Last Sunday James Lewis announced to the 9.30 and 6.45 congregations that he was pursuing ordination to the presbyterate. What does that mean?
Over the last few years there have been significant changes to the way our diocese prepares men to be Senior Ministers (Rectors). In the past, when a candidate for ordination graduated from Moore College he was made a Deacon, usually in February. Some of us were there when George and Col were made deacons. Deacons are Assistant Ministers who work under a Senior Minister.
In the past, deacons were almost always automatically ordained as presbyters after about a year. That meant that all of them were available to be invited to be the senior minister of a parish. Of course, they normally waited another three years until that happened and remained assistant ministers for a total of four years. During that time they were involved in post-college training.
Now, the process of moving from deacon to presbyter is no longer automatic. We have learned from experience that not all those who are made deacons (assistant ministers) are able to lead parishes. Now, deacons must elect to engage in special post-college training and much more rigorous selection processes before they can decide to be ordained. Many deacons are electing to remain assistant ministers.
However, those with the right gifts/personality/abilities/experience are encouraged to become senior ministers. I have encouraged James during the last couple of years to move in this direction because he clearly has what is needed to be a senior minister. His four years of being a deacon have now come to an end and he and Jane have agreed to pursue ordination.
What does that mean in practice? It means that James will be ordained in November. After that, he is available to be invited by the Archbishop to become the Senior Minister of a parish.
How will that happen? When a parish is “vacant” (doesn’t have a minister), the parish nominators who were elected at the Annual Parish Meeting get together with the Presentation Board of the Diocese to select a new minister. After they agree on a man they would like to be the new minster of the parish his name is “presented” to the Archbishop who can then invite that man to become the Senior Minister of that Parish.
The man invited has three weeks in which to reply and, like all positions in our Diocese, has the right to refuse the invitation.
In my experience this whole process is undergirded with much prayer and consultation and discussion.
What does this mean for the Lewises? It means that some time, probably in the next year, James will be invited to another parish to be their Senior Minister. Until then we need to look after them and benefit from their ministry to us all. The process will almost certainly be a little unsettling so pray for them regularly.
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