Contact
For questions about the ordination process and about discernment, please contact the Chair of the Commission on Ministry. For questions about the administrative side of the Ordination process (templates, forms, checklists, etc), please contact Nani Carroll.
Template FormsCongregation's Nomination Letter for Vocational Diaconate.
Congregation's Nomination Letter for Priesthood. Ordination Process Steps
Steps in the ordination process are summarized below. All of these steps, and more, are outlined, with boxes for checking off each step, in each of the "Path to Ordination" documents. There is one for the Priesthood and one for the Vocational Diaconate. Download the document and begin tracking your progress.
Special Notes
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Formation Programs for OrdinationAnyone considering, or nominated for, ordination to the Priesthood needs to consult with Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick before making a decision regarding the kind of formation they need and where they will obtain it.
WAIOLAIHUIʻIA The Diocese of Hawai'i has a three-year program called Waiolaihui'ia, which is the Diocese's local formation program for the Priesthood and Diaconate. We are one of the participating dioceses in the Iona Initiative, a program based in the Diocese of Texas, which provides the curriculum for local diocesan programs for training bivocational priests and deacons. Students meet on ten residential weekends during the year and the cost is $2,000 per year to the students and the sponsoring congregation is expected to bear some of this cost. For more information, download a fuller description of the program HERE or visit the Waiolahihuiʻia webpage HERE. An application link can be found on the webpage. SEMINARY Those nominated for ordination to the Priesthood may also consider attending a seminary, where most offer three-year, part-time, and full-time graduate programs, for both ordained ministry and lay leadership, and offer advanced theological studies, master's degrees, doctor's degrees, and certificate programs for non-degree-seeking students. Please visit the websites of Episcopal seminaries listed below for detailed information about their admissions process and academic programs:
Formation Grids
The Canons of the Episcopal Church has specific requirements for the formation of both Deacons and Priests: in other words, specific topics in which people are supposed to be "proficient" before they may be ordained. To help Postulants and Candidates in the ordination process keep track of their experiences and formation, the Commission on Ministry supplies a "grid" for each order, Deacons and Priests. Note that it allows for a variety of experiences through which someone may gain formation in a particular area.
The grids are linked here as both Word documents (so that someone may fill them in) and PDF documents: |