Discernment and Ordination

Discernment is the process of determining God's calling in your life. This can apply when you are deciding whether to accept a promotion, or to enter into marriage, or to move to a new city. Of course, these decisions can be made on purely practical bases, but as Christians we know that "We do not live to ourselves..." (Romans 14:7). In Christian discernment, we ask for God to guide us so that we can live into a life and ministry that God wills for us. Defined more narrowly, discernment also describes the specific question of entering into holy orders.

Discernment Process Handbook and Forms

Download the Discernment Process Handbook

Forms that accompany the handbook:

• Spiritual Autobiography
• General Discernment Report
• Discernment Report Concerning Holy Orders
• Priest-in-Charge Report

Additional information:

• Qualities we seek in a Deacon
• Qualities we seek in a Priest
• A Theology of Ministry

General Discernment Resources:
*These links are being updated. Thank you for your patience.

• Important Ministry Links: online resources to help you consider entering the ministry.
• Spiritual Discernment: find publications to assist in understanding the spiritual journey and process of discernment.
• Ministry of the Baptized Resources: get publication titles and downloads to assist in preparing for the Ministry of the Baptized.
• The call to become a deacon: connect to online publications and get references of other titles to assist in understanding the Diaconate.
• The call to become a priest: a collection of publications for understanding the Priesthood

Commission on Ministry

The Commission on Ministry, as outlined in National Church canons, is charged with assisting the Bishop “in determining present and future needs for ministry in the diocese”, “in enlisting and selecting persons for Holy Orders”, and making recommendations to the bishop.

The charge to the Commission includes guiding and examining postulants and candidates, assisting with ministry enrichment for deacons and priests, and helping to explore and implement ways in which the diocese may live out its baptismal ministries.

Diocesan Board of Examining Chaplains (DBEC)

The Diocesan Board of Examining Chaplains is a committee appointed by the bishop to work with postulants to the priesthood to develop formation plans. These plans are individualized to the academic and spiritual needs of the postulant, so they can vary widely. DBEC is tasked with advising the Bishop, the Commission on Ministry and the Standing Committee that the postulant has made sufficient progress in his or her training to proceed on to candidacy and finally to ordination.