Local Ministry in Bangor Diocese
- What is Local Ministry?
- It is the shared ministry of all the baptised, lay and ordained, in a given locality.
- What's it all about?
- It aims at the full release of the gifts of all God's people, so that Christ might better be made known.
- How is it different from what we're used to?
- That depends on what you're used to! Basically, it assumes that ministry belongs to the whole people of God, not just to the vicar. After all, 'ministry' is just another word for 'service', and all Christians are called to serve God through others by virtue of their baptism.
- So what about the vicar?
- In an Episcopal Church like ours, authority in matters of belief and practice is vested in the Bishop. In this capacity he exercises oversight over his diocese. Oversight is delegated locally to priests who represent the Bishop, and so the wider Church, to particular congregations. This representative element is what makes the priest's ordained ministry unique. So, the priest's role is not to 'do' the entire ministry or to 'run' the local Church, but to act as a boundary-keeper: someone who, by presenting Christ to the congregation, creates an orthodox space in which individual gifts and ministries are fostered and the life of the Church flourishes.
- What are Local Ministry Teams?
- These are 'core groups' within Local Ministry Parishes which are charged with promoting the mission and ministry of the local Church.
- Who makes up a Local Ministry Team?
- The priest in charge along with a number of local Christians selected on the basis of consultation with the whole congregation.
- What are Local Ministry Parishes?
- These are parishes which have been commissioned as such by the Bishop upon completion of a Parish Review process, the latter being a means of collectively seeking God's vision for the future. The parish strategy deriving from this then provides the agenda for the Local Ministry Team.
- Where does all this leave the PCC?
- The PCC and the priest in charge remain responsible for the overall ministry and mission of the local Church, as constitutionally required. A Local Ministry Team, where present, acts as the PCC's 'executive arm' and remains accountable to it.
- How do you become a Local Ministry Parish?
- Simple! Just contact the Bishop's Office.