Ministry in Retirement
Guidance for retired clergy
The ministry of retired clergy is valued and welcomed in the diocese as an important resource in parishes, chaplaincies and other forms of ministry.
When retiring into a parish it is both a courtesy and good practice to let the parish priest know who you are. Meeting with the parish priest to discuss what you can offer to the life of the parish is helpful to them and to you. It may be that your choice is to worship or minister in another parish (perhaps, for example, for reasons of tradition); it can be helpful for the parish priest to know this rather than discover it second-hand.
When first retired it has often been found helpful to take some time to adjust and reflect while you discern to what kind of future ministry God is calling you (six months is often seen as a useful period). It may be that the Bishop will ask that you defer applying for Permission to Officiate to allow this period to pass. You may find that the process to get PTO takes a few weeks and this is essential for any priestly or diaconal ministry after retirement. This will entail a DBS check and compliance with all diocesan safeguarding procedures and training. The ‘Guidelines for the professional conduct of the clergy’ apply to all retired clergy.
In discussing your involvement with the parish priest it is important to understand the needs, vision and mission of the parish, and, of course, to remember that any area of ministry must have the agreement of the parish priest. Care should also be taken to respect the ‘house style’ of the parish.
Producing a simple written Ministry Agreement for the ministry you can offer is a way of clarifying what has been discussed and avoiding misunderstanding. Remember that with PTO a priest is acting as a volunteer; it is only those licensed who have a right to attend meetings of the PCC or to attend staff meetings etc.
A sample agreement can be found here. It should cover the expected level of ministry offered such as Sundays and weekday services, occasional offices and pastoral support.
Such an agreement should be reviewed annually or when circumstances (on either side) change. From your side this may be family responsibilities, health issues or other commitments. From the parish side this might be, amongst other things, to provide space for a curate or ministry opportunities for the laity; or seeking more support during a vacancy.
Do find out about financial matters such as expenses, if appropriate, and also fees for funerals and weddings and procedures for receiving these, in accordance with current diocesan policy.
There is a Retired Clergy Officer (RCO) for both the mainland and Island parts of our diocese. If you haven’t had contact with your RCO you will find details on the diocesan website. The RCO and parish priest should, between them, ensure you have the information you need about the diocese, its aims, objectives, policies and procedures, and Diocesan and national support for retired clergy.
Permission to Officiate (PtO)
Retired clergy who wish to minister in the diocese must apply to the Bishop for Permission to Officiate (PtO). It is often advisable to take a complete break from all ministry before applying for PtO. A period of at least six months is often helpful. The process of applying for PtO make a take a little time, especially if you have moved into the diocese. The permission is normally for a period of three years and will only be granted once diocesan safeguarding checks and training have been completed.
Those with PtO are free to minister in any parish in the diocese at the invitation of the Incumbent or Priest-in-Charge (or Churchwarden when in vacancy) subject to any restrictions on the PtO.
Clergy applying for PtO are required to complete a PtO Application, countersigned by their designated person responsible for oversight (Incumbent/Priest-in-Charge, Lead Chaplain or Area Dean).
If you are new to the diocese, we will request an Episcopal Reference and Clergy Current Status Letter (CCSL) from your current/previous bishop and you will be invited to attend an entry interview.
Deanery Chapters and Synods
Clergy with PtO do not have an automatic right to be members of the deanery chapter, as it is not a synodical body. Practice varies in different deaneries: some deaneries may invite retired clergy to some or all of their chapter meetings, some only a small number, and some deaneries have separate chapter meetings for retired clergy. The nature and extent of participation of retired clergy in deanery chapters are at the discretion of the chapter and the area dean.
For deanery synods the Church Representation Rules were changed in 2004 (Membership of Deanery Synods Rule 24) to give a limited franchise to those with PtO.
Those with PtO have the statutory right to elect one of their number, for every ten or less in a Deanery, onto the House of Clergy of the Deanery Synod, which may also co-opt those with PtO. Those so elected or co-opted may vote and stand as candidates in Diocesan and General Synod elections.
Rural Deans and Lay Chairs are encouraged to be proactive in ensuring ongoing, active PtO representation on their Deanery Synods. Without this representation, retired clergy could be dis-enfranchised and so play no part in the governance of the church.