Ordained Ministry
At the Last Supper, Jesus did the job a servant would normally do and washed the feet of his disciples. He said to them, ‘You are to do as I have done for you’. All the ministry of the church looks back to that moment (minister is a Latin word and means ‘servant’). All ministry is a call to serve and is modelled on the life and work of Christ.Ordained ministers have particular responsibilities, something of their ministry takes shape locally and is particular, but they share the knowledge that they are called to follow Christ and serve his people. Christ prayed that his disciples might be united in a common life and ministry ever since has longed for unity.
Some ordained minsters are paid by the Church. Some work without receiving any direct financial support from it and may have other employment. The Diocese also has Ordained Local Ministers trained specifically to live and work in their home community as well as chaplains in hospitals, prisons, schools, industry and the armed forces.
Deacons
The word 'Deacon' means 'servant'. Deacons are a constant reminder to the Church of the serving role of all Christians. All clergy spend their first year in ministry as a deacon and most, but not all, then become priests.
Deacons can teach and preach, they assist priests in leading worship and in administering (but not presiding at) Holy Communion. They may baptise and solemnise marriages and undertake pastoral work as assigned.
Priests
Priests are called by God to work as shepherds and servants. Priests proclaim the word of the Lord and in Christ's name absolve and declare the forgiveness of sins. Like deacons, they baptise and prepare the baptised for confirmation. They preside at the celebration of Holy Communion. They lead the people in prayer and worship, intercede for them, bless them in the name of the Lord, encouraging by word and example. They minister to the sick and prepare the dying for their death.
Bishops
Bishops have oversight of the Church in geographical areas called dioceses. Our Diocesan Bishop is The Rt Revd Michael Perham and he is assisted in his ministry by the Rt Revd John Went, Bishop of Tewkesbury. Bishops have a particular responsibility to teach the faith and to maintain the unity of the Church. They ordain new deacons and priests and support and guide them in their ministry.
Women and men can be deacons and priests in the Church of England. The Church of England has just decided that Women can also be made Bishops and is currently working on the legislation that will make this possible
Ordained Local Ministers
The crucial word that describes Ordained Local Ministers is that they are ‘Ordained’, they are deacons and priests like any other ordained person. As Ordained Local Ministers (OLMs) their ministry is distinctive in being permanently committed to a particular place. Whilst other clergy will move from place to place, OLMs will have a ministry that will have grown out of a local community and will then be worked out in that same community.
In the Diocese of Gloucester our OLMs live and work in communities with which they have had a long association. Many of them earn a living in jobs they do alongside their ministry (OLMs are not paid by the Church). All of them are committed to the principle of a ministry that is shared by all God’s people.
Training for the Ordained Local Ministry is virtually identical to the training all our other clergy receive (OLMs do the same course, but some parts of it place a stronger stress on their local commitment). Selection for Ordained Local Ministry is however distinctive. OLMs are called out of Ministry Teams, they are part of a team before, during and after their training.
For further information about OLM you can contact Kathy Lawrence (one of the Local Ministry Officers).
Email: klawrence@glosdioc.org.uk
[11] [5] [55]