VOCATIONS

Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house.
Hebrews 3:1-2

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Galatians 5:13

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Ephesians 4:1-7

. . . you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:5

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9

Scripture Quotations from ESV

vo·ca·tion, noun
Etymology: Middle English vocacioun, from Latin vocation-, vocatio summons, from vocare to call, from vox voice. 1 a : a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action; especially : a divine call to the religious life b : an entry into the priesthood or a religious order . . .
[Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary]

INTRODUCTION TO THE
VOCATIONS PROCESS
DIOCESE OF SAN JOAQUIN

The Church has always considered ordination to be a serious undertaking, both for the people of God corporately and for the individual involved. St. Paul admonished Timothy, “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands” (I Tim. 5:22). The passage of time as well as various means of discernment are required to determine whether the call you feel internally is correctly understood by you and is acknowledged by the church.

The process leading to ordination is governed by the CANONS of the Church.

While the process requires patience and perseverance, it is our desire that it be encouraging, fair, and as free of ambiguity and confusion as possible. It will help to be familiar with the following roles:

BISHOP - the chief pastor of the diocese and, with the advice and consent of the Standing Committee, the final authority on the ordained ministry within the diocese. You will meet the bishop early in the process, and, if made a Postulant, will be required to correspond with him four times a year. Because of the demands upon a bishop’s time, it will be important for you to seek procedural advice and routine assistance from others as described below.

STANDING COMMITTEE - an elected body of four clergy and four lay persons which provides advice, and when needed, consent to the bishop. No one may be ordained in the Church without the consent of the Standing Committee. During the process their principal role will be to ascertain compliance with the canons and procedures. They will also interview you at least once in the process.

COMMISSION ON MINISTRY - a group of four clergy and four lay persons appointed by the Bishop. The COM advises the Bishop on many matters related to the ordained ministry. They will interview you (and your spouse and sponsoring priest) for admission to Postulancy, candidacy and ordination. COM members may review all the items in your file (except the full psychiatric report) and oversee the Discernment Retreat.

The DISCERNMENT RETREAT is a Friday evening and Saturday event held at our Conference Center at Oakhurst (ECCO) in which the Standing Committee, COM and others conduct a series of interviews with those in the process and their spouses. In our present schedule, a May (or June) and November Discernment Retreat is held each year for those first beginning the process (Aspirants).

EXAMINING CHAPLAINS - serve the Bishop and COM by conducting the canonical examinations required before ordination.

The VOCATIONS OFFICER is responsible for the orderly administration of the ordination process and is the one to whom you should first turn for information or clarification.

The ordination process usually leads you through the following stages:

ASPIRANT - one who is first inquiring about possible ordination. An Aspirant is invited to the Discernment Retreat (see above), and may then be encouraged to complete the steps required to be nominated as a POSTULANT FOR HOLY ORDERS. One is usually a postulant for at least a year.

During your course of study, certain requirements having been met, you will apply to become a CANDIDATE FOR HOLY ORDERS.

Finally, your course of study complete and all the requirements of the ordination process satisfied, you would be ordained a DEACON, either permanently, or as a TRANSITIONAL DEACON before ordination as a PRIEST.

Those who have previous ordination as a priest or minister in another church may follow a somewhat abbreviated process.

Finally, the VOCATIONS OFFICER is responsible for the orderly administration of the ordination process and is the one to whom you should first turn for information or clarification. He offers the following suggestions for you as you begin:

1. Remember always that this is a time for growth and discernment. During the process you will learn about the church and the church will learn about you. This is not a pass/fail proposition, but a walk with the Lord. Stay open to change.

2. While we pledge to do everything possible to keep the process open, fair and orderly, things may go wrong. The various committees are always changing in composition. People get swamped with other matters. Mistakes are made. Many clergy have said that the ordination process, while not designed for that purpose, gave them a good “breaking-in” for church life! Stay patient.

3. Because of the number of people involved, and because groups do experience turnover, it is essential that you follow the established procedures. “Special understandings” unless substantiated in your file, can end up offending others. Stay on track.

