Mission & Ministry

This page features the work of the Mission and Ministry Commission of the Anglican Church of Australia. For more information on the Commission, its mandate and membership, please click here.

The Ministry Commission has identified its fundamental focus as the nature of ministry (lay and ordained) in twenty-first century Australia.

Priority projects include:

PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL OF ORDAINED AND AUTHORISED LAY MINISTERS

Ministry Wellbeing and Development: Policy Guidelines and Resources

Best practice for ministry wellbeing and development incorporates a commitment to professional development, professional supervision, and ministry reviews. This policy and its guidelines provide a framework for these three elements. They constitute an approach to life-long learning in ministry and give effect to the recommendations of the Royal Commission. The Ministry Wellbeing and Development: Policy, Guidelines and Resources has been endorsed by the Standing Committee of the General Synod. The Mission and Ministry Commission has the ongoing responsibility for questions relating to the policy and guidelines and will undertake a review after three years in consultation with dioceses.

Ministry, Wellbeing and Development:  National Policy and Guidelines for Ongoing Professional Development, Professional Supervision and Ministry Reviews

Review of Minimum Requirements for Ordination

The Ministry Commission is currently reviewing the Minimum Requirements for Ordination at the request of the General Synod Standing Committee. The existing guidelines were last updated in 2014 but not as yet approved by Standing Committee.

The Ministry Commission is continuing to revise the 2014 update and seeks comments regarding the draft guidelines. Accordingly the 2014 draft guidelines are now in circulation and comments on the draft can be forwarded to the Secretary to the Commission at z.everingham@bigpond.com by October 2017.

 

Professional Supervision for Ministry

The importance of regular accountability and leadership support for clergy and lay ministers has been widely acknowledged. Models of  “professional supervision” and “formal mentoring and support” have been considered by the  Commission.

report has been prepared for presentation to the Seventeenth Session of General Synod on the role of professional supervision in strengthening ministerial vocation.

Pioneer Ministry for the Anglican Church of Australia

In April 2016 the Commission held a consultation on Pioneer Ministry at Ridley College, Melbourne. The purpose of the consultation was to contribute to an evaluation and development of missional communities for today’s church. The consultation explored initiatives in various dioceses and identified best practice as well as challenges and strategies for future development.

report on progress been prepared for presentation to the Seventeenth Session of General Synod.

Models of ordained local ministry (non-stipendary ministry) past, present and future

Ordained Local Ministers are called out by members of their local ministry unit within the context of a process approved by their bishop. They are ordained as deacons and priests and licensed to minister in that locality in collaboration with other members of that local ministry unit.

Seven dioceses in the Anglican Church of Australia have indicated that they embrace Ordained Local Ministry. Six of these dioceses are in rural or remote areas or have some significant rural or remote regions in their dioceses.

report on issues associated with ordained local ministry has been prepared for presentation to the Seventeenth Session of General Synod.