Ordained Local Ministry in the Church of England

Description

Ordained Anglican ministry is changing rapidly. Soon the majority of clergy are likely to be volunteers and, especially in rural areas, female. All mainstream Churches recognise that new contexts need new forms of ministry. Ordained Local Ministers (OLMs) are priests specifically called out by their local congregation and ordained to minister in that locality. Half the dioceses in England and elsewhere in the Anglican Communion including Australasia, Scotland and North America have established formal schemes to enable this type of ministry. Some dioceses believe the process has helped to revitalise parishes and raise the spiritual temperature of congregations. Others have called a halt, believing their schemes have somehow gone wrong or have not 'delivered'. The time has come for a calm assessment of available evidence about an experiment into which the Church has poured considerable time, effort and money over the last twenty years. Does it have ongoing value, or is it just one more bright idea that has flourished for a season and has now had its day?

Andrew Bowden was Area Local Ministry Officer in the Diocese of Gloucester, UK. Leslie J Francis is Professor of Religions and Education at the University of Warwick and Canon Theologian at Bangor Cathedral, UK. Elizabeth Jordan until recently ran the Local Ministry Department in Lichfield Diocese, UK. She is now the Lay Education and Training Adviser for Chelmsford Diocese, UK. Simon Oliver is Bishop of Antsiranana, Madagascar.

'Here is a collection which breaks new ground in reflecting on the practice of ministry over the past twenty years, the ministry of the people of God as it develops under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Ordained and lay pray, learn and minister together. Collaborative ministry is not an option but a necessity for a mission-focussed, outward looking church.As a survey of local ministry - ordained local ministry and as a model of reflective practice this book demands attention.' - Rt Revd Anthony Priddis, Bishop of Hereford, UK -- Anthony Priddis 'The recent advent of Ordained Local Ministry represents one of the most significant changes to our understanding of clergy during the past hundred years. In this remarkable, accessible and challenging book, the editors skilfully combine stories, reflection and analysis to produce an enticing and colourful portrait of the possibilities and promise of Ordained Local Ministry. This is essential reading for all those considering a calling - and for all those who are having to think through and reimagine the deployment of resources for mission and ministry in the twenty-first century' - Revd. Canon Professor Martyn Percy, Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxford, UK -- Martyn Percy The authors use their own experience and learning to good effect, drawing attention to some of the ecclesiological and historical foundations of this ministry and then developing this into a theology of collaborative ministry. Examples are drawn from the USA, Scotland and around the English regions to illustrate the ways in which the reshaping of the Church has been effected by this highly focused ministry. -- Ian McIntosh * Theology * This is an important collection of essays reflecting on the Church of England's experience of 'Ordained Local Ministry' in a number of dioceses over the last couple of decades. It contains a welcome balance between theological discussion, historical retrospect and testimony from practitioners . . . The chapters are satisfyingly even in quality, and address key questions with sharpness and honesty. -- Revd Dr Stephen I. Wright * Journal of Adult Theological Education *