Ordained Local Ministry (OLM) is a new initiative from the Church of Ireland, which may be particularly suitable for those who feel that they have a vocation to ordained ministry, but are unable, for family or financial reasons, to attend the Church of Ireland Theological Institute for training for full-time ministry.
Ordained Local Ministers will serve within a limited geographical area – a parish or group of parishes, or perhaps adjoining parishes, depending on local circumstances. They will not have administrative responsibilities in parishes, but will assist rectors or priests-in-charge by celebrating Holy Communion, visiting parishioners, and using whatever gifts God has given them in helping to meet the liturgical and pastoral needs of the people in the parishes to which they belong. It will be a part-time and unpaid position.
Training will begin in September, 2018, and will be run by Queens University in Belfast, but much of it will be delivered online, by Skype, or by local tutors so that travel will be kept to a minimum. It will be a flexible Open Learning Certificate Course, consisting of 12 modules, with five being undertaken each year in years 1 and 2, and two more in year 3. Successful candidates will be ordained deacon after the second year, and priest after year 3. Those who have already completed training as a Diocesan Reader, either in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute (CITI), or in the course offered by the Cashel, Ferns, and Ossory Diocese, will be exempt from two modules, enabling them to be ordained deacon after year 1. The modules being put together for September 2018 are Biblical Studies, Theological Reflection, Worship and Preaching 1, Introduction to Pastoral Skills, and Church History.
Those ordained as Ordained Local Ministers will not be able to transfer to regular stipendiary ministry without taking the full course of study from CITI.
If you believe that God may be calling you to ordained ministry, and wonder if this programme may be the appropriate way to fulfil your vocation, you should contact the Diocesan Director of Ordinands, Archdeacon Wayne Carney (mapleire@eircom.net, mobile 087-786-5234) to set up an appointment. All applications must be received by the end of January, 2018, so that the formal selection process can be completed by the end of March. Please contact Archdeacon Wayne if you have any questions.
