A groundbreaking course from Church Mission Society – in partnership with the Oxford Ministry Course at Ripon College Cuddesdon – has received official approval as a training pathway for Ordained Pioneer Ministry in the Church of England.
For the first time, candidates for ordained pioneer ministry in the Church of England will be able to train on a course that has been designed entirely for pioneer leaders by Church Mission Society, one of the country's leading mission agencies, in partnership with Cuddesdon.
The Church of England's ministry division has given the CMS Pioneer Mission Leadership Training course its official seal of approval as a training pathway. C of E mission leaders and pioneers alike have expressed delight at the news.
Rachel Jordan, National Adviser for Mission and Evangelism for the Church of England, said CMS was "uniquely qualified" to train pioneer ordinands.
Jordan said: "The roots of pioneering ministry are in the missionary movement and therefore CMS is uniquely qualified to train Church of England pioneer ordinands for the urgent missionary task in the UK.
"CMS pioneer ordinands will benefit from the years of experience in cross-cultural mission that is CMS's expertise and the Church of England will gain many well equipped and specifically trained individuals for 21st century mission."
Pioneer ordinand Johnny Sertin, who leads Earlsfield Friary in southwest London, said he was "overjoyed". "It is a watershed moment, from which many will benefit as we re-imagine the future together," he said.
The Rt Rev Colin Fletcher, Bishop of Dorchester and a co-chair of the South Central Regional Training Partnership, said, "I am delighted. It is great for Pioneers and for God's mission in this country."
CMS has teamed up with Cuddesdon to make the course – where every module is approached through the lens of mission – available to those training to be ordained pioneer ministers.
Students preparing for ordination will be involved in pioneering mission and learn 'on the job'. They will attend a day a week and two residential weeks with CMS pioneers and six weekends a year and two residential weeks with Oxford Ministry Course students, who are training for parish ministry.
"This is a unique partnership between a major mission society and a leading Anglican theological college," said the Rev Canon Prof Martyn Percy, principal of Cuddesdon. "In offering this new training route for pioneer ministers, CMS and Cuddesdon will be able to combine their resources together, making this venture one of the most innovative, rich and ground-breaking courses in the country."
Canon Tim Dakin, the executive leader of CMS, who is soon to become Bishop of Winchester, saw the approval of the course as significant for CMS and for the wider church.
"Through the training and deploying of pioneers, ordained and lay, CMS will continue to offer prophetic mission in partnership with the wider church both locally and globally," he said.
There are open days for the CMS Pioneer Mission Leadership Training Course at CMS Oxford on 23 February and 26 April. Full details of the course, students' stories and how to apply can all be found on the course website: pioneer.cms-uk.org
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Notes to editors
1. The Pioneer Mission Leadership Training Course is currently in its first year proper with 20 students participating in different modules, following a successful pilot year. The course offers unique modules including "Missional Entrepreneurship" and "Pioneer Ministry Skills" as well as modules on theological reflection and the Bible's big story. pioneer.cms-uk.org
2. Church Mission Society (CMS) is a community of over 2,500 members committed to evangelistic mission, working to see our world transformed by the love of Jesus. Members commit to seven promises as they aspire to a whole lifestyle shaped by God’s mission. CMS supports people in mission making disciples, resourcing leaders and transforming communities in over 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America (the South American Mission Society integrated with CMS in 2010). www.cms-uk.org
3. Ripon College Cuddesdon attracts students from across the whole spectrum of the Church of England. It has been a place where the ministry of women has been deeply appreciated and today women make up about half the residential student body. It is a place where people seek to learn from one another in an environment of open theological exploration undergirded by the life of prayer. With its many new developments in research and teaching, the College continues to be at the forefront of theological education today, responding to the changing needs of the church and the world. www.rcc.ac.uk
Contact
Jonny Baker, CMS pioneer leadership team leader
jonnybaker@btopenworld.com
07957 639393
Jeremy Woodham, CMS communications
jeremy.woodham@cms-uk.org
07941 622776
01865 787451