Local Ministry Pathway - the Diocese of Coventry

If you are recommended for Ordained Local Ministry in the Diocese of Coventry you will follow this pathway.  Most of the taught and formational pathway is shared in common with other ordination candidates on the residential weekend and evening class pathway 1 but 20 credits each year (25% of the pathway) has a local focus for the exploration and development of distinctive features of Ordained Local Ministry.  In particular there is a greater focus on the local context, and the practices of collaborative working in a local team.

The pathway for OLM candidates has three distinctive components:

1. the local tutor group
2. Tailored assessments for some modules which focus on the local context, and draw in particular on the learning opportunities within Ministry Leadership Teams (MLTs);
3. distinctive modules that are taken by OLM candidates

1.       The Local Tutor group

The Revd Oliver Simon

Local Ministry Pathway tutor

The local tutor group meets 8 times a year, bringing together all OLM candidates in pre-ordination training.  The group is led by the OLM pathway tutor and usually meets for 2 hours for each meeting.  The OLM Pathway tutor is also the personal tutor to each candidate and meets with each candidate for individual tutorials, attends a meeting of their Ministry Leadership Team and meets with the candidate and training incumbent.

The learning outcomes for this group are:

• peer support and encouragement across the pathway
• sharing and deepening understanding of context
• theological reflection on empirical data and experience
• further opportunity to prepare and lead worship

An illustrative programme for this group is:

Session 1      Forming the group, exploring the pathway, sharing local contexts

Session 2      Experiences of exercising ministry

Session 3      Ministry Leadership Teams

Session 4      The Liturgical community – parishes and Christmas

Session 5      Mission strategies in local contexts

Session 6      Placements and learning from the wider church

Session 7      Looking to ordination

Session 8      (For continuing students) Looking ahead

Because the tutor group is primarily for support and is currently configured on a rolling three year programme, it is not intended at the moment to accredit this as a module.  This does not diminish its significance as a formational element of the pathway to explore distinctive dimensions of OLM.

2.       Tailored assessment

In some modules there is scope and provision for a tailored mode of assessment that reflects and utilises the distinctive context and opportunities of local ministry.  For example, in relation to MM1 and the congregational and community surveys, OLM candidates are guided to involve their MLTs in the gathering of information and are then required to make a presentation to their MLTs about the learning after the appropriate residential weekends.  The OLM tutor will be present to make formal assessment.

3.       Distinctive modules

In year 1 two modules are made distinctive for the OLM pathway. 

• The observation placement (that all candidates undertake) is oriented to the particular context of the local benefice, either by observing ministry and mission in another parish in the benefice, or by exploring a church of a different denomination in the area to reflect on how this impacts on local ecumenism.
• OLM candidates attend the Easter Triduum part of the RW1 Easter School and do the related assessment, but do not attend the remainder of the programme. This reduction in time goes some way to taking account of the additional requirements OLM candidates have in relation to their local tutor group and MLT.

In year 2 candidates are required to undertake a retreat or other specified activity.  This will be for a minimum of three days and will be agreed with the OLM Pathway tutor.  The activity will normally take place at or around Easter.  The purpose of this is to enable an exploration, engagement with and reflection on a dimension of the Christian spiritual tradition as it is practised and experienced, either to deepen existing spiritual practice or to expand it by engaging with something new.  This will be assessed by a presentation to the MLT and a reflection on personal spiritual development.

In year 3 candidates will undertake learning in group dynamics in particular relation to their MLTs.  The method and content of this module has not yet been determined.