ordained ministry
From very early times in the life of the church there have been three Orders of Ministry – Bishops, Priests and Deacons. In more recent times these three orders have been supplemented by several different orders of lay ministry.
The Church of Wales is the expression of the Anglican way of being church in Wales and for Anglicans the central order of ministry is that of the Bishop. He has pastoral oversight of the whole of his diocese. He shares and delegates much of the detail of that to Priests who are entrusted with the pastoral oversight of parishes – these days often more than one. Then there are Deacons. There are a few who are called to be Deacons for the whole of their ministry but, more often, women and men are ordained Deacon for a time on their way to being ordained Priest. Bishops are chosen from those who are Priests.
All Christians are called into a special relationship with God which is called discipleship. It is a ‘following’ - a way of life which reflects God’s view of the world and his purpose for the world. At its heart lies a commitment to putting God and other people ahead of self.
Within that calling to discipleship - which is for everyone – some are called into particular roles which involve leadership – as Deacons and Priests. What is involved in identifying that call?