The new (but somewhat greyer) face of ministry

Jeremy Halcrow | 27 February 2007

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A radical new layer of ministry called the ‘permanent diaconate’ meant a few more grey hairs were spotted at this year’s bumper ordination service. Geoff Robson and Jeremy Halcrow explain.

Forty-six new deacons ordained; one diocesan lay worker commissioned. Those were the statistics from the annual ordination service held at St Andrew’s Cathedral last month.

But these near-record numbers are evidence of more than just another bumper crop of Moore College graduates. In fact, around one-third of the new deacons were ordained to continue in ministries they have been doing for years – and in some cases decades. Indeed one of the longest serving is Neil Atwood, who has been in parish ministry for 28 years.

The ceremony marked the latest step in a radically overhauled ordination system for the Diocese. A key feature of the new system is the ‘permanent diaconate’, where men and women are ordained for a range of ministries other than leading a parish.

This is where Neil Atwood fits in. He trained in the late 1970s for youth ministry under the now defunct Anglican youth workers course. Neil has been keen to be ordained for years but the rules were strict: no degree, no ordination.

“The reason is that they didn’t want to ordain someone who may at a future date become a presbyter running a church without them attaining a certain level of theological training,” says Neil.

So after decades in ministry why become a deacon now?

“Ordination will be helpful for a number of pragmatic reasons,” says Neil. “At Toongabbie and now at Springwood, I have been ministering to a lot of young adults. As a deacon I will be able to marry young couples. This is very helpful. In the past I have prepared people for marriage and preached at their wedding, but a minister with no pastoral relationship with the couple has had to actually run the service.”

The Rev Rob Smith, who oversees and coordinates the Diocese’s ordination procedures for the diaconate, says the changes to the diaconate will support ministry and aid the spread of the gospel.

“In order for the church to grow and for the Mission to move forward, we need all kinds of ministry going on – not just more rectors of parishes,” he says. “We need people ministering to different groups, in different contexts across a much more diverse range of ministry platforms.

“People who are already doing that don’t have to be ordained, but it’s entirely appropriate that they should be. They should have that endorsement from the wider church family.”

Mr Smith said the changes are intended to ‘diversify and broaden the diaconate, rather than having it as a stepping stone to being a presbyter’.

“We recognise that for many people it will be permanent,” he said.

“It also makes it easier for people to move into different roles if they choose, so it aids the portability and movement of ministry. That also helps our Mission because it means we can put people in the right places.”

Margaret Powell’s story is typical of many of the new deacons. A full-time staff member at St Paul’s, Castle Hill for over 12 years, Margaret says she is already in ministry ‘for the long haul’.
Having been ordained, Margaret will continue her ministry, overseeing the discipleship ministries at St Paul’s. But she believes ordination will help her ministry.

“It’s a formal affirmation by the Diocese of the work I have been doing and will continue to do,” she says. “You don’t have to be the leader of a church to be valued or for your work to be important.”

As one of five women ordained last month, Margaret hopes the step will encourage other women to see the opportunities for full-time gospel work.
“It’s important for women to see that it’s legitimate to work in ministry, and that it is encouraged and affirmed by the Diocese for them to do so,” she says.

The process for men looking to become presbyters has also been revamped. The Rev Mark Charleston, from the department of Ministry Training and Development (MT&D), oversees the new system and believes it will effectively equip and prepare future church leaders, while the old system allowed an almost automatic progression to the role.

“Some male deacons will want to become presbyters,” he says. “We hope they will do it because they’ve been encouraged by others. But they shouldn’t apply if they don’t have the desire or encouragement to do it.

“They may well say, ‘God has gifted me to serve as a long-term deacon, and that is the best way for me to serve the Kingdom’.”

Archbishop Peter Jensen has commissioned MT&D to design and implement a new training and evaluation system for future rectors in the Diocese. The process will now take at least 22 months, but some deacons will take a lot longer to make the step.

Adam Clark is one of 26 new deacons to have just graduated from Moore College and entered full-time ministry. He says the new system has helped him to think more carefully about his future.

“I’m happy to be a long-term deacon, but a few years down the track I will have another think about things,” Adam says. “If it becomes obvious to me and to others that I’m the sort of person who should take responsibility for leading a parish, I will probably pursue it.
“If people tap me on the shoulder, I will listen to that.”

Adam says the changes have been welcomed by those now entering the system. “People are happy not to be pushed into being presbyters too quickly – to have a slower road, to get more of a taste of what it is to be in full-time ministry and leadership, and what are the gifts and the skill sets they need.

“You don’t really know how you fit in full-time ministry until you try it.”

Mr Charleston believes the primary training focus will be in individual congregations – the local rector and lay people.

“They are the ones who will be exposed to the ministry of the deacons,” he says. “We want to emphasise the role of the local church in the new system.”

Our new deacons

Colin Adamson
Northmead & Winston Hills

Luke Armfield
St John’s, Darlinghurst

Neil Atwood
Springwood/Winmalee

Greg Ball
Hurstville Grove

David Barrie
Balgowlah

Con Campbell
Moore Theological College

Eric Cheung
St Michael’s, Vaucluse

Jon Clare
Bowral

Adam Clarke
South Coogee

Stephen Cook
Willoughby

Stephen Cox
St Luke’s, Liverpool