Ministry of the Whole People of God
The ACSQ seeks ways to raise up, affirm and celebrate strong, vibrant ministry by all God’s people.
The call to ministry is a gift every Christian receives through baptism. Discerning the specifics of one’s call is a lifelong adventure. Learning to respond willingly— and even joyfully—is the mark of mature faith. The principal focus of discernment concerns how closely an individual’s gifts, experience and practice match the unique and emerging challenges of ordained ministry for the ACSQ. We pray for the Spirit’s guidance in all stages of this process, and we trust that the process will continue to evolve over time.
THE MINISTRY OF THE LAITY
The importance of the ministry of the laity - within individual faith communities, to the wider Church, and to the world at large - cannot be overemphasised. Every baptised Christian is called to be witnesses of Christ’s presence, whether that be in the home, in the workplace or in the community.
Lay people with particular gifts are encouraged to develop those gifts and to use them generously in the life of the Church and their local community. We celebrate the gifts that members of the laity bring to this mission, while recognising that this does not necessarily mean a call to ordination. In this Diocese, we are committed to finding ways to enable lay people to exercise their vocations. It is a denial of baptismal grace to take the view that a lay person with serious commitment to ministry can have that recognised only through ordination.
THE CALL TO ORDAINED MINISTRY
Within the Christian community, another kind of call may be discerned—the call to ordained ministry. Those who become deacons, priests, and bishops serve God and the Church by encouraging and supporting all the baptised in the diverse ministries to which they are called. For this reason, the selection and, later, the formation of those who will serve as clergy require careful attention, so that they may offer faithful and fruitful service as they a are called to work within the Body of Christ to witness to the presence of God’s kingdom on earth.
The ordained ministry represents a unique combination of privilege and responsibility. This makes it both rewarding and challenging. Priest and Deacon alike become confidants of many people. People entrust them with their joys and sorrows, successes, and failures. Priests are also responsible for the sacramental life of the Church, and for the encouragement and enabling of the ministry of all members of Christ’s body. Clergy are not expected to be perfect, but they are expected to have the inner capacity to meet these challenges.
The Anglican tradition understands that a genuine call to ordination comes to an individual within a community. The individual may experience a sense of God’s call, which may or may not be confirmed by the local parish and the wider Church. Alternatively, the community may identify people in its midst and encourage them to explore the ordained ministry. As a Church we seek to help individuals to use the resources of their parishes and diocesan communities in clarifying their call.
The Church as a whole has a responsibility to discern which of its members are called to help lead the body of Christ - that is, to ‘equip the saints’ - for living out its vocation, not just in the congregation but in the wider world where God-talk and being a faithful leader are alien and risky. As the ‘overseer’ or shepherd of the people of God, the Bishop has a particularly important part to play in this process.
Three Fold Order
The Anglican Church maintains the apostolic tradition of a threefold order of ministry: Bishop, Priest and Deacon. The diaconate (order of deacon) dates from the early Church and more recently there has been interest in renewing this ancient order. Some deacons are called to proceed to the priesthood. All three orders retain the ministry of deacon at their heart.
Deacons are commissioned agents of God and the Church taking the Gospel and the love of Christ into the world. Deacons engage in diverse ministries which may focus on outreach, pastoral care, social justice, education of the young, or numerous other fields. They are described as messengers, ambassadors, advocates. They are ecclesial persons sent by the church with the church’s authority, through the person of the Bishop, to undertake significant tasks to further the mission of the Church. The ministry of deacons will vary according to their individual gifts.
Deacons have a distinctive liturgical role, calling the community to confession, proclaiming the Gospel, and assisting with the administration of the sacraments. As the deacon dismisses the gathered community all the baptised are sent to engage in God’s mission in the world.