Initial Ministerial Development (IME) Phase 2 Handbook
Introduction: Why IME2?
It is a privilege to be called to the diaconate or the priesthood. The life of the deacon or priest is marked by the joys and sorrows, responsibilities, privileges and challenges of our vocation. At ordination clergy and their families enter into a new way of living. This requires them to develop an awareness of both the explicit and implicit demands that are part of their accepted role in the communities they serve. In this, the newly ordained clergy need to be affirmed in what they do and who they are, yet they need themselves to be sensitive to the communities with whom they work, aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and open to change.
Ordained ministry in the Church of England requires a commitment to lifelong learning and training. The context in which ordained ministry is lived is fast-changing and demanding. Familiar skills need to be renewed and new skills are to be learned or acquired. A minister’s perception of his or her role must be constantly updated. This process of discovery and change is not likely to end; we live and preach the Gospel in a rapidly changing environment which presents enormous challenges to all faith communities.
In order to be faithful ministers of word and sacrament, clergy must be willing to commit themselves to this process of continuous formation and development just as openly as they commit themselves to the service of God and of God’s people in their Ordination Declaration.
Equally, the church as a collective body must be willing to commit itself to its clergy, and to work as a partner with them to develop their ministries in changing circumstances. The Diocese in Europe takes this commitment seriously and has long been a place to come and learn. Curates in this diocese reflect the great cultural, linguistic and national diversity of Europe, and curate learning, formation and ministerial development is strongly valued and affirmed in the Diocese in Europe.
The following points outline the basic structure of IME Phase 2 (Initial Ministerial Education), previously known as Post Ordination Training (POT):
IME Phase 2 is a partnership involving the newly ordained deacon or priest, the training incumbent and the people of the chaplaincy, and the bishop who in practice delegates much of his authority to the Diocesan Director of Ministerial Development.
Participation in IME Phase 2 is a requirement for all clergy for the first three years following ordination. In IME Phase 2 curates engage in continuing training, supervision and reflection on ministry in the chaplaincy. This is complemented by the Diocesan IME 2 Programme of residential training sessions and online seminars and workshops. Curates in the Diocese in Europe are also expected to do one or more short placements in the course of their curacy. In the fourth year it is expected that the curate will meet with a senior colleague (not his or her training incumbent) on a regular basis to reflect on his or her ministry. Throughout the years of post-ordination training, curates will be asked to reflect on their training in writing as well as by participation in the residential or zoom training events. It is essential that curates be kept free of all parochial commitments and enabled to attend these events.
The curate and the training incumbent, in consultation with the Diocesan Director of Ministerial Development (DDMD), are required to draw up a Working Agreement (Learning/Work Agreement) (Part III, Section 9) and a Training Plan (Part III, Section 10) based on the Formation Framework for IME2 Priestly Ministry in the Church of England (Part I, Section 3). The working Agreement and Training Plan are signed by both the training incumbent and curate and are sent to the DDMD with copy to the Suffragan Bishop (Chair of the Ministry Team).
A commitment to regular staff meetings and to separate, structured supervision sessions must be part of the Working Agreement agreed by the curate and training incumbent.
The diocese recognises the need for training, support and guidance for training incumbents. Training sessions for this purpose are given on a regular basis, residentially and online.
An extensive End-of-Curacy Review completes the curacy and is a condition for the next appointment being made.
The provision of a grievance procedure acknowledges the fact that sometimes relationships break down and seeks to establish a framework whereby any problems can be fairly addressed.
A retrospective process for measuring the success of the curacy and the IME 2 programme started with curates completing IME2 in 2023.
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