Do our priests have a passion for God?

Niagara Falls, Ont.
How well is the Anglican Church of Canada recruiting, discerning, encouraging and training candidates for ordination to the priesthood? Are they equipped with “that passion for God and the right skills?”

These are some of the many questions that will be answered by bishops, representatives from theological colleges, heads of ecumenical seminaries, dioceses, students and professors, when they gather for a national conference Jan. 5 to 7 in Montreal. The conference aims to “hold up a mirror” to the church so that it can “openly and honestly say what it is that we need to do,” to move the church from a “maintenance to a missional” model, said Eileen Scully, interim director of General Synod’s faith, worship and ministry department.

Briefing the Nov. 2 to 6 meeting of the House of Bishops, Scully said there is an awareness of the diversity that exists in the church’s ordination process, and a realization that the landscape has changed in Canadian church and society.

The hope is that “we can articulate common standards” for theological training, and recruitment of candidates, while allowing for “growth within one’s local context,” she said.

The conference is in response to a mandate from the House of Bishops and the Council of General Synod in 2006 that a strategic plan be developed for the future needs of ordained ministry in the church. The plan will also take into account current patterns of preparation for priesthood within the church.

Scully said the conference will not only review present realities but look at “best practices” and “critical success factors” for ordination that exist in dioceses and schools.

At the end of the conference, “the product that we’re hoping for is a report and recommendations of substance” that will be submitted for action to the Council of General Synod, and ultimately, the General Synod in June 2010, she said.

For more information about the conference, go to www.anglican.ca/faith/ngte/