The ministry of all Priests grows out of and is shaped by the ministry of Deacon. All priests are first ordained Deacon and remain a Deacon for the duration of their ministry, but some are called more specifically to the Priesthood, to preside over the sacraments of the church, to absolve and bless God’s people in Christ’s name, and to lead them in worship.
Some priests are called to be assistant priests. This is a call to lead the Church as the Body of Christ in ensuring that there is Christian presence in every community where disciples are nurtured in order to be sent out as active disciples in the world so that they are equipped to introduce more people to Jesus and work for justice in our communities.
Assistant priests discern a call to this priestly ministry of teaching, blessing and leading in worship, enabling the sacramental ministry of the Church including presiding over the Eucharist. They are committed to continual learning and engagement with the bible and theology, and to be sustained by a disciplined life of prayer. However, they do not discern a specific call to the oversight ministry of responsibility for the leadership of a whole parish, church or group of churches.
Assistant priests work alongside and are accountable to an incumbent priest offering appropriate leadership in specific areas of Church ministry according to their particular skills and gifts and the needs of the Church.
Assistant priests are usually voluntary, self-supported roles and so the actual outworking of the role varies depending on availability in different seasons of life. Some assistant priests work full time and focus the outworking of their priestly ministry within their secular workplace. Other assistant priests focus their ministry in specific areas within a local church or group of churches – how much time they can dedicate to this role depends on their other life commitments, however they work out their priestly ministry in every area of their lives regardless of the specific roles they agree to in the Church. Therefore, the ministry of Assistant priests is an exciting, wide range of experiences.
