The Elizabeth Pathway at St Hild
The Elizabeth Pathway is a new Anglican ordination training pathway for older, experienced lay leaders. Ministers trained through this stream will be able to provide the kind of dedicated and sacramental ministry that can help churches grow through effective local ministry. We hope this programme will play a significant part in realising the vision of the Church as a community of missionary disciples, living out an attractive and enriching faith.
After initial interviews, candidates will embark on a journey that will potentially take them to ordination in two years. During the first year, the Church of England ordination discernment process will run in parallel with theological and missional studies at St Hild. If, at the end of the first year, a candidate is sponsored for ordination by their diocese, a second year of training and ministerial formation follows at a slightly more intense pace than the first.
Who is it for?
The Elizabeth Pathway is open to candidates who have a track record of ministry, leadership and life experience, and who sense a call to ordained ministry in the Church of England. This pathway is normally for people in their mid-fifties up to their mid-sixties, including those who have retired, who have the support of their diocese – see the attached document for more specific information.
How does it work?
Candidates complete bespoke, high-quality, part-time training over two years at St Hild College alongside their current job or role. Through the first year, they are supported through the Church’s national discernment process for ordination. Once ordained, candidates are deployed as self-supporting ministers, usually back into the local context where they are already serving.
Who is delivering the training?
This pilot programme is a partnership between St Hild College and the Diocese of Sheffield, one of several pilots being run nationally under the auspices of the Church of England’s national Ministry Development Board, and open to participants from any diocese in the Church of England. St Hild will provide support and encouragement to participants on the Elizabeth Pathway through a shared training experience, supported by a dedicated pathway tutor, and in liaison with diocesan vocations teams.
How will selection, training and deployment be delivered?
Initial selection conversations and engagement with the Church of England Shared Discernment Process will be managed by the Diocese of Sheffield Vocations Team (for other dioceses, this will be managed with the local diocesan vocations team). Academic teaching and formation will be delivered by St Hild College. Conversations about curacy deployment will run concurrently with the scheme.
Why are we offering this new programme?
We believe many older leaders are called to bless the church, particularly in their local context, where they already have good relationships and a sense of calling. New ministers from this older generation—perhaps the age group with the greatest Christian inheritance—are a significant local resource to the church. This stream has been designed to fit the training and formational needs of candidates with a track record of ministry, leadership and life experience.
What do I do next?
To find out more about the Elizabeth Pathway at St Hild College, please get in touch with Janet Williams, St Hild Vice Principal, for an initial conversation. Click here for details of all our Open Days; on May 19th 2025 our Sheffield Centre will host an Open Day with a specific focus on the Elizabeth Pathway.
If you are part of the Diocese of Sheffield, please contact Dan Christian. If you are part of another diocese, please contact your local Vocations Team.
Click here for more details of Elizabeth Pathway, including eligibility criteria.
Professor Albert Ong tells his journey pursuing ordination.