Submitted by Linda Taylor and Graciela Velazquez, Standing Committee

This update continues our description of the Standing Committee’s relationship with other diocesan bodies. Today we focus on the Commission on Ministry (COM). The Rev. Linda Taylor and Ms. Graciela Velazquez are Standing Committee liaisons to the COM.

First, however, it is important to understand the role of the COM. The canons of the Episcopal Church call for a Commission on Ministry in each diocese. The purpose of the COM is to assist the bishop in supporting the development, training, utilization, and affirmation of the ministry of all baptized persons. In our diocese, a dedicated group of 16 people, both clergy and lay, are responsible for assisting the bishop’s ministry and furthering the ministry of all people of the diocese by:

• Identifying, recruiting and guiding persons seeking ordination through the process leading to ordained ministry
• Promoting and providing a process of discernment for all orders in ministry
• Promoting continuing education of the clergy and laity

In 2005, the COM declared a one year moratorium on bringing new people into the process toward ordination. The purpose of this hiatus was to redesign the process, building on the COM’s assessment of needed changes and on the best practices of other dioceses. The commission’s work resulted in substantial revisions to the handbook and the implementation of a process which provides several levels of support for people discerning their calls to ministry. Important parts of the revised process are the Day of Discovery, an exploration of the four orders of ministry, and the Context for Ministry program, which assists people in discerning their own call to lay or ordained ministry. Now that the revised process is underway, the COM is continuing to evaluate its effectiveness and modify it as areas for improvement are identified.

The Standing Committee also has responsibilities related to the ordination process, including approval of persons seeking candidacy and consent to candidates’ ordination to the diaconate and/or priesthood. Accordingly, the Standing Committee liaison is a key link to and from the COM, coordinating information about individuals’ progress through the process, as well as serving as the bridge between the COM and the Standing Committee acting as the Ecclesiastical Authority (EA) during this interim period between bishops.