The Reverend Philip Banks writes

So – what does a curate do?

On Sunday 4th July 2010, 25 people, a mix of men and women, were ordained in Chelmsford Cathedral to serve as curates in churches across Essex and East London. An ordination is a magnificent and Spirit-filled service. It is a celebration for the wider church as it receives new ministers to lead the church into the future; it is also a celebration for those being ordained – the culmination of many years of a rigorous selection and training process.

Amongst those in Chelmsford Cathedral was Rosemary Morton, due (subject to the normal legal formalities) to serve amongst us in Coggeshall in her first years of ordained ministry. 

So what is a curate?  In the modern church, a ‘curate’ is someone serving in the role as an assistant to the Vicar or Rector, but who is on a post-ordination journey of formation as a priest, developing the skills needed to take responsibility for a parish of their own in due course.  Normally, a curate serves in their “Title Post” (i.e. their first posting) for 3-4 years before moving, though this can vary from place to place.   A curate’s stipend (salary) and housing costs are paid centrally, and training parishes, such as ours, are not asked to contribute to this. 

Bishops, Priests and Deacons: The Church of England has three ‘Orders’ of Ordained Ministry: each diocese is led by a bishop (together with their Area or Suffragan Bishops). Under them, priests take responsibility (normally as as Vicars or Rectors) for the various parishes and churches (in Essex, over 600 parish churches) and other diocesan roles such as hospital chaplaincies and archdeaconries.  But all Church of England clergy begin their ordained ministry as a deacon, normally for one year only before their priesting, if all goes satisfactorily.

Rosemary Morton: Rosemary then, has been ordained as a deacon – and so, until she is priested (in June 2011), is not permitted by the Church to preside at services of Holy Communion.  Deacons do, however, have specific roles in the Eucharist, and Rosemary will play her part in these each week.  She will be able to take a lead in many other services as her confidence in ordained ministry grows.

Rosemary brings many gifts from her wide experience of work, church and life, and will be a huge asset to us in Coggeshall, assisting in many areas of our ministry and mission.

Our responsibility at St Peter’s: “A person’s initial training is not completed at the time of ordination – thus a parish must recognise that they are not being given a curate as an ‘extra pair of hands’ for a busy incumbent. Rather, a place is identified as a suitable training parish, with a suitable training vicar, who will enable training and ministerial formation to continue. Having a curate will in fact entail an incumbent making significant extra time commitment to working with a curate in supervision and other aspects of training” (from diocesan guidelines for clergy and curates).

Part of our task, then, as the people of St Peter’s will be to encourage and support Rosemary as much as we can so that she will have the ability and experience to take responsibility for a parish or other role in the diocese, at the end of her time with us.

Your Prayers: We can be delighted that St Peter’s has been identified as a suitable parish for Rosemary to begin her ordained ministry.  I know that she will receive your support and warm welcome, and as we all look forward getting to know her better over the years ahead, please do pray for Rosemary and ask the Holy Spirit to bless and guide her in her ministry here.

A brief biography of Rosemary is here.

The diocese are currently fining a suitable house for Rosemary to live in here in Coggeshall. Meanwhile, she will be working on a part-time basis.

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