4. Unless otherwise directed, you must take the initiative throughout. Always know what you should be doing and what is your next event. Be active.

5. And finally, there is much joy to be had in the journey. Rather than a time of trial for which you may be rewarded with ordination, these years are an opportunity to meet many fine people, to gain new personal insights, and to grow in trust of the Lord. Our prayer is that you know God’s blessings of faith and peace along the way.

Items being sent for your file should be marked:

            VOCATIONS
            DIOCESE OF SAN JOAQUIN
            4159 E. Dakota Ave.
            Fresno, CA   93726

Correspondence with the Bishop should be addressed:

The Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, D.D.
(Above address)

Your Vocations Officer is Fr. Van McCalister. You may contact him at the above address, or

            Phone:   (559) 244-4828
            FAX       (559) 244-4832
            E Mail:   van[at]sjoaquin[dot]net

Checklist for those who are
considering Holy Orders.

Consultation with Sponsoring Priest. Each person (Aspirant) desiring to be admitted as a Postulant for Holy Orders shall initially consult the Member of the Clergy in charge of his/her Congregation (usually the Rector or Vicar of the Aspirant’s church).

Discernment Assessment. The person shall discuss with the Member of Clergy in charge of his/her congregation the order to which the person feels called, the grounds of the desire for admission to Holy Orders, together with such personal circumstances as may bear on the person’s qualifications or course of preparation. [Refer to the “Discernment Assessment for Aspirants”]

Meet with the Vocations Officer. Call Fr Van McCalister to schedule a meeting with the priest and aspirant. Fr McCalister will provide an outline of how the process works and answer questions.

Inquiry. The Member of the Clergy in charge shall make a careful inquiry, in consultation with other leaders of the Congregation, into the physical, intellectual, moral, emotional, and spiritual qualifications of the person. Prior to attending the Discernment Retreat, the sponsoring priest may do this informally. After the aspirant has attended the Discernment Retreat, this is accomplished through a formal written document by the Parish Nominating Committee

Letter of Recommendation. The Member of Clergy shall report on the evidence or support (or lack of evidence and support) of a call to Holy Orders, in summary, to The Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield in the form of a letter of recommendation. [Include with Discernment Assessment]

Interview with the Bishop. If the person has been a communicant in good standing of the Congregation for at least one year and the conclusion is that the person should pursue further discernment, the Member of the Clergy shall counsel the person to make this desire known to the Bishop in whose jurisdiction the person resides. Upon the advice of the sponsoring priest and the Vocations Officer, call the Bishop’s Secretary (June Waltenberger) to make an appointment.

Confirmed adult communicant in good standing. Before accepting an applicant for Postulancy, the Bishop shall determine that the person is a confirmed adult communicant in good standing of a Congregation within that Bishop’s Diocese which is willing to involve itself in the applicant’s preparation for Holy Orders. This is formally accomplished through the Aspirant’s application form and again through the Rector/Vestry endorsement, following the Discernment Retreat.

Proceeding to the Discernment Retreat. On the basis of the application and of the personal interview, the Bishop shall notify the applicant and the Commission on Ministry (COM) whether or not the Bishop is moved to proceed. If the Bishop is moved to proceed, the Commission, by means of a discernment committee, charged with the responsibility, shall meet with the applicant to review the application and to prepare an evaluation of the applicant’s qualifications to pursue a course of preparation for Holy Orders. In each case the applicant must satisfy the Bishop regarding intellectual ability and competence to pursue a course of study preparatory to ministry in Holy Orders. Upon the Bishop’s recommendation, the Aspirant (and his/her spouse) will receive a written invitation to a Discernment Retreat.

Please note: The Commission on Ministry “will be guided by biblical principles in its evaluation of those seeking ordination. For example, COM will not recommend those who are experiencing severe marital problems or those whose spouse does not participate in the Christian faith.” Per COM meeting of March 14, 2003.

For additional resources, contact Fr Van McCalister:
van[at]sjoaquin[dot]net

Checklist for those who are considering Holy Orders.

Checklist for those who are
considering Holy Orders.