Exploring your vocation
Could God be calling you to Ordained or Licensed Lay Ministry (e.g. Reader) in the Church of England? I f so,the first step is to discuss this with your incumbent (church leader) or chaplain. They will help you to explore your sense of call and develop your discipleship, your involvement in mission, your knowledge of the Church of England and your understanding of what it means to be in public ministry.
The Church of England has identified six "Qualities" which it is looking for in candidates for licensed or ordained ministries. These are
- Love for God
- Call to Ministry
- Love for People
- Wisdom
- Fruitfulness
- Potential
You will need to reflect on how you are "inhabiting" these six Qualities, and where you may need to grow and develop. The Qualities are described in more detail for various ministries in the following document, where you will find a "grid" for each ministry, describing what these qualities look like in relation to Christ, Church, World and Self. Look at the Grid for the ministry you feel you are called to, and reflect prayerfully, on your own, with your incumbent, and with others you trust, as to how you are inhabiting these qualities.
Download Qualities Grids for Licensed and Ordained Ministries
You are also welcome to contact Mark Norris, the Lead Diocesan Vocations Adviser & DDO for an informal chat at any time if you are interested at mark.norris@coventry.anglican.org or on 024 7652 1303.
Who can be ordained (or licensed)?
In order to be considered as a candidate for ordained or licensed lay ministry, you need to have been baptised. You must also have been confirmed by a bishop. You will have a vibrant, life-transforming faith in Jesus Christ and worship regularly at a Church of England church where you are involved in mission and ministry as an active part of the church community.
In addition:
- It is usual for those to be ordained to be aged 55 or less at the time of ordination for stipendiary (paid) ministry and 65 or less for self-supporting ministry.
- At the present time, it is usual for candidates to have permanent residency status in the UK to explore a vocation to ordained ministry in the Diocese of Coventry.
The Diocesan Discernment (or Vocation) Process
To enter the formal Diocesan Discernment Process, you must be recommended by your incumbent/chaplain using the recommendation form below. This happens if reflection on the Qualities above has given your incumbent/chaplain confidence that there is sufficient evidence that you have the potential to be a candidate for ordained or licensed lay ministry and are ready to test this further.
DOWNLOAD Incumbent/Chaplain Recommendation Form
Prospective candidates should complete a Vocation Registration Form and (optional) Ethnic Monitoring Form, which can be downloaded here:
DOWNLOAD Vocation Registration Form DOWNLOAD Ethnic Monitoring Form
All forms should be sent to vocation@coventry.anglican.orgThe Diocesan Discernment (or Vocation) Process is designed to help you find out whether God is calling you to be part of the formal leadership of the Church, and we will explore the six Qualities in much greater depth, as well as exploring your life experiences and how these have shaped you.
For candidates for Ordination, the diocesan process is part of the national Shared Discernment Process which includes the national assessments. You can find out more details of the qualities and the Shared Discernment Process here:
The national Shared Discernment Process for Ordination
The Diocesan Process
UKME vocations
We are keen to encourage and support those people who want to explore vocation who may not have been welcomed or well represented in the Church of England to date. This includes those who identify as UKME.