Ordination Journeys
Journey to the Diaconate
The journey to ordination as a deacon has four main movements. It begins with a months-long, carefully defined, and stepwise process called Parish Discernment. This is carried out at the parish level with one’s Rector and a Discernment Committee appointed by the Rector. If Parish Discernment confirms a calling to the diaconate, the next step is application and acceptance to the diocese’s School for Ministry.
Once accepted, a diaconal ordinand will begin simultaneously completing three courses of assessment, preparation, and training.
The first course, Diocesan Discernment, only takes a few months, and consists of background checks, wellness assessments and the like.
The second, twelve-month course is called Theological Formation for the Diaconate. This is a cohort-based program of theological study led by four diocesan instructors.
The last course, also twelve months, is called Local Formation for the Diaconate, and is a diocesan plan of practical and spiritual formation carried out at the parish level. The conclusion of one’s diaconal training is then a Summative Assessment.
Successful completion of all these requirements makes one a Candidate for ordination to the diaconate, and one may then schedule one’s ordination service, over which the Bishop will preside.
Feel free to reach out to our Credentialing Project Manager, Anna Holsteen, for additional information, or to review the Parish Discernment Handbook (coming soon) or Diaconal Ordination Handbook (coming soon) for further information.
Journey to the Presbyterate
The journey to ordination as a presbyter in the Diocese of the Rocky Mountains also begins with Parish Discernment. If Parish Discernment confirms a calling to the presbyterate, one applies to the School for Ministry and is accepted formally into the diocesan ordination process for this office.
Presbyteral ordinands are required to complete three types of training and preparation: theological, practical, and spiritual. Importantly, they must also first prepare for and be ordained to the diaconate. Therefore, presbyteral ordinands complete Diocesan Discernment along with the Local Formation for the Diaconate. Their theological training must be normatively obtained through completing an advanced degree in Divinity, Theology, or Religion, after which they must sit for the diocese’s rigorous Theological Assessment Exam. Only after successfully completing this exam, and fulfilling the requirements of diaconal Local Formation, may an ordinand be ordained to the diaconate.
A period of at least six months of serving as a deacon is then required. During this time, a presbyteral ordinand will complete a second course of practical and spiritual formation, Local Formation for the Presbyterate. Successful completion of the requirements of this second period of preparation make one a Candidate for ordination to the priesthood, and an ordinand may schedule his presbyteral ordination service, at which the Bishop will preside.
The overall length of time this presbyteral journey takes depends entirely on the individual; for instance, on whether they have already received their advanced degree when beginning to consider ordination, or on the marks they receive on their Theological Assessment Exam.
Feel free to reach out to our Credentialing Project Manager, Anna Holsteen, for additional information, or to review Parish Discernment Handbook (coming soon) or Presbyteral Ordination Handbook (coming soon).
