Saturday, September 4, 2010 | Last Updated Saturday, September 4, 2010 15:06 Pacific/Honolulu

Bishop's instructions to the Commission on Ministry

• Print

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
 
With your meeting on March 1 and as we look to beginning our ministry together, I want to share with you my understanding of the role of the COM and its responsibility to the mission of the Church and to advice/assist the Bishop.
 
First, these are the Canons that are most important setting the primary role of the COM:
 
TITLE III, CANON 1: Of the Ministry of All Baptized Persons
Sec. 1. Each Diocese shall make provision for the affirmation and development of the ministry of all baptized persons, including:
(a) Assistance in understanding that all baptized persons are called to minister in Christ's name, to identify their gifts with the help of the Church and to serve Christ's mission at all times and in all places.
(b) Assistance in understanding that all baptized persons are called to sustain their ministries through commitment to life-long Christian formation.
Sec. 2. No person shall be denied access to the discernment process for any ministry, lay or ordained, in this Church because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disabilities or age, except as otherwise provided by these Canons. No right to licensing, ordination, or election is hereby established.
Sec. 3. The provisions of these Canons for the admission of Candidates for the Ordination to the three Orders: Bishops, Priests and Deacons shall be equally applicable to men and women.
 
TITLE III, CANON 2: Of Commissions on Ministry
Sec. 1. In each Diocese there shall be a Commission on Ministry ("Commission") consisting of Priests, Deacons, if any, and Lay Persons. The Canons of each Diocese shall provide for the number of members, terms of office, and manner of selection to the Commission.
Sec. 2. The Commission shall advise and assist the Bishop:
(a) In the implementation of Title III of these Canons.
(b) In the determination of present and future opportunities and needs for the ministry of all baptized persons.
(c) In the design and oversight of the ongoing process for recruitment, discernment, formation for ministry, and assessment of readiness therefor.
Sec. 3. The Commission may adopt rules for its work, subject to the approval of the Bishop; Provided that they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and Canons of this Church and of the Diocese.
Sec. 4. The Commission may establish committees consisting of members and other persons to report to the Commission or to act on its behalf.
Sec. 5. The Bishop and Commission shall ensure that the members of the Commission and its committees receive ongoing education and training for their work.
 
TITLE III, CANON 3: Of Discernment
Sec. 1. The Bishop and Commission shall provide encouragement, training, and necessary resources to assist each congregation in developing an ongoing process of community discernment appropriate to the cultural background, age, and life experiences of all persons seeking direction in their call to ministry.
Sec. 2. The Bishop, in consultation with the Commission, may utilize college and university campus ministry centers and other communities of faith as additional communities where discernment takes place. In cases where these discernment communities are located in another jurisdiction, the Bishop will consult with the Bishop where the discernment community is located.
Sec. 3. The Bishop and Commission shall actively solicit from congregations, schools and other youth organizations, college and university campus ministry centers, seminaries, and other communities of faith names of persons whose demonstrated qualities of Christian commitment and potential for leadership and vision mark them as desirable candidates for positions of leadership in the Church.
Sec. 4. The Bishop, Commission, and the discernment community shall assist persons engaged in a process of ministry discernment to determine appropriate avenues for the expression and support of their ministries, either lay or ordained.
 
The other canons in Title III set out the details of licensed and ordained ministries.
 
In the near future (over the next couple of years), I hope we can:
 
•    Establish some sort of discernment mechanism in every congregation (or cluster of congregations) throughout the diocese to aid in clarification and empowerment of ministry, lay and ordained.
•    Reestablish the diaconate as an active and vital order within the common life of this diocese.
•    Provide a means for theological formation at the local level that can enhance lay ministry and be part of formation leading to ordination.
•    Actively call forth and support persons called to the ordained ministry.
 
Specifically, let me be clear on my expectations regarding persons called to ordained ministry.  I expect them to have FISH:
 

 
How well a deacon, priest or bishop proclaims the Gospel with FISH can only be ascertained by others and by observing the fruit of the ministry. I suggest that without FISH there is no proclamation of the Gospel. 
 
Some other issues that have popped up about which I wish to be clear from the beginning:
 
The primary context for raising persons up for ordained ministry is the local congregation (parish or mission).  I will only consider another “community of faith” when a person has no opportunity for support in a congregational setting for discernment or when their primary community of faith is not a congregation.  Campus ministry and prison ministry are two examples that come to mind.  It also might be a language specific ministry of a larger congregation.  The key to be a community of faith is meeting regularly (at least twice a month) in an organized manner in worship [using authorized texts of the Episcopal Church (in translation when needed) under the pastoral oversight of a priest] and with the express permission of the Bishop.  The community of faith would need to have at least twelve active members meeting regularly before it could call forth someone for discernment to ordination – there needs to be a core group to engage in discernment.  The person and “community of faith” would have to show cause why the person’s primary discernment community is not a congregation of the diocese – in other words, why isn’t the person a member of and involved in a local congregation as their primary faith community?   The COM must help congregations become centers of discernment for ministry.
 
Persons in the ordination process must be clear that no one is ordained to a specific role or job in the Church, but to an order of ministry. This is especially important for those being called to the diaconate when practice has often returned those ordained to their home congregations.  It is also true for priests, though now that local ordination no longer exists, I hope it will not be an issue.
 
I hope our ministry together will be marked by ACT:  Accountability, Consistency and Transparency.
 
Lastly, I have asked Liz Beasley to serve as my Canon for Communication and Ministry Development.  This new full salaried position will support all aspects of communication, clergy development and training, vocational discernment, new vocations, and formation leading to required licensures.  She has been particularly asked to act as the staff liaison with the Commission on Continuing Education and the Commission on Ministry, and to help me to revitalize the vocational diaconate throughout the diocese, establishing a discernment process in every congregation, and supporting clergy through retreats and vocational development.
 
I welcome your comments and suggestions as we look to our shared ministry.
 
Aloha in Christ Jesus!
 
Bob

The Reverend Canon Robert L. Fitzpatrick
Canon to the Ordinary and Bishop-Elect