Exploring your Vocation
If you think God may be calling you to full time or part time ordained or lay licenced ministry, in the first instance speak to your priest. They will be able to advise you on the process for being accepted for training. We can only accept you to train once you have been sponsored by a bishop.
Training
Training is normally for three years, or sometimes two, depending on whether you are training for full or part time, your experience of ministry and likely future responsibility.
Part time training is based in your home context, full time training is based in your home context as well as 3 days (currently) for 30 weeks per year, Wednesday to Friday, in Cardiff. All candidates come together for three weekend residentials and one summer school (usually the third week of August) a year. The dates for next year can be found here. It is worth making a note of them now, even if you haven’t got through the discernment process yet, so that you can ensure you are free. It is essential to attend the residentials because that is where a lot of the teaching and learning about the theology and practice of ministry happens.
What is the time commitment?
Training for ministry is a real commitment in terms of time and energy not only for yourself but also your significant relationships and family life. You may like to think through how you will feel giving up your present ministry and church commitments. If you are offering for part time ministry, how will you fit in training (and ministry) into your life? What might you need to give up in order to make time for training? Finally, what will you lose as well as what will you gain? As you go through the discernment process, these will be important questions for you to consider.
Training with St Padarn’s involves four ‘building blocks’. Theology (normally a studying towards a qualification), residentials where you will learn about the theology and practice of ministry, formational cells where you will have space to integrate and reflect on your training with a trained guide, and placements. More information and detail can be found on the page starting to train for ministry
What is the method of study?
Many people follow Theology for Life, our BTh in Discipleship, Mission and Ministry before starting training and it is a great way of preparing for the discernment process and getting used to studying theology. Please do contact us if you need advice about starting Theology for Life if you are in the discernment process. Generally, if you are going to be training for full time ministry, it’s best to finish off a level before starting to train. Then you can move on to the next level for your training. If you are going to be doing part time ordination training, we strongly recommend that you complete one year of part time Theology for Life before starting to train, this means that you will be able to gain a diploma during your three year training and complete level 5. For more information please do look at our Theology for Life pages
Placements
Placements are discussed and decided between St Padarn’s and your diocese, taking into consideration both your training needs and travelling distance from home.
This grant calculator on our Starting Training Page can help you to get an estimation of what you might get in grants.
As each person’s circumstances is different, please contact Siân Trotman, Learner Services Manager and she will be very happy to help.