Exploring a Call to Ordained Ministry
It is a lengthy process and many people are involved with it. It usually begins with the combination of a personal inner stirring echoed by the encouragement of others. It may actually begin with the encouragement of others – and that’s a particularly good beginning.
Soon there should be a conversation with whoever is the Vicar or Parish Priest (if he or she is not already involved!). If there is support and encouragement at this point then that would be the time for a referral to me. At present there is an important stage here for any candidate who has remarried with a previous partner who is still alive. There needs to be an exploration about that and permission given for a call to be explored.
I would then meet with the person involved and would begin to talk about some of the detail of the expectations which the church has developed to discover whether someone is called to ordained ministry or not. The Church has developed 9 Criteria by which a calling (often called a Vocation) to Holy Orders is assessed.
1. Vocation
Under this heading the church wants to discover the extent and depth of the sense of call that is being experienced, the extent to which it is echoed by others and the extent to which it is realistic and based on a clear understanding of what the role involves. Because ordination involves a massive lifestyle change it is necessary to discern the extent to which this is appreciated – and to some extent even being entered into as well.
2. Church in Wales
This criterion is concerned to establish the extent to which a candidate knows and affirms the life of the Church in Wales – its breadth of practice and tradition, understands their own tradition within that, and show an understanding of the ways in which ministry has developed within this church. The task of the Church is the proclamation of the Gospel and that is done through faithful ministry of ‘word, sacrament, pastoral care and social action and all candidates need to be wholeheartedly committed to that.
3. Spirituality
All ordained ministers need to have an established pattern of spiritual health-care which is both energising and sustaining and which involves both public worship and private devotions. There should be a combination of prayer – both listening and speaking – and Bible study. It should be a natural and integral part of daily life and there should be constant evidence of an expectant awareness of God’s presence in every area of life.
4. Personality and Character
Ordained ministry is very demanding personally. And this criterion explores capacity to sustain it. It is concerned with self awareness and self acceptance, personal maturity, integrity, the ability to manage change and support others through that as well. It is about the desire to continue to grow and develop personally also.
5. Relationships
Relationships lie at the heart of life for an ordained minister. Is there self knowledge, self awareness and self acceptance? Is there an understanding of the different sorts of relationships and their boundaries and a commitment to live within them? Is there awareness of the power dynamics which exist within all modes of relationship and adequate personal honesty and integrity always to negotiate them honourably?
6. Leadership and Collaboration
The church is an organisation of people who commit voluntarily to a common cause of mission to the world and there must be leadership skills adequate to the task of harnessing, serving and enabling this to happen following the example of the earthly life of Jesus
7. Faith
There must be a clear and life giving faith in Christ both to live and to share. There must be a commitment to communication in word and action and the ability to relate faith to the life and issues of the world.
8. Mission and Evangelism
As a fundamental reason for the existence of the church there must be an understanding of God’s mission to the world and signs that this is already visible in prayer, thinking and action. There must be evidence of the ability to understand the context in which mission is to be engaged; leadership of others in the task, as well as an appreciation of what it means to articulate the Gospel.
9. Quality of Mind
A candidate must be able to show adequate intellectual capacity both to undertake a course of formational study and to energise a lifetime of reflective study to support the demands of a lifetime’s ministry. There must also be clear signs of the ability to relate faith to the lives of both the worshipping and wider communities.
Believe it or not that is a brief summary!
If you feel that God may be calling you to this – then do please go to see your parish priest in the first instance – or if there are compelling reasons why you can’t do that then please be free to contact me direct.
Blessings and Peace to you.
Ambrose (Mason)