SECOND-YEAR CURATES WITH BISHOP ROSE AT THEIR ORDINATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD IN 2021 (Photo: Jim Drew)
At the beginning of the services where deacons and priests are ordained, the Bishop or Archbishop reads these words:
“The Church is the Body of Christ, the people of God and the dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit. In baptism the whole Church is summoned to witness to God’s love and to work for the coming of his kingdom. To serve this royal priesthood, God has given particular ministries…”
The ministry of deacons and priests in the Church of England is a ministry of service, both privately in prayer and the study of scripture and publicly as they lead the people of God in worship, preach and teach and take the good news of Jesus into the world. As such, those who are ordained into the Church of England will be able to recognise and articulate both an inner (individual/private) call and an external (public/affirmed) call to that ministry.
Because recognising and articulating that call is a task for which we need the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we use the term ‘discernment’ when talking about the process.
Candidates up to the age of 65
The Discernment Cohort Programme is an in-depth process designed to nurture and test both your internal sense of call and the church’s external call to you to enter ordained ministry.
Candidates for ordination will join a small online group which will meet monthly for about 11 months. At the end of this candidates will be able to attend a national discernment panel. , and what to do next.
The Dover Pathway for candidates over 65
The Dover Pathway is a route to ordination as a Distinctive Deacon or Assistant Priest for those over 65 years old. It is available to candidates who have an established track-record of leadership and ministry in the local church and have previously undertaken theological study. Clergy ordained through this route will be self-supporting and will continue to serve in the church where they are currently licensed (or locally authorised) after their curacy.
The Dover Pathway has two streams. Those aged between 65 and 70 will undertake a one-year programme of training and formation with St Augustine’s College. Those over 70 will discern a calling to direct ordination. The application deadlines are 1st December 2024 for over 70s (for 2025 ordination), and 1st May 2025 for those aged 65-70 is (for 2026 ordination). More details about The Dover Pathway.
For more information about discerning a call to ordained ministry, please contact The Revd Jon Marlow, Head of Vocations.
Cover Photo: ‘Dover’ by Rab Lawrence. Used under Creative Commons Licence CC BY 2.0 DEED