The Board of Transition Ministry has invited the broadest possible conversation about ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church. Via the Office of Public Affairs:
Our goal in writing this document is to invite the church to think out loud about how we bring ordained leaders to our churches. From our experience, study and prayer, we recognize these to be important issues in our time. We invite dialogue in the many and diverse ways we have available: conversations on social media, at church gatherings such as meetings of diocesan transition ministers, diocesan conventions, the House of Bishops, and other leaders in our church. We offer this not as a declaration, but as an invitation to dialogue.
The document, located here, explores such topics as the aging church, bivocational ministries, calls beyond the parish, diversity in ordained leadership, and clarifies that “’Calling’ is Not ‘Hiring'”:
The best calls happen when the Holy Spirit is part of the process. We remind our communities that seeking new clergy leadership is a spiritual process, not an executive search, and we encourage our congregations to be open to God’s imagination as they seek new spiritual leaders.
Read the document here (pdf), find the Office of Public Affairs press release here, and offer direct feedback on the document at btmboard@gmail.com.