Overview
God calls all of us and we all have vocations or callings to many different roles. Some people, young and old, are called by God to be ordained.
Church of England clergy do all sorts of things apart from taking services and drinking tea! Whilst most work in parishes, others are involved in industry, schools and universities. Others are pioneering youth congregations or fresh expressions of church. Not all clergy are full time and not all clergy are paid by the Church. Some clergy have paid employment or other sources of income and give time voluntarily to the Church: they are sometimes called Non-Stipendiary Ministers (NSMs).
There is a careful selection process. If you feel a call to authorised ministry, the first step is to talk to your vicar or chaplain. After a few conversations, they may refer you to your local Deanery Training Adviser to explore the different authorised ministries within the church. If the call may be to ordained ministry they will refer you to the Diocesan Director of Ordinands (DDO). From the beginning of October 2010 we have an interim DDO, the Revd Anne Roberts. Of course, not everyone's situation fits neatly into this process so the DDO is happy to be contacted for advice.
As part of the process you will be asked to have a number of conversations, perhaps visit some churches or go on placement. You will also be asked to read some relevant books and possibly undertake some study. The process takes considerable time, and all of this will help you, and those involved in selection, to discern the right path. A local selection panel is held which will recommend whether you should attend a national Bishops Advisory Panel. It is this last panel which decides whether you can enter training for the ordained ministry.
Diocesan Director of Ordinands
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Revd Anne Roberts healing.adviser@carlislediocese.org.uk |
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26 Feb 2008
