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Everyone is called to an ever-deeper relationship with God, and with each other.
In addition, God calls all Christians to witness to the love of God shown in
Christ, to participate in God's loving mission to the world, and to proclaim and
live out the values of God's kingdom, as seen in the words and works of Jesus.
So whilst all Christians are called to some kind of service, some people are
called to be ordained ministers within the Church. (Being ordained means
becoming a deacon or a priest.)
God celebrates the diversity of his creation by calling unique and distinctive
people into ministry. So the Church of England certainly doesn't have a
'cookie-cutter' approach to selection.
All sorts of very different people are selected and trained for ordained
ministry, bringing invaluable gifts and experiences to the variety of roles in
which they serve. The Church of England embraces a wide range of traditions, and
so we also welcome diversity in the sort of people who come forward for
ordination.
THE QUALITIES OF PRIESTS
Priests work in many different contexts, relating to a wide variety of people.
As a result, they need to be flexible and able to operate outside of their
normal comfort zone.
Some priests are extrovert and outgoing; others are quieter and more reflective.
Some enjoy the intellectual and academic challenges of ministry and training;
others prefer the constant interaction with different people on pastoral matters
or on special projects.
Each priest offers a unique and distinctive blend of gifts, talents, skills and
experiences. What is common to all priests is a love of both God and his
people, and a desire to serve. They also have a commitment to prayer, especially
in offering all that they have and all that they are to God, and praying both
for and on behalf of others.
Most importantly, being a priest is as much about what you are as about
what you do.
WHAT SORT OF JOBS DO PRIESTS DO?
If you'd like to think about being ordained as a priest in the Church of
England, why not have a look at the sort of jobs people
do?
What does the Archbishop of Canterbury have to say about the calling of a priest? How does the ordination
service describe the role of a priest?
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