The letters of St Paul often tell us about all the gifts the Church needs in order for it to do its work and to be itself. Everyone has something Jesus Christ has given them which has to be shared with the whole community. Among these gifts is a cluster of things that all have to do with taking some kind of responsibility for the Church’s growth and the Church’s direction - the apostle, the prophet, the teacher, and so on. And while all sorts of different people may exercise these gifts in various ways, the Church has always organized itself on the basis that it needs some visible focus for this kind of ministry. It has worked on the assumption that the task of taking responsibility and nurturing the vision of the Church needs to be recognizable both in and beyond this or that local community, and so it has given some people the job of doing this in a very public and official way.

If you’re thinking about ordained or accredited lay ministry in the Church of England, you’ll have started thinking about ‘going public’ in this way. And you’ll probably have begun to face the potential cost of it. At the very heart of this calling is God’s invitation just to be there, in the middle of the Church, holding it in prayer, seeking God’s will for the Church’s future, trying to put yourself completely at the disposal of God for that future. It isn’t a role that lends itself very easily to self-congratulation, a nice clear sense that you’ve done the job, because there’s always more to discover of God and God’s purpose for the future. You have to become a certain kind of person, not just do a certain number of things. And that can be hard, since we all like to know we’ve done all right, that we’ve ticked the right boxes. But it can also be liberating, because this is a role in which God is helping you become yourself more deeply and fully, through your relationships with the whole community of God’s people.

This booklet will help suggest the questions you might be asking of yourself and others as you explore whether God is leading you in this direction. You’ll need to know yourself reasonably well; you’ll need to have some of the habits of life that will open you up to God daily – reading the Bible prayerfully and carefully, taking time for quiet with God, joining in the worship of the Church; you’ll need friends who can help you see yourself honestly.

Above all, you need to trust God. If he is really calling you, then, as St Paul says, remember that ‘the one who calls is faithful’ – God will give you what you need to follow him. If he is calling you to some other kind of witness and work, remember that it is still you he wants, still you with your particular gifts and oddities, which are precious to him. As you read these pages, ask God’s Spirit that whatever happens in your exploration of ministry may set you free to show God’s glory and love more fully. That’s what it’s all about – nothing else, nothing less.

+Rowan Cantuar

Follow the links on the right hand side of this page to explore the question of vocation.

To download a PDF version of Ministry in the Church of England click here, or to order a copy of the published version of Ministry in the Church of England please contact the Vocations Officer, Rev Jules Cave Bergquist, at jules.cavebergquist@c-of-e.org.uk at the Ministry Division.