God's call is at the heart of vocation. All ministry in and through the Church begins with God's call.
All of us who have been baptized are entrusted by God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with ministry. Every member of the Body of Christ is called to serve. God the Holy Spirit equips us and sends us out as bearers of the good news and as witnesses into the world.
Those in ordained ministry are called to a ministry of Word and Sacrament.
Within the Church of Ireland, ordained ministry can be either Stipendiary, or Local.
Stipendiary Clergy once ordained can serve anywhere, whereas Ordained Local Ministers (OLM) are licenced by the Diocesan Bishop or Archbishop to serve in a particular local area, supporting a Clergy Supervisor. OLMs usually are self-supporting with an alternative source of income. More information on this ministry is available here:
Ordained Local Ministry
If you are considering the possibility that you might be called to either of these types of Ordained Ministry, the first step is to discuss this with your rector.
If you and your rector both agree that there might be a calling to discern, the next stage is for your rector to recommend you meet and discuss your possible calling with your local Diocesan Director of Ordinands (DDO) who is:
Rev Colin Darling
Tel: 07925 672340
E-mail : colin.darling@talktalk.net
At this point, or even sooner, you should consider coming to the Fellowship of Vocation meetings. Contact the DDO for dates of the next meetings.
The Armagh Diocese Fellowship of Vocation meets 3 or 4 times a year and, as its name suggests, aims to allow people discern their calling with like-minded individuals, albeit at differing stages. It is a safe place to discuss thing openly, to learn from each other, to ask questions, to gain from the experience of others who have gone ahead of you, to support and pray for each other, to benefit from the reassurance of the fellowship.
If after discussing your sense of call with the Director of Ordinands and having spent some time with others of a like mind, it is probable that you will be encouraged to enrol for the Certificate in Christian Theology and Practice (CCTP). This is the basic foundation course required for both Stipendiary and Ordained Local Ministry, although the pathway to ordination after successful completion of the CCTP is different. More information can be found on the Theological Institute website Certificate in Christian Theology and Practice - Church of Ireland Theological Institute
This course is designed to assist you in the process of discerning your call as well as preparing you academically for the subsequent Master in Theology Course for Stipendiary Ministry, or the Further modules needed for Ordained Local Ministry.
You should only enrol on the CCTP course after agreeing this with the Diocesan Director of Ordinands. The CCTP Course lasts for about a year. During that year you will also be invited to meet your Diocesan Bishop who will decide on your suitability for attendance at a Selection conference.
If recommended for selection you will be invited to attend a Selection Conference and if accepted at that conference, you will be ready to begin your studies for Ordination.