Anglican Formation

We welcome people from a wide range of church backgrounds to train for ordained ministry in the Church of England, both from our core ‘partner’ dioceses of Leeds, Lincoln, Sheffield, and York, and more widely across England.

You will need the support of your diocese before you can enter training, but we encourage you to Book a Conversation with us soon to talk through the various training options based in any of our four study centres and how to access academic study in a way that works best for you.

Click on a type of formation for more information
Carol Rashid and St Hild Mirfield Commendation

Anglican Ordination

Part-time and full-time training pathways over two or three years to suit your circumstances

Elizabeth Pathway

The Elizabeth Pathway

A route into ministerial training for experienced lay leaders aged 53 or over.

Lay Readers in a line outside the cathedral with the bishop

Licensed Lay Training

Training for those who feel called to Licensed Reader Ministry within the Church of England

Lincoln students talking and sitting

Alternative Learning Pathway

A new practical and problem-solving approach to learning.

Mirfield

Mirfield Residential Contextual Pathway

Our partnership with the College of the Resurrection (CoR) in Mirfield enables CoR ordinands to access St Hild’s full-time contextual training and academic studies.

Mission on the Margins

Mission on the Margins

Are you engaged in mission with, or feel that God may be calling you to work in, marginalised communities?

What is Anglican Formation?

Formation for ministry in the Church of England is about helping you grow into the fullness of God’s calling, in three key areas: your learning-in-practice through participation in the mission and ministry of the Church, your academic studies, and personal growth in prayer and discipleship. More information can be found by clicking the boxes above.

Mission 

Every St Hild ordinand is engaged with mission in a local context.

For full-time ordinands, this means 16-20 hours per week developing new ministry alongside an experienced practitioner, supported by regular group reflection time. 

For part-time ordinands, it means focusing on how your involvement with your home church might develop to support you, plus one or two short-term placements with a focus on missional learning in another church or other local or international context. 

Study 

Ordinands are based at Mirfield, Lincoln, Sheffield or Online for weekly study. 

Part-time ordinands normally need to set aside 10-12 hours per week for additional study. 

Full-time ordinands – and self-supporting ordinands on our Intensive Pathway – study for 20 hours each week with additional academic time possible, depending on their individual study pathway. 

Prayer

Our ordinand community gathers each year for six weekends in residence, usually in Mirfield, and for one week at Easter.

This is a crucial formational time for worship, prayer, shared meals, study 
and retreat.

Ordinands journey through training as part of a Prayer Group for mutual accountability and personal growth.

All ordinands are encouraged to have a spiritual director. 

Two women listening carefully in a classroom

Ready to answer your calling?

Book a place on one of our Open Days: we’d love to get to know you and work out together how St Hild might best support your vocation. If the Open Day dates don’t work for you, we’ll be happy to arrange a visit or conversation at a convenient time

Book a conversation