Curates’ Handbook 2024/5 edition. Diocese of Worcester.
Preface.
This is a significant update to previous editions of the handbook. This has come about because:
- There has been a change in national criteria for curate assessment from competencies to qualities;
- Worcester diocese has successfully run an auxiliary pathway to ordination. This has resulted in curates with a very wide range of experiences, skills and attributes.
This document is intended to provide information in the Diocese of Worcester so that curacies provide the necessary experiences and training for fulfilling ordained ministry in years ahead.
This document is not set in stone. Having been in post since February this year I have yet to see a full twelve months through and it may be necessary to tweak things in the light of experience.
Who is involved?
The principal people/organisations involved in a curacy are:
- The curate,
- The Training Incumbent (TI),
- The Diocese,
- The Parish (or other setting).
The Curate
Curates come in all shapes and sizes, from varied and different backgrounds, with different life experiences and having followed different training paths to ordination. The Church is enriched by this variety and this programme is intended to recognise and honour that.
What curates have in common is that they have all heard the call of God in their life to follow Jesus and have responded to that call by offering themselves for ordination. That call has been tested through the vocations process and explored through Initial Ministerial Education part 1 (IME1).
The curate is someone who,
- respects the role of the incumbent in the parish,
- engages with the training incumbent in a commitment to honesty, collaboration, and loyalty, respecting the training incumbent, even when there are differences of theological or spiritual disposition,
- is aware that ordination marks the beginning of public representative ministry in the Church of England,
- understands that 15% of their time (for full-time curates approx. one day per week) will be allocated to study and as part of that time will engage with the Diocesan IME2 programme, Please click here to download the current training programme.
- is aware that during the curacy (IME2) the Formational Qualities will continue to form the framework for assessment, as they did in IME1,
- will be committed to developing their ministry in the context of the local setting,
- is willing to learn, as well as to develop previous experience and skills.
IME2 continues the call, discernment and training processes so far; so ministry can flourish now and into the future.
The Training Incumbent (TI)
The TI is key to curate training. Normally they should be someone who:
- Is settled in the parish and usually makes a commitment to stay for at least two years following the ordination to the diaconate,
- Is personally engaged with Continuing Ministerial Development,
- Is committed to ongoing training for training incumbents,
- Is mature and self-aware, knows their strengths and weaknesses in ministry, and is able to make an appropriate relationship with a colleague in training,
- Has a genuine desire to be a training incumbent – and is not just looking for an assistant,
- Will establish a good pattern of prayer and supervision with a colleague in training,
- Is prepared to take a curate’s experience into consideration,
- Is able to help the curate with the process of integrating theological studies with ministerial experience,
- Understands the distinction between staff meetings and supervision,
- Is confident in faith and theology and able to work creatively and reflectively with someone holding a different theological or spiritual disposition,
- Is capable of allowing a curate to develop in ways differing to theirs with regard to the deployment of gifts in ministry,
- Will make ongoing study a high priority for the curate particularly the diocesan programme,
- Recognises that the parish might not be able to provide all the training needs of the curate and that an extended placement in another parish or setting might be appropriate,
- Is willing to participate in the reporting and assessing processes now required during curacy.
The Diocese
Information about the Diocese of Worcester is available on the diocesan website www.cofe-worcester.org.uk
The sponsoring Bishop is Martin Gorick, Bishop of Dudley.
This programme is part of the work on the Mission and Ministry Team with the Initial Ministerial Education part 2 (IME2) Officer, Robert Barlow, having responsibility.
The Parish (or other setting)
A curacy will usually take place in the context of a parish. Occasionally (particularly for a self-supporting curacy) it may be necessary for a curacy to take place in another setting (e.g. a school chaplaincy). If this happens then arrangements will be made to ensure that the curate receives a sufficiently wide range of experiences.
Typically, a parish:
- Will offer a wide range of ministerial opportunities,
- Will not see the curate simply as an ‘extra pair of hands.’ This means recognising that sometimes the curate’s training needs take precedence over the needs of the parish.
- Will help the curate in transition from lay to ordained status,
- Will help the curate understand lay perspectives in the parish regarding, for example, preaching and leading worship; and also how members lead and participate in ministry within and out with the Church (e.g. as Junior Church leaders, parish treasurer, in their paid employment….),
- Will undertake to pay working expenses,
- Will assist the training incumbent in offering feedback.
