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Training and Other Variations

Contents of this Section:

• Overview
• The Candidates Panel
• The types of cases to be considered by the Candidates Panel
• Bringing cases to the Candidates Panel
• Practical arrangements for the Candidates Panel
• Conveying the advice of the Candidates Panel

  Transfer between categories or change of focus of ministry or between churches
• Category of Sponsorship
• Change of focus of ministry
• Change of focus to Chaplaincy ministries
• Ministers from other churches

   Potential Theological Educators
• Theological educators for the future
• Potential Theological Educator:  the criteria

  First degrees outside the normal length of training
• Introduction
• Procedure for applications
• Financial considerations
• Candidates independently funding a third year

  Cases processed by the Research Degrees Panel
• The Research Degrees Panel
• Assessing RDP cases
• • Personal Potential and aptitude
  • Research Proposal
  • Preparation for ministry
  • Financial support for the candidate
• Timetable for RDP cases
• Bringing cases to the RDP
• Monitoring the progress of RDP candidates
• Overseas placements
• Study overseas
• Variations in Pre-Theological Education
• Appendix 8A - Dates for Candidates Panel meetings
• Appendix 8B - Candidates Panel Pro-forma
• Appendix 8C - Research Degree Panel Application Form

Overview

This Section of the handbook seeks to set out the areas in which the advice of the Ministry Division is required concerning variations in training and other variations.  Most cases are dealt with by the Candidates Panel, while research degrees are dealt with by the Research Degrees Panel.

The Candidates Panel

The Candidates Panel deals with cases at each of its five meetings per annum and is an extension of the selection process.  Its authority is advisory for the most part, although its conclusions concerning the cases listed in the following paragraph carry executive weight in controlling access to Central Church Funds for training exceptions.  Its decisions, as at a Bishops’ Advisory Panel, are usually unanimous.

The types of cases to be considered by the Candidates Panel

The Candidates Panel will review a candidate’s case and advise the Sponsoring Bishop accordingly as follows:

1. If the training proposed for a candidate does not conform to the Guidelines set out in Section 7.
2. If there is a wish for a candidate to change to a different form of ministry from the one for which he or she was sponsored/selected (e.g. OLM or permanent non-stipendiary to stipendiary/non-stipendiary or from local to national deployment).
3. If a diocese wishes a candidate seeking to exercise permanent non-stipendiary to train in a theological college, rather than a course.
4. Where ministers of other churches are sponsored who have undertaken a training broadly equivalent to that approved by the Church of England.
5. Where training cannot be arranged at a recognised college or course, or where this may be inappropriate, e.g. for religious, Church Army Officers.
6. Where the candidate has withdrawn from training for any reason, has been out of training for more than three months and wishes to resume.
7. Ad hoc training proposals for candidates (not necessary for the two approved formal mixed-mode schemes. St John’s Nottingham scheme and the Peterborough Project).
8. Where the candidate has failed to satisfy the examiners of his or her course.
9. Where health, attitudes or behaviour has given rise to concern on the part of the college/course or the sponsoring diocese.
10. Where the candidate has not taken up a place for training within three years of recommendation but for whom a further Bishops’ Advisory Panel may not be thought essential.
11. Where a Sponsoring Bishop wishes the candidate’s case to be reviewed for any other reason.

In addition, a Bishop may consult the Panel in other cases, for example:

1. If a candidate wishes to change from one college or course to another.
2. If a candidate wishes to undertake an overseas placement.
3. Reduction of training for a theology graduate from three years to two years on a regional course.
4. Candidates under 30 years of age training on a regional course.

This advice will be reviewed as the work on introducing the new Selection Categories and on promoting and regulating choice in pathways for candidates under the Formation for Ministry within a Learning Church proposals (see Section 7) comes on stream.  The Ministry Division envisages that transfers between categories and between foci of ministry will in the future be handled by diocesan discernment panels, though the diocese can always ask for advice from the Candidates Panel.  The Ministry Division will be drawing up guidelines to assist diocesan Panels in their work. 

Bringing cases to the Candidates Panel

Depending on the reasons for a review the Panel may consider a case either at the request of the diocese or at the request of the college/course.  Usually this should be done by the diocese.  It is necessary for the college/course to secure the permission of the diocese before bringing a case to the Panel, and the diocese may wish to refuse.  The implications, especially the financial ones, need to be considered carefully and the Bishop alerted by the DDO to these.   In any event the DDO and the college/course principal should always be involved in the review and should send in their comments on the situation for the Panel’s consideration.  When the Panel considers a case the candidate is normally interviewed separately by one or two members of the Panel in the weeks leading up to a meeting.  The Panel’s advice is then communicated to the Sponsoring Bishop.

Practical arrangements for the Candidates Panel

The dates for the meetings of the Candidates Panel are issued each year (see Appendix 8A).  When a DDO is aware that a candidate’s case needs to be reviewed by the Panel, the pro-forma for Candidates Panel submissions should be completed and returned to the Senior Selection Secretary (see Appendix 8B).  If still on the staff, the candidate’s original Selection Secretary will deal with the application, and if not, the staff member who has inherited the caseload will do so.  In general, it is highly desirable that the Senior Selection Secretary should have six weeks before a Panel meeting to arrange a review so early contact is strongly to be encouraged with a view to deciding at which meeting a candidate’s case should be considered.

Conveying the advice of the Candidates Panel

After a Candidates Panel review of a case the Selection Secretary will write to the candidate’s Bishop informing him of the Panel’s advice.  Copies of that letter will be sent to the DDO and, when appropriate, to the college or course principal.  Bishops are asked to send a copy of their letter to the candidate to the Selection Secretary to keep the Ministry Division file complete.

