Because My Life Isn't Complicated Enough

[MarkD]

I've been going to an Anglican church for the last few years. A couple weeks ago my priest told me he wants me (and some other men in the parish) to become Ordained as Deacons.

I admit I'm conflicted.

First, there's no way I'm good/holy enough to do this job (not really an excuse though, the biggest danger in ANY ordained ministry to believing you can actually handle the job without Grace).

My bigger concern is my wife, who goes to a different church with somewhat different doctrines (particularly not believing in the Real Presence in the Eucharist). She didn't sign up to be a clergy wife 17 years ago when she married me. She says that if I believe I'm called to this vocation I should do it, but she's often much too nice for her own good. Those who know me know I'll do damn near anything for my wife, and I'll do what I think is best for her.

Nothing will start until this summer (long story, but it seems my parish will be joining the Anglican Ordinariate. If anyone requires an explanation I'll give some details later.) The training would be done mostly via distance-learning (with a couple trips to Houston).

I don't know how this is going to shake out.

2017 and following years may be interesting.....

[randy]

She didn't sign up to be a clergy wife 17 years ago when she married me.

But I assume she did sign up "For better or for worse". So looks like you're covered either way

But I do understand that if Mamma ain't happy...

[Old Grafton]

I was asked about accepting a Deacon's position; I said "not qualified" immediately. I have enough unresolved glitches of my own without attempting to deal with those of others. If you're internally called to it you should do it. Be sure of your motivations.

[Vonz90]

I've been going to an Anglican church for the last few years. A couple weeks ago my priest told me he wants me (and some other men in the parish) to become Ordained as Deacons.

I admit I'm conflicted.

First, there's no way I'm good/holy enough to do this job (not really an excuse though, the biggest danger in ANY ordained ministry to believing you can actually handle the job without Grace).

My bigger concern is my wife, who goes to a different church with somewhat different doctrines (particularly not believing in the Real Presence in the Eucharist). She didn't sign up to be a clergy wife 17 years ago when she married me. She says that if I believe I'm called to this vocation I should do it, but she's often much too nice for her own good. Those who know me know I'll do damn near anything for my wife, and I'll do what I think is best for her.

Nothing will start until this summer (long story, but it seems my parish will be joining the Anglican Ordinariate. If anyone requires an explanation I'll give some details later.) The training would be done mostly via distance-learning (with a couple trips to Houston).

I don't know how this is going to shake out.

2017 and following years may be interesting.....

Pray about it, if you don't feel moved to do it, don't. If you do, then do. (or just join the LCMS and get Real Presence and absolutely no worry about being asked to be a deacon - 'cause we don't have them )

[BDK]

Have you talked to your pastor/priest about it?

[MarkD]

Pray about it, if you don't feel moved to do it, don't. If you do, then do. (or just join the LCMS and get Real Presence and absolutely no worry about being asked to be a deacon - 'cause we don't have them )

Been praying about it and will continue.

I come from a family of ELCA, grandfather was a minister, but I was never baptized as a child. I was baptized as an adult in the Episcopal church.

The long story I alluded to above follows, inside the spoiler for those who want to skip to the TL;DR version below:

[spoiler]The Episcopal Church, and especially the Diocese of Newark, have been pulling further and further from traditional Christian doctrine for decades. Newark has a former Bishop named John Spong who published a list of 12 theses (he seeing himself as a new Luther), which began with the premise that we need to do away with the concept of a "personal God", so therefore Jesus was obviously not the Incarnate Son of God, and the concept of Jesus dying for our Redemption was barbaric so therefore didn't happen. Basically, tossing out everything that Christians have believed for 20 centuries. And he remained Bishop, the fact that he ordained the first openly gay men to be priests is a minor squabble compared to the rest.

Well, my parish has battled the Diocese for years, we're under alternate Episcopal oversight. We make use of white Liberal guilt, because my church is largely low-income and minority, so the Diocese leaves us alone. For the record, my parish is growing like a weed, at a time when other Episcopal churches are closing for lack of membership (meaning lack of money). A nearby Episcopal church was recently made into a Mosque.

Well, Pope Benedict saw what's been happening in the Anglican Communion (it's pretty much happening in all the first-world Anglican churches) and formed the Anglican Ordinariate, where Anglican clergy and laity can leave the Anglican church, join the Roman Catholic church, and retain the Anglican liturgy. This includes married priests like mine, they'll be permitted to be ordained in the RC church.

It appears my parish will be making that move. I have some misgivings about becoming Roman Catholic, but fewer than I have about remaining part of the Anglican/Episcopal church. Especially since my priest isn't getting any younger and had a heart attack a few years ago. I suspect that if anything were to happen to him the Diocese would send a nice lesbian couple to handle our pastoral needs, and we'd be closed in a matter of months. (If you doubt that, the Newark Diocese has already done things like that, forcing churches to close that didn't toe the party line. They can be petty when they believe their power is being infringed upon).[/spoiler]

TL;DR my parish is probably going to be switching from Anglican to Roman Catholic, and my Ordination (if it happens) will be under the RC church.

I need to sit down with my priest and discuss these issues with him, and I also would like my wife to meet with him. She gets a vote too.

[Greg]

Your Italian wife? Is she Catholic, I forget.

[MarkD]

Your Italian wife? Is she Catholic, I forget.

No. Evangelical. Goes to an Assemblies of God church.

[blackeagle603]

You've been called by man, if you have confirmation in your spirit that it is also a calling of God then... Remember what it was Adam was cursed for -- listening to his wife, when he should have listened to the Word.

[Jered]

God works in mysterious ways.