Diocesan Advisory Panel The Diocese of Winchester holds regular Diocesan Panels for those pursuing a vocation to ordained ministry. A candidate must see an examining chaplain a couple of months before a Diocesan Panel. The purpose of the Diocesan Panel is to examine a person’s calling at the diocesan level and decide whether that person is ready or not to attend a national Bishop’s Advisory Panel. Candidates hoping to go to a BAP with a view to beginning training in the Autumn of the same year should come to diocesan panel about a year in advance. For example, if Jo Blogs hopes to begin training in Autumn 2025 he/she would come to diocesan panel in Autumn/winter 2024, with a view to going to BAP in Spring/Summer 2025. Candidates recommended to go to BAP can attend BAPs at different times of the year, but where there is a concern to begin training in a given year, it is essential to bear in mind the chronology outlined above. Candidates attend a Diocesan Panel after the initial exploration period with an LVA and following an interview with an examining chaplain, which interview marks the beginning of the discernment stage.
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