The Commission on Ministry
of
The Episcopal Diocese of Newark

The Commission on Ministry consists of three committees:

• The Committee on the Priesthood (the COP)

• The Committee on the Diaconate (the COD)

• The Committee on the Laity (the COL)

The purpose of the COP is to assist individuals who would like to discern their possible call to the priesthood, and to work with individuals who enter the formal process towards ordination. The COD performs the same tasks for those seeking ordination to the diaconate. The COL develops resources and conducts workshops intended to assist lay persons identify and strengthen their ministries, and works with lay and clergy to provide information that can be used to accomplish those goals.

Committee on the Priesthood

Questions regarding the priestly ordination process should be addressed to the Rev. Bernie Poppe, Chair of the COP, 973-762-1319.

Guidelines

The guidelines currently used by the COP are available here. The COP is in the process of revising the guidelines to be followed by those seeking ordination; individuals affected by those guidelines should periodically view the guidelines.

Discernment Committees

Guidelines to be used by parish discernment committees, after the committee has been approved by the COP, are available here.

Calendar

The current calendar for individuals interested in or already in the priestly ordination process can be reviewed here.

Document Due Dates

The 2012 due dates for Committee on the Priesthood documents are available here.

Forms

Application and other forms to be used throughout the priestly ordination process are below.

• Ordination Process Information Form
  Form I-1

• Acceptance of Nomination and Application to Attend Nominee Conference
  Form N-1 • Form N-2

• Application for Postulancy
  Form P-1 • Form P-2

• Application for Candidacy
  Form C-1 • Form C-2

• Application for Ordination to the Transitional Diaconate
  Form D-1 • Form D-2

• Application for Ordination to the Priesthood
  Form PR-1 • Form PR-2

• Medical Examination form (required by National Church canons)
  Form P-10 / D6

• Post-Postulancy Tracking Form
  Form PPT-1

Committee on the Diaconate

Questions regarding the diaconal ordination process should be addressed to the Rev. Paul Olsson, Chair of the COD, 973-285-0884.

Guidelines

The guidelines regarding the diaconate are currently being revised. Individuals who need information regarding those guidelines should contact the Rev. Paul Olsson, Chair of the COD, 973-285-0884.

Discernment Committees

Guidelines to be used by parish discernment committees, after the committee has been approved by the COD, are available here.

Committee on the Laity

Questions regarding the Resource Manual should be addressed to Ms. Mary Barrett, Chair of the COL, 973-509-7677.

Resources

The COL has published Celebrating Life As Ministry: Tools for ALL God's People — A Resource Manual which provides information to lay and clergy. Bishop Beckwith has noted that the manual is "unparalleled in its scope, wealth of information, attention to detail and glimpses of grace from a truly 'infinite, astonishing, compassionate God,'" and that it includes "an unprecedented gathering of definitions, insights and opportunities for research and discernment." You can access the entire manual here.