Ministries Council |
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VOCATIONAL GUILDANCE, EDUCATION AND TRAINING
On this page you can find out information about:
Enquiry process
Education and training
Admissions
for the ministries of Word and Sacrament, the diaconate
and the readership.
The 'call' to ministry: enquiry
process
The Ministries Council runs an enquiry process to help
those who sense a call to any of the ministries of the
Church of Scotland, to consider their sense of 'calling'
to Church service in a supportive environment. Through
the enquiry process, the council intends to help potential
ministries candidates to:
- have an opportunity to explore and test their sense
of call together with the wider Church;
find opportunities to evaluate the personal implications
of their call to service;
- examine their personal faith and motivation;
expand their experience of congregational life and
explore their understanding of the way in which the
church is organised;
- be enabled to make a serious assessment of the
gifts needed for the variety of forms of ministry
of the Church;
- obtain a direct response to their questions and
concerns in a structure of caring, supportive relationships.
Attendance at an enquirers' conference is the first
stage of the enquiry process. The next conference will
take place as follows:
4 - 5 February 2011
Scottish Police College,
Tulliallan
Registration for this conference closes on Friday 14 January 2011 - please note that registrations received after this date cannot be accepted.
To book a place, please complete the registration form below and either email it to vocation@cofscotland.org.uk, or post (Ministries Council (Enquirers' Conference) 121 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4YN), along with the cheque for the £20 admin fee. Ministries Council covers the cost of overnight accommodation on the Friday and all meals for the duration of the conference.
For further details of the process, please email
Carol-Anne Frame or Ruth Johnston.
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Education and training
Having successfully completed the enquiry and assessment
process, candidates for any of the ministries of Church
of Scotland have to undertake a comprehensive programme
of training and formation. This comprises three strands,
academic requirements, a conference programme and a series
of practical placements. The precise nature and content
of these varies according to the particular ministry.
This applies to candidates for ministries of word and
sacrament, the diaconate and the readership.
Academic requirements
For each ministry there is a core curriculum approved
by the council and offered by designated academic providers.
The course followed will depend on previous qualifications
and the ministry for which the candidate is training.
Conference programme
A series of conferences with a comprehensive programme
of seminars dealing with various topics related to ministry
is provided as part of the formation programme for each
distinctive ministry. Topics covered are, for example,
worship leadership, preaching, pastoral care, issues of
abuse, church law, an exploration of different forms of
ministry such as chaplaincy, funerals and many more. All
candidates undergo speech training and a course in safeguarding
(formerly child protection).
Practical placements
Candidates for any ministry within the Church of Scotland
have to undertake a series of practical placements during
which they are attached to a local congregation under
the supervision of a trained and accredited supervisor.
These placements vary in length and some are full-time,
depending on the course of formation being followed. All
supervisors are given full training, including in-service,
and are well supported by the staff of the Ministries
Council in this most important task.
The review process
Once candidates for the ministries of Word and Sacrament
or the Diaconate have been accepted, they are subject
to a process of regular review. This is the process by
which the council and the nominating presbytery assure
themselves that all aspects of training have been completed
in a satisfactory fashion. No candidate can proceed to
the next stage of training for either of these ministries
without the previous year having been commended at the
annual review. A final review is conducted and must be
completed satisfactorily before candidates can seek a
charge or appointment. This review process does not at
present apply to candidates for the readership.
For further information on education and training matters,
email Moira Whyte, associate secretary at mwhyte@cofscotland.org.uk
or Jane Denniston, ministries support officer at jdenniston@cofscotland.org.uk
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Admissions
Those who feel that they may have a call to ministry in
the Church of Scotland and wish to be considered for transfer
from another church, either within the UK or internationally,
should contact John Thomson via email on jthomson@cofscotland.org.uk
in the first instance to establish eligibility and discuss
the process.
Ministers should have at least five years experience
of full-time ministry and have completed academic studies
to the equivalent level of Church of Scotland requirements.
There is also a route for graduate candidates. There
is a cost of £250 for processing the application.
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