Pilgrim Theological College prepares people for ordained ministry on behalf of the Uniting Church. The pathway to ordination is in the company of others, and combines community, practice, and theological study.

Formation Programme

Candidates for ordained ministry at Pilgrim are part of a community rich in difference and gifts. Each candidate has a unique formation programme that seeks to affirm, draw out further, and serve their particular strengths and passions. Formation programmes are based on the Uniting Church's National Assembly’s Standards for Ministry, and have these elements in common:

• Academic studies — units in Ministry, Bible, Christian history and doctrine, Missiology / Intercultural theology, and the breadth of practical theology (liturgy, spiritual traditions, pastoral care)
• Fieldwork — in placements across variety of ministry settings, including congregations, chaplaincy, and a Clinical Pastoral Education.
• Spiritual and vocational discernment — ongoing attentiveness to spiritual vitality and awareness of self, skills, and disciplines required in public ministry.

Formation for ordination is about more than taking academic units. It is a process of discovery and transformation within the context of a community who seek to express the very best of the Uniting Church. This work is celebration of the work that God is doing in the lives of the formation community. It invites vulnerability and demands full commitment.

Whom to contact:

If you sense a call to the Diaconate or Ministry of the Word, talk with your local Minister. They will guide you in the first steps of response to your sense of call, and they can connect you to your Presbytery who facilitate the Period of Discernment.