Application - ancient Apostolic Church UK

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Application

Ordination
General Prerequisites for Ordination
The Ancient Catholic Church

Ordination Information

General Prerequisites for Ordination or Incardination

On application to the Ancient Catholic Church you will be sent the application pack, ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RETURNED.
Once the application has been processed you will need to undergo a CRB check (please ask for more information)
Once this is in progress you will be invited to an informal chat, this may take place in person or over the internet. Once completed you will be asked to complete an Essay or a piece of work, which will give us further information about you.
Once this is complete, you will be invited to a second formal interview with your local Bishop or Priest.
Your application will then go before the Board for approval
Please make sure that all the information asked for is included.
Depending on your experience you will then be enrolled into our seminary, and a date will be made for your ordination service.

Administration & Fees

There will be an administrative fee to cover the cost of the Background Check.
All Professional Clergy requesting Holy Orders (not in minor Orders) must undergo and successfully pass an evaluation by at least one trained professional staff... member of the
Ancient Catholic Church. (Evaluations can be conducted via the phone or Skype video or conference call).
The pastoral Team will monitor any applications and will report directly to the House of Bishops on the individual Clergy or the relevant churches’ periodical progress.


1. You must be a baptized Christian.

2. All persons seeking ordination into the
Ancient Catholic Church
must submit a "religious resume" describing their religious background and upbringing along with any previous training undertaken. This includes, but is not limited to seminary, bible colleges or schools, colleges or universities. Any training listed and included by the candidate must be supported by proper documentation. That is photocopies of any degrees, diplomas or certificates. Transcripts may be requested. If so, the responsibility for obtaining and submitting the transcripts rests with the candidate. If a candidate has been previously ordained by a communion or jurisdiction that has valid, historical lines of Apostolic Succession, and is seeking incardination, photocopies of all certificates or documents of ordination must be included. If a candidate wishes any or all previous training, experience or education to be considered and evaluated in his or her application, the time for this consideration and evaluation is upon and during the application process, not after. Requests for consideration and evaluation of prior training, experience or education in the ministry after the application process has been completed will not be considered.

3. A Statement of Faith must be submitted by the candidate.

4. ALL applications for ordination or incardination must be completed, signed by the candidate, notarized, submitted and returned by postal mail to the Office of the Director of Vocations
. There are NO exceptions to this.

5. A photocopy of your driver’s license, state, province or country identification card must be included.

6. A current photograph of you must be included.

7. ANY false or misleading statements or declarations will, if Holy Orders have been conferred, result in the nullification of Holy Orders, revocation of faculties and a return to lay status. If Holy Orders or licensing have not yet been conferred, the application in question will be declined.

8. If the sole reason for seeking ordination or incardination is the pursuit of Apostolic Succession, please do not apply. The
Ancient Catholic Church
takes its responsibility in the conferral of Holy Orders very seriously. All clergy members are expected to be the best servants of The Lord that they can be.

9. Please note that all persons are initially licensed into the Order of Deacon, where they serve for a period of at least one year. This is a time of formation and study. In some cases, the time constraint may be modified. This is only done when there is a consensus of opinion and determination between the Director of Vocations,  The
Ancient Catholic Church and the Presiding Bishop. In any case, the time period of service in the Diaconate will not be less than six months. All persons licensed into the Diaconate, whether it is for six months or one year, will study under the guidance and tutelage of the Director of the Seminary, or his or her delegate or representative. Successful completion of the Seminary will depend on several factors, including but not limited to maintaining the contact and reporting requirements, successfully completing and passing required examinations, and exhibiting proficiency in the required areas of study and worship.

10. An interview will take place with your local Diocean Bishop

The The Ancient Catholic Church
Traditional Old Catholic Church
DOES NOT assume any LEGAL responsibility for its ministers. Neither the ACCC nor the individual minister is an agent for or of the other. All clergy are responsible for their own actions, including but not limited to any and all financial and fiscal responsibilities, contracts or liabilities and the commission or omission of any action. However, each clergy member IS answerable to The Ancient Catholic Church
and does come under the Episcopal oversight of the Presiding Bishop and The Ancient Catholic Church Council of Bishops. If an investigation finds serious violation of Christian ethics, morals and values have indeed been committed; certain sanctions can and may be applied, up to and including removal, revocation and nullification of the clergy member’s faculties, ordination and or consecration and a return to the state of laity.

Ordination or will not be offered to any person(s) arrested and convicted of, or those arrested and who plead guilty to any crime against a child, any sexual offense or any crime that exhibits moral turpitude and those who are listed on a sexual offender database.

If you are currently a member of any ecclesiastical body or organization that has conferred Holy Orders upon you in ANY capacity, i.e., Deacon, Presbyter (Priest) or Episcopacy (Bishop) are you planning to resign from this ecclesiastical body or organization?

If you plan to resign from this body or organization or to seek release from this body or organization, then a letter of release must be obtained from your Bishop, Ordinary or Superior. The ordination/incardination process cannot begin until this letter is submitted with your application.

If you are or have been a member of any religious or monastic community in ANY capacity, i.e., lay Brother or Sister, Monk, Friar, Abbot or Superior of any Order, then a letter of release must be obtained from your Archabbot, Abbot General or Superior. The ordination/incardination process cannot begin until this letter is submitted with your application.

If you are currently a member of either of the above described bodies or organizations and you are not resigning from them, a letter of authorization or permission from your Bishop, Ordinary, or Superior giving their authorization or permission to apply for and accept ordination/incardination (if granted) must be submitted with your application. The ordination/incardination process cannot begin until this letter is submitted. If you have previously been ordained into Holy Orders and are no longer associated or affiliated with the communion or jurisdiction that had ordained you, please explain why and submit a letter of release.

