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Last Updated July 2024
Ordination in the Diocese of Sydney
Ordination is the responsibility of the Archbishop of Sydney and while he has comprehensive discretion in whom he may ordain, he has determined the following minimum qualifications for ordination in the Diocese of Sydney.
- Ordination to the diaconate is a lifelong vocation open to men and women:
a) who have successfully completed at least two years of observation and supervision in ministry, and discernment as a candidate for ordination;
b) who are baptised, communicant members of the Anglican Church of Australia;
c) who have made the required Solemn Promises and satisfactorily completed the Working with Children Check and the Diocesan Lifestyle Questionnaire, and hold a current certificate of safe ministry training;
d) who have completed the four-year program at Moore Theological College (combined Bachelor of Theology/Master of Theology – coursework, historically a four-year Bachelor of Divinity), including the subject Anglican Identity & Liturgy;
e) who have an appointment to a full-time (or substantially full-time) pastoral ministry position in the Diocese of Sydney; and
f) who are neither divorced nor married to a person who has been divorced.
Exceptions to paragraph 1(d) above may apply to:
i. those who are over the age of 40 years and have completed a three-year Bachelor of Theology degree at Moore College;
ii. those who are not seeking to be further ordained as a presbyter, who have completed the subject Anglican Identity & Liturgy and have completed at least the two-year Associate Degree in Theology at Moore College or the Associate Degree in Ministry at Youthworks College, or completed a theological degree in a language (other than English) and the Moore College PTC. However, such deacons will not be ordained presbyter without the requisite study.
iii. those who are not permanent residents of Australia, who are intending to serve overseas, and are recommended to the Archbishop by a relevant Church authority who have completed at least a three-year Bachelor of Theology degree at Moore College, including the subject Anglican Identity and Liturgy, and who undertake to serve in the Diocese of Sydney for at least one year after their ordination.
iv. those men and women the Archbishop will ordain as deacons at the request of a Bishop in another Anglican jurisdiction for ministry in that jurisdiction, under ‘letters dimissory’.
- Ordination to the presbyterate is open to men who have been ordained deacon in the Diocese of Sydney:
a) who have successfully completed the three-year Ministry Development Program;
b) who exercise a ministry consistent with the ministry of presbyter as outlined in the Ordinal and hope to exercise this ministry in the future as the leader of a congregation or a parish.
c) who have successfully completed a period of development and discernment as a deacon, normally two years; and
d) who have an appointment to a full-time (or substantially full-time) pastoral ministry position in the Diocese of Sydney.
Exceptions to paragraph 2 above may apply to those who have been ordained deacon in the Diocese of Sydney and who are intending to serve overseas.
3. For persons seeking to be ordained as deacon or presbyter, who have completed a theological degree other than through Moore College, further study at Moore College is normally required.