Every Christian has a vocation to serve God, given in Baptism, strengthened in Confirmation, and regularly nourished by prayer, scripture, and the Eucharist. All Christians are called to follow Christ; to come together week by week for corporate worship; and to work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God.

However, different Christians are called to live out their vocations in different ways. Some Christians are called to ordained ministry, as deacons, priests, or bishops, exercising ministries of Word and Sacrament. Other Christians are called to live out their vocation as laypersons, bearing witness to Christ in their daily lives. Some Christians are called to deepen their baptismal vows by living a religious vocation with additional vows. Some religious live as part of religious communities, while others have a solitary vocation. Religious may be ordained or lay. The Independent Catholic Christian Church welcomes all of these ways of living the Christian vocation.

I. Lay Christians

The ministry of lay persons is to represent Christ and his Church; to  bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church.

In the Independent Catholic Christian Church, as in most Independent Catholic/Old Catholic/Independent Sacramental jurisdictions, clergy are not paid, and the ordination process is open to all who feel called and are able to fulfill the requirements. Because of this, those who remain lay people are doing so as a conscious choice because they feel called to the ministry of a lay Christian.

We are happy to engage in discernment with lay Christians who do not feel called to ordination but who nonetheless seek more intentional ways of living out their call. Please contact our Vocations Director at ICCCVocations@gmail.com.

II. Ordained Ministry

Some are called to ordained ministry as deacons, priests, or bishops.

A. Deacons

The ministry of a deacon is to represent Christ and Christ’s Church, particularly as a servant of those in need; and to assist bishops and priests in the proclamation of the Gospel and the administration of the sacraments. In the Independent Catholic Christian Church, all who are ordained priests or bishops must first spend at least a year as a deacon, and they retain the obligations of the diaconate after their ordination to the priesthood. Some may be called to be deacons for the remainder of their lives, without being called to the priesthood. 

B. Priests

The ministry of a priest is to represent Christ and Christ’s Church, particularly as pastor to the people; to share with the bishop in the overseeing of the Church; to proclaim the Gospel; to administer the sacraments; and to bless and declare pardon in the name of God. In the Independent Catholic Christian Church, all priests are worker priests, who must support themselves by secular employment. This gives our priests both additional burdens and additional freedom in carrying out their ministry.

C. Bishops

The ministry of a bishop is to represent Christ and Christ’s Church, particularly as apostle, chief priest, and pastor of a particular diocese or jurisdiction; to guard the faith, unity, and discipline of the whole Church; to proclaim the Word of God; to act in Christ's name for the reconciliation of the world and the building up of the Church; and to ordain others to continue Christ's ministry. In the Independent Catholic Christian Church, bishops will only be consecrated if the community has discerned a need. We will only participate in the consecration of bishops for churches with whom we are in full communion.

D. Discerning a Vocation

Those discerning a vocation to ordained ministry in the Independent Catholic Christian Church exhibit these qualities:

• Creedally Orthodox – aspirants have a strong saving faith in the Triune God, the Incarnation, and the Atonement won by Christ through the Cross and Resurrection
• Joyfully Sacramental – aspirants have been baptized and confirmed and are regular participants in the Eucharist, and they feel a hunger to celebrate the sacraments (priest) or assist in the celebration of the sacraments (deacons)
• Radically Inclusive – aspirants are willing and able to work with people from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of personal characteristics, and in particular, are strong supporters of the ordination of both men and women and gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and heterosexual Christians and the marriage of both same-sex and opposite-sex couples
• Deeply Prayerful – aspirants are committed to daily prayer and the nurture of their spiritual lives and are willing to grow in their spiritual lives in their journey of formation
• Liturgically Diverse – aspirants are grounded in a particular rite, however they are willing to pray in a variety of authentic Christian traditions and to extend tolerance of liturgical diversity, being willing to officiate at liturgies of other authorized rites if the needs of the congregation are served by doing so
• Generously Relational – aspirants have healthy relationships with themselves and others and are involved in a local faith community and are willing to grow in their understanding of and practice of community

E. Formation for Ordained Ministry

The Independent Catholic Christian Church engages in formation of those preparing for ordained ministry through a program of reading for orders and mentorship through its Christ the Eternal High Priest Institute for Pastoral Studies. This program focuses on academic, spiritual, and ministerial formation. For those without previous formation, this program will take three or four years. Those with previous formation will have that formation evaluated to determine if some of the requirements of our formation program are fulfilled. Candidates for ordination grow into it by the traditional rites of tonsure as clerics, the minor orders, and the subdiaconate.

There are seven areas of formation, and these traditional grades are connected with each area, with the appropriate order being conferred at the conclusion of each area:

Entry into candidacy for ordination: Tonsure as cleric

Scripture Doorkeeper

Theology Reader

Spirituality Exorcist

Church history Acolyte

Ethics Subdeacon

Liturgy Deacon

Pastoral arts Priest

Of course, all clergy are expected to engage in life-long learning and continuing education.

Those who are already ordained as deacons or priests and who are accepted for transfer to the Independent Catholic Christian Church will go through a year of probation and formation for ministry in this jurisdiction, with quarterly evaluation.

Those who wish to inquire about discerning a vocation to ordained ministry in the Independent Catholic Christian Church should contact our Vocations Director at ICCCVocations@gmail.com.

III. Religious Life

Some Christians, both lay and ordained, are called to deepen their baptismal vows by taking additional vows and living religious lives of prayer, ministry, and witness to Christ. For most, the vows are poverty, chastity, and obedience; those in the Benedictine tradition take vows of obedience, conversion of life, and stability. Some religious are called to live out their religious life as a member of a religious community; others are called to a solitary religious life.

A. Communities

Some communities live in residential community, others are members of a community but live alone or with their families. At this time, there are no residential communities in the Independent Catholic Christian Church. There are a number of different religious traditions with particular charisms, such as the Benedictine, Franciscan, Augustinian, Dominican, Carmelite, and Ignatian traditions. Most religious communities are part of such a tradition. At this time, there are two religious communities in the Independent Catholic Christian Church.

1. Order of Augustinians of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Augustinian-Men and women following the Rule of Our Holy Father, St. Augustine, in living the Gospel in imitation of our Immaculate Mother of God

Catholic-Belief in and dedication to the Nicene Creed and the Sacramental Life of Grace

Canonical-Under the protectionof the Presiding Bishop of the Independent Catholic Christian Church
Ecumenical-Open to Christians, both lay and ordained, from other jurisdictions

All are welcome to share their gifts and lives with us regardless of sexual orientation, marital status, or political affiliation.

For more information, including information on contacting the AIHM Vocation Director, please visit the website: www.aihmfriars.org.

2. Hermits of Mercy of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

We are a community of hermit-monks, who live in the modern world, living a life of prayer in the Carmelite tradition and being of service to others through work and praying. We live in our own homes / domiciles / hermitages and are self-supporting. We dedicate our lives in the service of our Christian brothers and sisters by performing both corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

For more information, including information on discerning a vocation, please visit the website: http://www.forministry.com/USPAINDPTCHOTM.  

B. Solitary Religious

Some are called to live as solitaries, or hermits, consecrating their lives of service by a life of intense prayer. For more information on discerning a vocation, please contact our Vocation Director at ICCCVocations@gmail.com.

The descriptions of the vocations of each order of ministry were taken or adapted from An Outline of the Faith from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.