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Commission on Ministry Policy Manual

Resources and Information for those considering Holy Orders:
Steps Along the Way to Ordination
Policies for Admission as Nominee for Ordination
   
Discernment Groups
The Commission on Ministry has established two new groups for laity who are granted access by the Commission to further opportunity for discernment. They are the Compass Community and the Fellowship of Vocations.

The Compass Community   (available to those who are  under the age of 30)
The Wardens for the Compass Community are:
               The Rev. Michael Branscombe - (727) 447-3469
               The Rev. M. Katherine Tate - (941) 556-0315

The Fellowship of Vocations   (available to those who are over 30)
Fellowship of Vocations is how the Diocese of Southwest Florida first begins to help someone discern a call from God to ministry. There are two Fellowship of Vocations groups in the diocese, one that meets in the north and the other in the south. Each group is coordinated by a number of wardens, the Fellowship of Vocations wardens are usually clergy who have been chosen to help shepherd those responding to God’s call on their life.
The Fellowship of Vocations usually meets once every two months through the year. The meetings will normally be for a couple of hours. They are a place for people sharing the same journey to share their stories of how God has been calling them and also a chance to look more deeply into the nature of ordained ministry with the help of the wardens. It would be typical for this group to do some reading and sharing together, to find out about the practicalities of training for ordained ministry, or to get a deeper sense of what Deacons and Priests are involved with week in week out.
Once the wardens get to know you and hear how God is calling you they will help you make a formal application to the Diocese to begin the process of becoming a Nominee for ordination. Joining Fellowship of Vocations does not commit either you or the Diocese to taking any further step, it is simply a place to begin exploring more deeply what God may be calling you to do. Anyone may join Fellowship of Vocations and there is no limit on how long you may be a member for.

Fellowship of Vocations (North)
Wardens:

Fr. Bill Dopp – St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 15801 U.S. Highway 19, Hudson, FL 34667. Phone: 727-863-8560
Fr. Andrew Heyes – St. Clement’s Episcopal Church, 706 West 113th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33612. Phone: 813-932-6204

Fellowship of Vocations (South)
Wardens:

Fr. Alan Kelmereit – Church of the Good Shepherd, 1098 Collingswood Parkway, LaBelle, FL 33935. Phone: 863-675-0385
Fr. Jim Kelly – 8549 54th Ave. Circle E., Bradenton, FL 34211: Phone 941-920-2189