Priests serve the Church and wider community through:
- leading God’s people, shaping church communities in mission and worship
- sharing the good news of Jesus Christ through teaching, preaching, and conversation
- celebrating the sacraments (baptism and Eucharist), funerals and weddings and leading God’s people in worship and prayer.
- serving all in need especially those who are sick, struggling, or grieving
- helping people to grow in faith and discover their own gifts and calling
Many priests serve in parishes, leading a local church or group of churches. Others serve in chaplaincy or other roles.
All priests are first ordained as deacons, and usually ordained priest after a period of training and formation.
Being a priest is a public and visible ministry - a life of service shaped by prayer, people, and community.
Some priests are financially supported by the church through the provision of a stipend (similar to a salary), a pension and housing, while others serve on a voluntary basis. Volunteer priests are known as ‘self-supporting ministers’. Whether stipendiary or self-supporting, there is no difference in ordination or recognition - all clergy are equally valued.
Sensing God's call
Farida's story
My sense of calling began with a question from God: “What have I set you apart for?” That question led me to begin pushing open the door to ordination. I have been blessed with incredible clergy leaders who spoke encouragement and leadership over me, and who gave me opportunities to step out into what God might be calling me to do. What resonated with me most at the start of the discernment process was the idea of a priest as someone who is a visible reminder of Jesus in society. I have always loved people, so the opportunity to play a part in their spiritual journeys through the celebration of the sacraments, teaching, preaching, mission, and pastoral care felt like an enormous privilege.
A passage that has resonated with me throughout this journey is Joshua 3. As the people of God cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, the priests must first step into the river in faith before they can see whether God has miraculously stopped the waters upstream. This image of priests as people who step out in faith, watching and waiting to see God at work, has stayed with me deeply. I feel called to hold the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other, learning to hold the tension of communicating and contextualising the word of God within contemporary society. This is what continues to inspire and excite me through this journey of formation, as I grow into the priest God has called me to be.
