Ordination

The Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer teaches that: “The ministers of  the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests and deacons.”  While all  are called to follow Christ in worship, work, prayer and outreach for  the spread of God’s kingdom, some are called in particular to ordained  ministry in the Church.

The  call to ordained ministry is experienced by different people in  different ways.  It is vitally important to understand that discernment  regarding the calling to ordained ministry is not merely between an  individual and God.  The Church too must hear and affirm a person’s call  to ministry.  The process of formation around clarifying and responding  to a call begins in your local parish.

To enter the ordination process you must be baptized and be a member in  good standing in a parish.  The first step in discernment is for an  individual to approach the priest serving the parish where you are a  member to express the sense of call to ordained leadership.  The local  priest will guide the discerner to the initial steps in the local  diocese.  Each diocese has their own guides for meeting the expectations  of the Episcopal Church Canon.
 

Canon III.3.1 of the Episcopal Church states: The Bishop and  Commission (on Ministry) shall provide encouragement, training, and  necessary resources to assist each faith community in developing an  ongoing process of community discernment appropriate to the cultural  background, age, and life experiences of all persons seeking direction  in their call to ministry.