Vicar

Book excerpt: Drawing on the resources of Classic Anglicanism, Vicar offers a clear theological vision for the future. For thirty years, the Church has been talking about the oncoming challenges of providing ordained ministers to lead and enable local churches. Now long overdue structural change is really happening: but those at the sharp end – ‘vicars’ – are often bewildered and demoralized. This book celebrates the tradition of English Anglican ordained pastoral ministry; it also affirms the value of vicars’ ministry and way of life, and the great gift they have for relating to our communities and churches. The ‘vicar’ (parish priest, pastor, minister) still leads people – those who ‘come to church’ and those who don’t – in prayer and praise, cares for them in their sufferings and rejoices with them in their joys. This deep wisdom has sustained the Church for centuries. Yet, the questions must be asked: how can we be better equipped to make prudent decisions about the way church ministry has to evolve now? How can we meet the evident need in our parishes for an institutional church?