“Training institutions should aid, not hinder, collaboration”
Ordinands tell Huw Spanner about key spiritual moments
Michael Ipgrave considers the effect of Covid regulations on services
Clergy burnout was happening long before the pandemic. Pat Ashworth reports on efforts in two dioceses to relieve stress
In Winchester diocese, licensed lay ministers and ordinands are training together. Susan Gray hears more
Going from a curacy to an incumbency affects the well-being of many clergy, Liz Graveling reports
When preaching, embody the biblical text, Margaret Cooling suggests
Prayer is the fuel behind ministry. Marcus Throup suggests ways of building a rhythm and routine for time with God
Dioceses are experimenting with new forms of curacy. Tim Wyatt investigates
The Faith and Order Commission has produced an account of how clerical consciences have been guarded
Most women training for ordination follow the calling after having their families. Jayne Manfredi believes that training pathways are not flexible enough
There is a drive to recruit from black and minority ethnic communities. How is clergy diversity doing, asks Pat Ashworth?
Alan Bartlett admits to struggling in his early ministry with the Occasional Offices
Curates who were furloughed during the pandemic talk to Paul Wilkinson
For diocesan directors of ordinands, the ordination service comes at the end of a shared journey. Pat Ashworth hears from three dioceses
Julie McKee picks her way through the C of E’s maternity policy
“Prayer is the work of every priest, and it can be hard work”
Imran Boe Khan reflects on identity and finding blessings in unexpected places
Leslie J. Francis and Greg Smith apply psychological theory to the Church of England’s selection process
How well are curates being trained? Tim Wyatt sought the views of those who know
Martin Warner asks whether the language of success or failure makes sense in our assessment of ministry
Training is being used to help those who appoint clergy to question their biases. Rebecca Paveley examines whether it is making a difference
Hugh Thomas extols the benefits to the Church of self-supporting ministry
The next generation of clergy speak to Jemima Thackray about what brought them to ordination
Ordained ministry should never be so busy that activities crowd out contemplation, advises John-Francis Friendship
The relationship with a training incumbent in a first curacy is crucial. Rebecca Paveley finds out what makes it work
The Church has fewer stipendiary priests than ever, and they are getting older. Canon Alison Adams tells Simon Jones of unfolding possibilities for her as an SSM
What happens if the Church says no? Rebecca Paveley hears five people’s stories
Catherine Nancekievill was turned down for ordination training. Now she leads on discipleship and vocation for the C of E’s Ministry Division
How is the Church of England facilitating the ministry of people who have a disability, and who feel called to ordination, asks Ted Harrison
Are clergy within the C of E experiencing hostility between the generations in their ministry? Pat Ashworth investigates
“It’s not the end of the world if the Church gets it wrong”
If the Church want responsive pastors, someone needs to warn them about bumps in the road, writes a first-time incumbent
Hugh Williamson describes the revolution begun by the Southwark Ordination Course 60 years ago
There are inbuilt tensions in title curacies. Rick Simpson makes suggestions for resolving them
“Like many ordinands, I spent this summer on placement. I was initially apprehensive. Through no fault of my college, I felt de-skilled, with nothing to offer a bustling benefice with an exceptionally gifted ministry team”
“I finished my placement with a more realistic understanding of what estates ministry would mean, and more openness to being called there in the future”
“Jesus insists that interaction with children is a key means of formation. He took a child and put the child in the midst of his disciples”
“At the heart of formation is something that values the range of difference God creates, redeems, and brings into the ministry of his Church”
“If you are an Anglican ordinand, for example, you cannot get away with thinking that infant baptism is unimportant, and therefore that it really does not matter what you think about it”
After ordination
Abstinence reveals what really matters, says Fergus Butler-Gallie in his new memoir about life as a young priest
“I say to all my fellow clergy, and to all reading this article, be gentle with yourself in prayer and in life, as God is gentle with you”
“How you start off on this journey is important. The practices and patterns you put in place now will serve you well over many years”
“The way I'm functioning as a priest has not been at all as I thought. That's a good thing”
Mission and ministry
“The people who have the clearest sense of what a priest is for, and those who seem most deeply aware of God’s presence in their midst, are those who hardly darken our doors”
“Our faith is lived out in community and relationship, and I am increasingly challenged about how I live with authenticity, and recognise the filters I apply to my words and behaviour”
“Bringing a resurrection perspective into our lives is not just head knowledge, but has real pastoral outworking, helping us make good endings and helping us to let go of the non-essential.”
“Pioneers are very much connectors and networkers. They tend to love learning, and recognise that there is a lot they don’t know”
“There is nothing like perspectives from parts of the world where Christianity is marginal to underscore how this kind of ecumenical collaboration should be the norm”