The Panel of Reference Paper

The group determined that the remit of the Panel of Reference had to focus on the recommendation of candidates for ministry. The work of the Panel of Reference needs to be seen as a supplement to the main advisory system of the Church of England.

Introduction

The 'Ways Forward' document from the 2004 Reform national conference spoke of the Panel of Reference in relation to the particular situation of a parish being in impaired communion with their bishop. We believe that these circumstances are best addressed from within a wider framework which stresses the broader priority of mission today and the range of possible scenarios in which the Panel of Reference could be used.

Mission Today and the Need for a Panel of Reference

There are a number of reasons for establishing this Panel of Reference:

(i) New initiatives in ministry need to be encouraged in order to reach our nation with the gospel of Christ (as envisaged in the reports 'Mission Shaped Church' and 'Measure for Measures')

(ii) Confidence in the Church of England as a godly and appropriate way of engaging in ministry needs to be fostered

(iii) Our conviction that ordination is to the Church of God and not only to serve a particular congregation must be maintained

(iv) The lack of rigour within the current system of selection in certain areas (thus there is a tendency to speak of subjective 'faith' rather than 'the faith', and sexual behaviour is often not asked about)

Possible Scenarios in which the Panel of Reference may need to be used

(i) The Panel of Reference might be used to foster particular forms of ministry (primarily among women, but also youth workers, evangelists etc) that are not readily catered for by the current Church of England system

(ii) Congregations or clergy who are not entirely sure about the suitability of their candidates could take such cases to the Panel of Reference prior to an ABM selection conference

(iii) The case of delay - candidates who go to theological college prior to recommendation are sometimes not viewed with favour by ABM and might therefore find the assessment of the Panel Reference helpful

(iv) The Panel of Reference may be useful when there are issues relating to the age of the candidate

(v) The Panel of Reference could assist a candidate from overseas

(vi) The Panel of Reference could be used in situations arising out of impaired communion with the bishop

(vii) A non-recommendation at an ABM which has not been properly addressed by the diocesan bishop could be referred to the Panel of Reference and then taken directly to the Ministry Division or elsewhere.

Liaison with other bodies

The aim of the establishment of a Panel of Reference would be to offer the wider church a helpful tool for the furtherance of mission and ministry. In particular, other bodies to be liaised with would include - the Ministry Division of the Church of England, the Theological Colleges, Bishops

Mode of Operation

  • One key question to address is the matter of how many would use a Panel of Reference that we establish
  • The cost of the ABM system lies in the expenses of the selectors, the residential situation and the administrative backup. We must find ways of keeping costs to a minimum
  • We believe that the key items in the selection process are the papers on each candidate, the interviews and the opportunity to observe interaction with others
  • An existing evangelical organisation could be asked to handle the administration and paperwork, as well as being the coordinating body for a Panel of Reference Conference
  • Interviews can be done singly or with a panel. It would probably be enough to have three people (advisors) as interviewers, to look at the Vocational/Spiritual, Pastoral, Educational aspects of the candidate's application.
  • The opportunity to observe a candidate's interaction with others might be achieved through their being based at a vicarage. There are a number of models past (CPAS You and the Ministry weekends) and present (Proclamation Trust London Week) that could be borne in mind for this
  • Finance could be shared between the parish and the candidate
  • Possible centres could be: Newcastle, Sheffield, London, the SouthWest
  • We must note that only candidates can request papers from their ABMs
  • The members of the Panel of Reference would operate on the basis of published Selection Criteria

Selection of the Selectors

We need to think of the categories and types of people whose experience would qualify them to be members of the Panel of Reference. Possibilities include:

  • A current ABM advisor who is a member of Reform
  • Bishops
  • those with experience of sending ordinands and training curates
  • those who are spiritually discerning
  • those who are strong minded
  • those who have the rigour to spot potential in candidates
  • those who have proven experience in church leadership

Selection Criteria

These will be published separately in a short paper prepared by David Holloway

Mark Burkill
30 Aug 2005