Archive content
This is a text-only version of an article first published on Friday, 19 February 2016. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
The Door reports on an event to encourage Self-Supporting Ministers who work in parishes across the diocese.
There are, among our ordained clergy, some who are a bit different.
Some wear open neck collars to work, some do not live in a vicarage, and some spend most of their time outside the parish.
They are Self-Supporting Ministers (SSMs) sometimes known as NSMs (Non-Stipendiary Ministers) who range enormously in their background, gifts, focus of ministry, life stage and in other ways. The ministry of SSMs has been described as "pure gift" and, as part recognition and appreciation of this gift, all were invited to a day conference in 2015 on Where do we meet Christ today? The preacher, Karen Gorham, the then Archdeacon of Buckinghamshire asked the 64 attendees: "Where is your place of encounter? Just think for a moment, where is that place where your gifts are offered, and you are resourced to be the person God called you to be in God's service?"Hugh Valentine (SSM at St James, Piccadilly), the keynote speaker was insightful and challenging in his address, Seeing and hearing: the value of irregular clergy.
Among other things, he encouraged SSMs to clarify their thinking about their identity as a clerical constituency who are a valuable resource and who offer a valuable perspective within our institution.
The afternoon was divided between workshops: Phil Aspinall and Margaret Joachim, My work - my ministry; Teresa Morgan, The many faces of faith at work; Charles Sutton, Beyond the best before date; Margaret Whipp, The face of compassion.
Perhaps the most significant point is that the conference was held and that so many of those who attended valued the day as time well spent and would attend another.
We hope this can be arranged as the diocese consider how best to support, affirm and resource SSMs. Most people who attended gave feedback and from that, a tentative picture of SSMs has started to emerge.
It seems that perhaps there are three partially overlapping but fairly distinct clusters of SSMs.
Some who wish to serve primarily as priests within their parish or local area.
Some who have a range of skills and experience to offer to the Church but their current life circumstances do not permit this.
And there are those who have a range of skills and experience and wish to offer these more broadly within the Church but they are unsure of how best to do this.
The SSM Officers within the diocese are planning to explore these ideas further. Given the energy and enthusiasm coming out of the conference, there is clearly plenty to celebrate in the ministry of SSMs and the significant part they play in mission.
If you wish to learn more about the vocation to Self-Supporting Ministry please visit the diocesan website, or ask your local SSM.
This article was jointly written by the Revds Andrew Parry, Margaret Whipp and Hugh Lee, the SSM officers for the Diocese, and the Ven. Judy French, the Archdeacon of Dorchester.
Archdeacon Judy is the Senior Staff member who leads on SSMs.
The Revd Joy Hance, SSM in the Witney Team, has recently joined the team of SSM officers.
Find out more about the many type of vocations vocations here. See also the Vocations in the Oxford Diocese Facebook page for details of all of the events and conferences related to vocations. Visit www. oxford. anglican.org/vocations/ to find out more about the many different types of vocations within the Church.
Also see the Vocations in the Oxford Diocese Facebook page for details of events and conferences related to vocations.