Working alongside priests, deacons are set apart to minister God’s word and serve people in need. They fulfil this role inside the local church, but most especially in leading God’s people in serving the local community. Some are called by God and ordained by the Bishop to be distinctive deacons; others will additionally be ordained priests. Priests are set apart to lead God’s people, minister the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion and lead the Church’s Ministry of Reconciliation. They teach, guide and bless, enabling the Church to become more fully itself.

Education, Training and Formation

Preparing people for these ministries requires not only that they acquire a deep knowledge and understanding of theology, but that the character of Christ is formed in them, most especially through prayer. We work in partnership, therefore with the Church of England’s Theological Education Institutions (TEIs) to deliver the education, training and formation programmes that develop the learning, skills and dispositions needed for the demands of these ministries in the Twenty-first Century.

Ordination training is a two-stage process, with the primary focus being education in the first (college or course-based) stage, known as Initial Ministerial Education Phase One (IME1 for short) and training in the second (parish-based following ordination as a Deacon, as an Assistant Curate in Training), known as Initial Ministerial Education Phase Two (IME2 for short). There is, of course, some training in IME1 and ongoing education in IME2. Formation underpins and runs through both phases.

Two Phases of Training for Ordination

We work closely with our local TEIs, ERMC, Ridley Hall and Westcott House as well as other TEIs around the country for IME1. People training for self-supporting ministry, and others who need to train part-time, will likely train at ERMC, while the choice of TEI for others will depend on their theological background and, more importantly, the best match for their training needs. IME1 is normally for two or three years depending on age, prior theological learning and the mode of learning. Curacies (IME2) are for three years.

In the table below, you will see the options for training that the Church offers. The route that a candidate will take will depend on their age, prior learning and the training mode that will best suit their learning and formational requirements and personal circumstances.

Common Awards

Our training partners deliver Initial Ministerial Education Phase 1 (IME1) under the Church of England and Durham University’s Common Awards suite of programmes and modules. TEIs can develop their own distinctive pathways through each of the Common Awards programmes, so students do not necessarily undergo the same curriculum in each college or course, but each will set out out how the educational, training and formational aims of the Church of England are delivered. This means that the Church can both assure a common set of standards and enable the diversity of different traditions to flourish.

Learning Resources

The learning resources that students will need during their programme of Initial Ministerial Education are hosted by each TEI. The learning resources for Phase Two (IME2) can be found here.

	Initial Ministerial Education Phase 2 (IME2) ongoing training for the newly-ordained and licensed

* DD: Distinctive deacon. Some people have a calling to remain a deacon, whereas others will go on to be ordained priest a year after being ordained deacon.