Commission on Ministry

Vocation and Call
The Commission on Ministry

Every Christian is called by God “represent Christ and his Church” and to take part in the work of restoring “all people to unity with God and each other in Christ” (BCP 855). God has given every individual particular gifts for service to Christ in the Kingdom of God and, as Christians, it is our life’s work to discern how to best to use our gifts to answer God’s call.

In the Episcopal Church, there are four orders of ministry – lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons – and each order has their own role in building up the Kingdom of God (BCP 855).

The call to ordained life is one of the Church, not just a person’s choice of vocation, and it is situated in the body of Christ. In the Episcopal Church it is the role of the Bishop, the Commission on Ministry, and parish clergy and lay leaders to assist persons who are discerning a call to ordained ministry. The discernment process in the Diocese of Alabama is designed to help individuals explore their sense of God’s call to leadership in the church through a process of prayer, seeking, study, and reflecting in community.