Next week sees us running our first DDO day of 2021 (for Diocesan Directors of Ordinands in the Church of England) on Zoom. We want to ensure all DDOs feel warmly invited to sign up with me, Helen Harwood, by email on helen.harwood@churchmissionsociety.org
The details are: DDO day, Thursday 28 Jan 2021 via zoom, 10am-11.30 am – the Zoom link and info will be sent out the day before.
It is a great opportunity for you to hear direct from the course leaders, a student’s perspective and for you to ask your questions about CMS as an approved training pathway for pioneer ordinands.
Here’s a quick Q&A with Dr Cathy Ross, head of Pioneer Mission Leadership Oxford (and postgraduate programmes coordinator) to give you a flavour of what we offer our pioneer ordinands.
Why is CMS such a good option for Pioneer ordinands?
Because pioneering is the air that we breathe, we have an experienced team of missiologists and practitioners. It is a gift to train in a global mission context as we are able to gain a global vision and this saves our faith from becoming domesticated.
This sounds like a promising start but I need some nuts and bolts. What do we offer our ordinands?
Excellent missiological formation, placements and access to mission thinkers, writers and practitioners both in UK and around the world. The best mission library in the country.
The structure is there then, but we all need support. How do we help and support our ordinands?
Each ordinand has a personal tutor, a mentor and access to pioneering placements. They are also part of Starfish – our network of CMS-trained pioneers and part of the wider CMS network of supporters and people who pray. Our ordinands also have the chance to meet up regularly each term as a group, to support one another and discuss issues relating to being an ordained pioneer in the Church of England.
The other part of the picture is that we run our ordinand training courses with Ripon College, Cuddesdon. What does our relationship with Ripon College, Cuddesdon bring to the table of study as an ordinand on the CMS Pioneer course?
A rich history of Anglican theology, liturgy and prayer as well as a huge range of experience of the depth and tradition of Anglicanism.
That all sounds like a good package to me but what do our students say about study with us?
One CMS ordinand told me: “It took a while to convince my DDO that I would make a good priest. I didn’t match what was required of a ‘normal priest’ for a long time. I think doing the course at CMS helped in this regard. I learnt for example how to do a theological reflection and started using it in my everyday practice.”
Another ordinand told me about the MA course she is doing: “The course has been amazing so far. Probably the biggest thing for me has been the impact on my own faith journey. I’ve been welcomed into a community who share the same heart and passion which, for me, is massive! I think I’ve felt quite isolated in the past and felt that I am on my own searching for something out there that someone else is doing. And now I’ve found that here is a massive group of people who are pioneering, teaching, and exploring all these amazing things. It’s just been a personal relief for my heart and my soul to meet this group of people who are just amazing and inspiring.”
To book your place please contact Helen Harwood on helen.harwood@churchmissionsociety.org by Wednesday 27 Jan 2021.