Diaconal
Related Links
External links
- Discernment of Ministry - Diaconal Ministry, UCC
- DUCC - Diakonia of the United Church of Canada
- AADC - Association of Anglican Deacons in Canada
- DIAKONIA - World Federation
Discerning the Call
All Christian believers are called to discipleship, to hearing and doing the Word of God, to collaborating with God in creating a world of justice and compassion.
Within that general call to all Christians, some are called to specific leadership roles within the Church. The process of figuring out if God is calling you to ministry and if so, what kind of ministry, is called "discernment." Discernment requires thoughtful prayer, self-reflection, and ongoing conversation.
Some students come to CCS as laypeople or ordained ministers looking for new skills to enliven their work and life. Others come to CCS having discerned a call to diaconal minstry.
Are you called to ministry?
United Church
You might want to ask your local congregation and Presbytery to set up a discernment committee for you. They can help you think about things like: What stream of ministry am I called to? Ordained? Diaconal? Designated Lay Ministry?
The United Church of Canada's website has some useful information on the discernment process.
Anglican
Talk to your diocesan bishop. Every diocese, in consultation with the national House of Bishops, will have its own guidelines and timelines for candidates. You will want to think about whether you feel called to ordination as a priest or as a deacon.
Many dioceses will have information about ordination prerequisites on their websites (for example, the Diocese of Toronto).
Unless otherwise stated, website content is copyright the Centre for Christian Studies and free for use through Creative Commons. Click here for information on site usage.