How it works
This document is about the process from ordination onwards. Prior to ordination, possible TIs will have been selected and trained, PCCs consulted…
Curates
This programme sets out the process for stipendiary curates. As the programme contains flexibility it will also be used with Self Supporting Ministers (SSMs) but may be adjusted if circumstances require.
- At an early stage (and not later than three months after deaconing) the curate and the TI will agree a Curacy Training Agreement. Click here to download the training agreement document.
Along with matters about patterns and hours of work, nature of tasks to be undertaken, areas of responsibility…. the agreement will include a curate’s training programme which will recognise,
-
- Skills/experience/knowledge/strengths that the curate brings to be developed,
- Gaps in the curate’s skills/experience/knowledge/strengths that need to be addressed,
- Consideration will be given to what training experiences and/or placements should be undertaken in respect of (a) and (b).
That agreement will then be agreed by the IME2 officer. The TI and curate will review and amend it (as necessary) at the end of the first and second years.
- The Diocese will set up facilitated year groups for curates to meet monthly for ongoing theological reflection and mutual support.
- The Diocese will arrange an IME2 programme consisting of,
- a core programme for all curates, and
- a modular programme to address 1 (a) and 1 (b) above.
- Curates in consultation with their TI and IME2 officer will agree two placements to take place during the curacy. The aim of the placements is to give an experience which the curate has not yet had and is not likely to have in their parish context. Placements can be flexible in length and will normally constitute twelve half days. Placements can be in other churches, para-church agencies, secular organisations…. Click here to download the placement proposal document.
Placement supervisors will write a report (click here to download the placement report). Curates will write a theological reflection of not more than 2000 words on “How Christian faith relates to the placement.”
- Curates will keep a portfolio scrap book of examples of work they have done, courses they have taken and experiences they have had, to illustrate their curacy. This will be used inform the reports (see below).
- The IME2 officer will be available for support and will meet with each curate (at least) for a mid-curacy review in the spring of the second year.
TIs
Before a curate is placed, TIs will have training sessions to equip them for their role.
There will be termly meetings for TIs for mutual support.
Assessment and signing off
- TIs as part of their ongoing supervision will assess, and assist the curates to self-assess, against the national criteria for clergy and against competencies needed for ministry. Changes at national level mean that curates deaconed from 2024 onwards are assessed against new criteria. Click to download the new assessment criteria document. Those deaconed before 2024 are assessed against the old criteria document: (click here to download).
- TIs will write reports prior to priesting (click here to download an example report) and prior to the end of the curacy with an assessment of the curate against the national criteria. (Click here to download an example end of curacy report). For curates working to the old criteria here is an example of an end of curacy report using the old criteria.
- The TI reports, placement reports, written work, and curate’s portfolio scrap book will all go to form a report to the sponsoring bishop regarding the curate’s suitability.
Robert Barlow 25/6/24
Links to documents and resources
Curacy Learning Agreement
- This is the document for Curates and Training Incumbents to complete within three months of the curacy starting and reviewing periodically. A copy should be sent to the IME2 officer.
- This is the document describing the IME2 programme provided by the diocese.
- This is the document describing what’s happening when and where. It is a working document and will be updated as events are arranged
- This is the learning plan that Curates and Training Incumbents use together to document work, and is the basis for pre-priesting and end of curacy reports. It should form the basis for the ongoing training that curates receive in their parish.
- Rev. Sarah Northall, a Training Incumbent, looked at the assessment criteria and decided it was helpful to treat them like a set of cards with four “suits” – God, Church, World & Self and seven Qualities.
- The 28 cards in the pack can each be a focus for learning, supervision and prayer, and Sarah has kindly agreed the cards can be shared.
- This is the previous learning plan. For curacies where this has already been started then this can be used.
- What placements might look like.
- A form to fill in describing what you’re intending to do.
- A form for the placement supervisor to complete describing what the curate has done. There should also be a reflection from the curate on the placement.
- For the Training Incumbent to complete before the curate is priested.
End of curacy report (new criteria)
- For the Training Incumbent to complete before the curate is signed off.
End of curacy report (old criteria)
- For the Training Incumbent to complete before the curate is signed off.
Link to Diocesan Website
- For information about the wider diocese.