May the Peace and Grace of Our Risen Savior be with you!


Clergy are not required to be celibate, married and single men alike are welcome to apply. There is no bar to marriage post ordination to any of the degrees of Holy Orders. All clergy are required to be chaste i.e. faithful to their partner, or modest in the development of their personal relationships. Celibacy remains an option for clergy i.e. to remain single and chaste, and many of our clergy live such a consecrated life.
Those seeking incardination must contact the Presiding Bishop of the given Jurisdiction. Those who incardinated must go through a period of Probation.

 
Your Next Step

Ordination & Incardination
into Holy Orders
Talk with your Priest or Bishop
Those seeking to become deacons, or priests within the Ancient Orthodox Catholic Church must satisfy the
ordaining or receiving bishop of their suitability and readiness for ministry.
All Ordination applicants must be of the age of twenty one (21) years or older.
Pledge in all truthfulness that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Saviour and that they are called of God to be a priest/ deacon.
are admonished to exercise care in discerning the suitability and readiness of applicants for ordination. All too often, ill-prepared candidates to church have been accepted for Holy Orders and become ineffective (and in some cases counterproductive and downright scandalous) clergy.
You must be an  Christian first and foremost: We expect clergy (like the Apostles) to be simple Christians, eloquence need not apply. We expect our clergy not only to believe in Jesus as the living Son of God, but also to have acted upon that belief by giving their lives to Christ. That means a conscious effort to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, adopting His attitudes and (inasmuch as possible) following His example. All of us fall into sin occasionally, but those who are habitual, unrepentant, public sinners are not suited for ordination. Nor those who practice lewdness, pornography, polygamy etc., or who support beliefs that are contrary to acceptable and established true Christianity.
This in turn requires that one be as familiar as possible with the One we are to emulate. That One being Christ. This requires familiarity with the Scriptures, especially the Gospels. Applicants should have gone beyond just reading the Gospels to a deep and prayerful study of them, absorbing the words of Christ and reflecting on their application to our lives and the lives of those to whom we minister. Whether this was done in a seminary is not the issue, what is important is that our clergy have an insight into the mind of God through familiarity with the words and actions of Jesus.
You must be catholic (meaning "universal"): Since we are an orthodox church, applicants should be "catholic" Christians. That means that in addition to the common Christian beliefs contained in (for example) the Nicene Creed, applicants should have an appreciation for the Apostolic Succession, should believe that the sacraments are a means used by God to impart grace, and should believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. (Note that this does NOT require acceptance of the legalistic formulations in the relatively recent Roman Catholic doctrine of trans- substantiation.) Since one of the primary duties of clergy is the administration of the sacraments, there's no sense becoming a priest if one does not believe that sacraments can really "do" anything.
Likewise, why become a priest if one believes that it does not make any difference and that it does not empower one to make Christ present for His people at the Mass? Likewise, it would be hypocritical to seek the sacrament of Holy Orders if one believes that.
You must be called:
The third requirement is that this catholic Christian person has received and accepted a call to the ordained ministry. There are many wonderful ways for Christians to serve God's people in "non ordained ministry." This includes teaching, volunteering at soup kitchens, counselling, even preaching. While opportunities for preaching are greatly expanded by ordination, they exist for others as well. A desire to preach, by itself, should not be considered a good reason for ordination beyond the Diaconate. The office of deacon is valued highly in the church. It predates the Christian priesthood and should in no way be considered subordinate or inferior. It is different. Those who feel they are being called to ministry must at some point decide if they are being called to ministry as a priest, a deacon, or a layperson. Just because some churches require you to be a priest in order to do almost anything in the church doesn't mean we have to follow that same practice ... and we don't. Being a counsellor, for example, requires lots of education, training, and experience, but it doesn't require Holy Orders. The call to ordained ministry as a priest or bishop is essentially a call to administer the sacraments and to evangelize." Go therefore and make disciples of those in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Unless one has a desire to celebrate Mass for God's people, she or he should not seek the priesthood.
You must be trained
The 4th requirement is sufficient training so that the candidate is equipped to properly, reverently, and inspirationally celebrate Mass, perform weddings and funerals, deliver outstanding homilies, and administer the sacraments.
This is the one requirement that cannot be done by correspondence. The candidate must convince the bishop, usually by demonstration, that she or he is ready to perform these duties. The focus of the Mass is the altar, not the pulpit. It is on Jesus, not the celebrant. We owe our people accomplished and powerful preachers. These then are the basic four requirements for clergy in New The Catholic Church

1.They must be Christians;
They must be called to the ordained ministry;
They must be adequately trained for their duties in the church. When the ordaining bishop determines that these requirements have been met, then it is time to plan for the ordination celebration.
Where?
We generally prefer that ordinations take place with the worshipping community of the candidate.
As in the early church, we see a community putting forward candidates to minister amongst them.
The clergy come from the people; they are not chosen by the hierarchy and imposed upon a local congregation. In a real sense, it is the people who ordain. The bishop merely ratifies their choice and administers the sacrament.
Most ordinations (like weddings) are performed on Saturday (and for most of the same reasons). Many are performed Sunday morning at the principal Mass of the host parish. It's up to the host parish and the ordaining Bishop.
There are no paid/salaried clergy within the
New Catholic Church, we all abide By the tent makers policy as set down by Paul.

With any questions you may have.
PLEASE ALWAYS NOTATE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS IN THE BODY OF YOUR CORRESPONDENCE,
THIS HELPS US AVOID PROBLEMS IN RESPONDING, THANK YOU
please email if you have any questions
Please go to the contact Page
Ancient Apostolic Church 2021
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