Dr Clare Amos, the Coordinator of the diocesan Ministry Experience Scheme, writes:

Are you a young person interested in exploring your vocation to possible ministry in the Church of England? Would you be interested in spending a year assisting in one of our chaplaincies in continental Europe?  Possible locations for 2020-21 include Athens, Barcelona, Brussels, Lyon, Rome, Tervuren and Vienna.

Our diocesan Ministry Experience Scheme (MES), designed to enable young people to explore the possibility of a vocation to full time ministry in the Church of England, is one of the (many) ‘good news’ stories of our Diocese.

It enables us to draw on our strengths – that we are fully a part of the Church of England, but as we are based in continental Europe we have some unique aspects to our life and ministry when compared with the rest of the Church of England – that ‘bit’ that I sometimes refer to as being on  ‘the offshore island’!

MES offers the opportunity for young people, up to the age of 30, to spend 10 months (September – June), based in one of our chaplaincies, but also with intentional pastoral and educational support and the opportunity to participate over the year in a number of corporate residential gatherings – including a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. If, during the course of their participation in the programme their sense of vocation to ordained ministry develops and strengthens, they are helped to take this forward with the assistance of diocesan vocational staff.

In any given year about half the MES participants come from the United Kingdom and about half are already resident in the area covered by the Diocese in Europe.

We have been wondering whether or how the programme would be affected by Brexit, especially for UK passport holders, but the good news is that at least for 2020-21, participants who have started their chaplaincy assignment this September should be able to continue without problems to June. (And we are looking at ways to ensure that our MES can continue in future years!).

To find out more, and to apply for the Scheme, please see these links:  

•  A brochure about the Scheme in the Diocese
•  A video by 2019-20 Scheme participants
• The application form for 2020-21 (latest one linked - 2023)

Please get applications in by the end of March.

If you have any particular questions you are welcome to contact the Diocesan Coordinator for the Ministry Experience Scheme, Dr Clare Amos, on clare.amos@europe.anglican.org