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About the Church

Vocations

Is God calling you to Anglican ministry?

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Vocations

"Call" is one of the Bible’s great words. God…called the world into existence as Creator, and calls men and women to himself as Redeemer.” Archbishop Michael Ramsey

All Christians are ‘called’ by God, and in that sense have a ‘vocation’. The Church takes all calls seriously, because we recognise the God who calls.

Some sense the nature of their calling might be to ordained ministry. If this sense is yours, begin by speaking with your local priest and friends in the Christian community where you worship. Conversations are had over the course of several months and may begin your journey to ordained ministry.

In Perth, the Archbishop has appointed people to assist others in discerning the nature of their calling. These ordained and lay people are called the Archbishop’s Examining Chaplains. After initial meetings with the Diocesan Vocations Advocate, they can be the next point of contact to explore, with you, the nature of God’s ‘call’ on your life.

After meetings and discussions in which your experiences and sense of call are valued, honoured and deeply explored, you may be invited to join the Enquirers’ Programme. Over a number of workshops with others, also ‘enquiring’, you will explore a number of aspects of faith development and discernment. Having completed requisite medical, psychological and financial examinations, you may be invited to an Advisory Conference.

From then, you might be called to a further and deeper ‘testing of vocation’ in a ‘Formation Programme’. This includes tertiary theological study, time spent working in various parishes and/or agencies in the Diocese of Perth, communal and personal reflection and deeper exploration of what it might mean to exercise an ordained ministry. There are fundamental criteria around ordination, not limited to academic requirements and Episcopal standards, which should be carefully noted by all prospective candidates

During the ‘Formation, Education and Training’, at Wollaston Theological College, your sense of call will continue to be explored. After final discussions with the Archbishop’s Examining Chaplains, and the Archbishop, the Archbishop may decide to ordain you to a ministry in the Church and world, recognising, on behalf of the Church, God’s call on your life. The Archbishop's criteria for Ordination candidates.