Steps towards local Indigenous Priesthood in the Diocese of Saskatchewan

Introduction

This document is for those indigenous persons who believe that God may be calling them to serve as local priests in the Diocese of Saskatchewan. Those who believe they are called to full-time non-aboriginal ministry should consult the General Synod document, Ordination Prerequisites, available from the Synod Office.

The ordination of priests is entrusted to the Bishop who is a successor to the Apostles. Priests share in the apostolic ministry of the Bishop, and consult regularly with him.

All priests are subject to the teaching of the Bible as the Church has received and understood it, the laws of the Church, and an oath of obedience to the Bishop. Priests serve as a father to their local community. For this reason, there is normally only one priest ordained for a parish. Exceptions to this are parishes from which the priest is required to travel to other parishes on Sundays - such as the parish of the Suffragan Bishop and the Archdeacon of Saskatchewan.
In Anglican tradition, priests are raised up by the Church for the Church rather than by a parish for a parish. They are ordained by the Diocesan bishop, who represents the Universal Church, after prayer and a process of consultation and discernment. This document describes this process.

Step One: A Parish Needs a Priest

When a parish seeks a priest it should contact the Suffragan Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Charles Arthurson: (306) 425-2015. (Anglican parishes do not hire or fire their clergy). Then one of the bishops will meet with the vestry and produce a written agreement describing the parish's expectations of the priest, and the specific commitments the parish is prepared to make to support the priest's ministry.

If there are no ordained priests suitable or available within or outside the Diocese for the parish, the bishops will seek God's will in discerning a lay person to ordain.

Step Two: An Individual thinks they may be called to the priesthood

If an individual believes that God may be calling them to serve as an ordained priest, he or she should make an appointment to discuss this with the Suffragan Bishop who will then consult with the Ordinary so that they may both pray about it and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Step Three: Consultation with the applicant's home parish

When there is a need for a new priest, the bishops will ask the Archdeacon of Saskatchewan or another person, to visit the home parish of the applicant, to interview the elders and such other persons as he deems appropriate, as to whether they too feel that the applicant is called to the priesthood. A report will then be made to the bishops, and the bishops will report to the applicant as to whether they intend to proceed with the process.

Step Four: Required documents

The candidate will submit a criminal record check from the local police station. The Diocese will pay for this.

The candidate will undergo a medical examination and the doctor will return to the bishops a medical form provided to the candidate by the Synod Office.

The bishops will inform the candidate whether they intend to proceed with the process.

Step Five: Interview with elders (First Nations ACPO)

The candidate and their spouse (if any) will meet for a day with a group of elders selected by the bishops for prayer and a series of interviews. This discernment group will report to the bishops. The bishops will inform the candidate whether they intend to proceed with the process.

Step Six: Diocesan Indigenous Council

The Suffragan Bishop will seek the imput of the Diocesan Indigenous Council. This bishops will inform the candidate whether they intend to proceed with the process.

Step Seven: Diploma in Ministry

If the candidate has not already enrolled in the James Settee College or some other theological college approved by the Bishop, he or she will do so and complete a Diploma in Ministry. Because the College and the process are new, the bishops may require only a commitment from the candidate to complete the Diploma after ordination. In a few years time, however, all candidates will have had to complete the Diploma in Ministry before ordination.

Step Eight: Ordination to the Diaconate

The candidate may then be ordained Deacon, and be appointed to serve in a parish under the supervision of a senior priest, for a period of one year or longer, at the Bishop's discretion.

Step Nine: Final Discernment by Bishops

After prayer and consultation with the deacon's supervisor and members of the parish in which they have been serving, the bishops will consider whether the deacon is prepared for ordination to the priesthood. If they think the deacon is ready, and there is a suitable parish available, the deacon will be ordained priest and appointed to a parish.

March 2001