Transfer between categories or change of focus of ministry or between churches

Category of Sponsorship

A Bishop should seek the advice of the Panel on transfers between non-stipendiary and stipendiary ministry during the first four years of ministry.  The Bishop may choose to consult the Panel on transfers later in ministry.  If a Bishop is minded to offer a stipendiary post to someone who has been exercising a non-stipendiary ministry, the diocese must be in touch with the Pensions Board about the proposed transfer and should inform DRACS with regard to numbers available to serve title posts.

A Bishop should seek the advice of the Panel on all transfers from OLM, permanent Deacon and Accredited Lay Ministry to non-stipendiary or stipendiary ministry.  

Change of focus of ministry

With the advent of the single ordained ministry category, Bishops’ Advisers will be assessing candidates in the light of the intended focus of ministry at the point of ordination.  However, were there to be a change in focus during training and in IME 4-7 years and beyond the advice is that discernment Panels are set up in diocese to advise the Bishop on the appropriateness of a change of focus.  However, the Bishop may seek the advice of the Candidates Panel.  Guidelines about setting up diocesan panels will be drawn up in 2006 and the procedures kept under review in the light of the single ordained ministry category.

Change of focus to Chaplaincy ministries

Non-Stipendairy Ministers who are seeking employment in Prison, hospital or school chaplaincy do not normally need to go through the discernment process of the Candidates Panel to change their focus of ministry.  It is envisaged that they will have been judged to be suitable for the post, alongside other applicants.  However, the licensing Bishop may choose to seek the advice of the Candidates Panel.  If, however, they are seeking to serve in a stipendiary role in the parish the advice of the Candidate’s Panel or a diocesan panel should be sought to discern whether the change in focus of ministry is appropriate. 

Ministers from other churches

In the case of ministers from other churches who are seeking to exercise ordained ministry within the Church of England, it is particularly desirable that the diocese establishes links with the appropriate authorities in the other church concerned before asking that a candidate’s case should be considered by the Candidate’s Panel.  The Panel will need to take up formal references from the authorities in the church concerned, and such a formal request can put a minister in a very difficult position with his/her own denominational authorities.  It is therefore far better if some informal but thorough enquiries can be made about him/her at a local level first.

(See Appendix 3A for Guidelines on the preparation and Assessment of Candidates from other Churches.)

Potential Theological Educators

Theological educators for the future

The House of Bishops agreed in June 1990 that the then Advisory Board of Ministry should operate an active policy to discover future theological educators among candidates in training for ministry who could in future serve in posts such as on the staff of theological Colleges and Courses.  In 1994 ABM agreed a revised form of wording to indicate where candidates might work in the future -  see the understanding of the term ‘Potential Theological Educator’ at below. The Ministry Division has a budget agreed annually to cover the additional costs involved in extending the length of training and funding the expense of research degrees for the candidates chosen for this opportunity.

Potential Theological Educator: the criteria

The understanding of the category of potential theological educator reflects the changing patterns of theological education and continuing education.  This includes the increase in the number of part-time teaching and tutorial posts, and the increased demand for theologically well-educated staff in diocesan training and ministry posts.

A Potential Theological Educator should possess:

1. The intellectual and academic ability to study and teach theology in a college, course or college of higher education or in a comparable church or diocesan post.
2. Ability in, or the potential to acquire, adult education and communication skills.
3. Ability in, or potential to engage in, the training of ordinands and others.

First degrees outside the normal length of training

Introduction

Requests for candidates considered to be potential theological educators to undertake first degrees which require the length of training to be extended are considered as a gathered field each year at the July meeting of the Candidates Panel.  (Where the outcome of a candidate’s Bishops’ Advisory Panel is not known in time to make an application in the gathered field, the candidate’s case can come to the September meeting of the Candidates Panel.)  Full documentation from the candidate’s diocese and training institution should provide details of the proposed course and clear reasons why the degree course is regarded as appropriate, making the case for the candidate as a potential theological educator.  The criteria which the Panel will apply to these cases are those set out above (‘Potential Theological Educators’).

Procedure for applications

The procedure for the consideration of cases will be as follows:

i)    The Bishop requests advice from the Candidates Panel and supplies full Sponsoring Papers which should include:

1. Candidates Panel pro-forma with a clear indication of the costs involved;
2. a report from the DDO outlining the reasons for the application in the light of the category of ‘Potential Theological Educator’;
3. a report from the (proposed) college or course about the programme of the candidate’s training, with particular reference to the arrangement for, and balance between, ministerial formation and academic study;
4. an academic reference (if the candidate has not recently been involved in academic work, a reference which can comment on intellectual ability and potential);
5. a paper from the candidate offering a rationale for the proposed course;
6. an example of the candidate’s work to demonstrate intellectual ability or potential.

ii)    The candidate is interviewed, on the basis of his/her paperwork, normally by one member of the Candidates Panel.  Where the case includes significant pastoral issues, the candidate will have two interviews, but otherwise the case will be considered in the same way.

iii)    The Candidates Panel consider the applications as a gathered field in July each year.

iv)    The advice of the Panel is sent to the Bishop by a letter written by the Selection Secretary concerned.

Financial considerations

A budget will be determined each year for candidates to undertake such degree courses. As the number of suitable candidates applying for an extra year in training on these grounds has exceeded available funding in recent years, other sources of income should also be explored. Where candidates can support themselves financially (for this additional element of training) this is welcomed by, and can be taken into account by, the Panel.  Finally, the papers from the diocese must show that it has worked through the financial implications of the application with the candidate, for example, whether it is prepared to support the candidate’s family financially for the additional period of training.