Advice for pursuing ordination in the Episcopal Church?

[B-612]

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Edited February 27, 2012 by besixdouze

[11Q13]

the best tip I can offer is to work on your communication skills

[theologyofyourface]

Where are you in the process? Are you a postulant yet?

[Balatro]

Well, you deleted your post but I'll go ahead and address the basics (it'll vary slightly between dioceses).

Speak with your rector regarding your interests, your rector will meet with you over a 6 month span (every month, every two weeks/months, etc - really up to them) and gauge how well you've thought through this process and ask you about 999x "Why?" questions.

If all goes well, your rector will formulate a PDC (Parish Discernment Committee - made up of parish members, most Bishops forbid clergy from sitting in on these meetings) and notify your Bishop of your interests and seek permission to officially form the PDC (some Bishops don't require their approval to form one, some do -- just depends on if they accept applicants as they come or on a once a year schedule).

If your PDC is approved, you'll meet with them for an introductory meeting and with someone sent from the Bishop's office, generally someone from the discernment or spirtual formation committee. At this point y'all will discuss what the process is like, what's expected of every member, what (if any) time frame you have to work within, etc. It's generally advised that PDCs meet over a six month span at a minimum, a year is ideal. This is the hardest process, time wise and emotionally. During the introductory meeting you'll be asked to submit a biography (usually anyway) of about 10 pages detailing everything that has happened in your life that has led you to this point. If your PDC is any good, they'll grill the every loving crap out of you and will not leave a stone unturned. So if you have skeletons in your closet, get them out. While some may find it far-fetched, I've heard plenty of stories of PDCs secretly calling up the applicants families, friends, coworkers, bosses, neighbors, digging through your Facebook page as far back as they can, extensive local, state, and federal background checks (the background checks are required at the Bishop level anyway), etc. You'll also be required to see a psychologist and have a full workup with them too - hope you like being psychoanalyzed!

If your PDC goes well, they'll submit to the Bishop that you have their blessing. Once you arrive there you'll go through the whole process again except this time with complete strangers that your bishop has appointed. They'll have copies and notes of everything of relevance from your PDC and will generally look to fill in holes that your PDC may have missed. You'll also probably continue meeting with the psychologist during this process and go through another round of background checks. This part of the process is considerably easier than your local PDC.

Once you've passed the Bishop's process and been cleared for seminary (speaking of seminary btw - every Bishop is different but most have their preferred local seminary that the send students to - just like the Catholic Church, this is b/c they diocese donates money to the seminary so it's generally easier to get in and b/c it keeps you local; most Bishops have a list of approved schools outside of the denomination that are okay for you to go to - generally Lutheran, Methodist, and the occasional UCC school however there are also disapproved schools. There are 12 Bishops (probably smaller by now) that will give permission to attend Nashotah (an Episcopal seminary), every other Bishop forbids it. Some Div/Seminary while not forbidden, are discouraged - Harvard being one).

So, "your Bishop has given you an approved list/you've applied to several and been accepted and your Bishop has told you which ones are acceptable." Once you're in seminary, you'll follow the approved curriculium for ordination track candidates. You'll also be required to keep in touch with your Bishop and your PDC, meet with them 2-3x a year, etc. You'll also still undergo the occasional psychological evaluation, be required to give a homily (generally once a year) at your parish.

Once you've finished seminary, you'll sit for your comprehensive exam -- it's not that hard, imo. Its sole intent is to make sure you didn't sleep through your seminary courses.

If you pass, you'll go on to serve as a transitional deacon at a parish -- I believe the minimum is 6 months but you can safely assume it'll last for 1-1.5 years.

Once you pass that final test and the parish you worked in approves of your sweet deacon skills (and the Bishop), you'll officially be ordained as a priest.

From Day 1 of telling your rector that you want to be a priest to going to seminary, you can expect the process to take at least 1 year. Unfortunately this is rare and becoming less and less common, most of us that've gone through it spent 2-3 years in this stage.

The ordination process is not easy and as I'm sure you'll find out, the vast majority of applicants don't make it through the PDC stage. The process is long, tiring, emotionally draining, and so much more complex than it needs to be but it's the process that the Church has settled on and you just have to do it if it's what you want.

If you have more questions, I'd be glad to answer them.