Formation

Candidates who have been discerned for training for the ordained ministry as either deacons or priests participate in the Ministry Formation Programme, normally of three years duration. This programme is a full and equal partner with the academic programme, which is the Bachelor of Theology for most candidates. The formation programme has the following components 

  • Daily prayer and corporate worship 

  • A supervised field placement, usually in a parish 

  • An annual three day silent retreat 

  • Clinical Pastoral Education 

  • Five formation intensive weekends each year 

If you are feeling the call to ministry and wish to find out about the journey, details on the stages and process are provided by the Anglican Church Southern Queensland.

For full details of the process and requirements for ordination in the Anglican Church Southern Queensland, please download the publication God Calling or contact us.

Daily Prayer and Spiritual Development 

Formation candidates are required to participate in the regular pattern of morning and evening prayer and eucharist that lies at the heart of Anglican practice. Frequently this is done through attendance at the college chapel, and learning there to lead worship. Guidelines for leading worship in the Chapel are set out in the Worship Handbook. The daily office is said each weekday morning at 8.30am and evening at 5.15pm in term time and the Eucharist is celebrated on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 12.30pm. 

Formation students at a distance from Brisbane may also participate in the daily offices in their home and placement parishes.  The aim is to help students deepen their responsiveness to God through the establishment of a rule of life. They are assisted in this by a spiritual director who offers insight into their walk with God. 

The Director of Formation is always available for consultation and to provide advice and resources. 

Supervised Field Placement

Placements are for the whole period of formation, not only term time. The detail depends on a student’s previous experience, employment situation and the nature of the ministry for which they have been discerned. Placements are made by the College staff in consultation with the Archbishop and Bishops. 

The programme, expectations, goals and processes of the Supervised Field Placement are explained at the beginning of the Ministry Formation Program and set out in the Field Education Handbook. 

Retreat 

The college holds a three day silent retreat each year. This forms a significant opportunity for time apart with God and sets the rest of the study programme in a context of prayer and deepening relationship with God. 

Formation Intensives 

Intensives follow a three year cycle designed to develop a candidate’s spirituality, self-awareness and styles of leadership and care. The programme also attends to the development of those skills a candidate will need on ordination to the diaconate in the areas of professional conduct, liturgical skills and preaching. 

Some areas are addressed at every intensive, such as theological reflection, speech development, pastoral care and preaching. Others receive more focused attention at a particular intensive, and fall broadly under the headings of spirituality, pastoral care, personal awareness, ecclesial understanding and entrepreneurial leadership. 

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)

All formation students complete a 400-hour unit of CPE during their training. This is often done during the long summer break at the end of the second year, but other timing can be arranged if appropriate.  

Students are responsible for meeting the costs of this training and for arranging it at a convenient location. 







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