Resource Ministry

Use the Resource Ministry resources navigation link on the right to access theological reflections on Resource Ministry and information regarding establishing a Resource Ministry placement. Rev. Chris Lockley worked with ELM and the School of Continuing Education for Ministry on a 3 year project as Resource Ministry Consultant from 2008.

Since the beginning of the Uniting Church in Australia there has been an emphasis on lay ministry and education, and ministry involving the whole people of God. The ordination service charges the newly ordained clergy, in part, “to equip (God’s people) for their ministry and mission”. In recent years, with changing circumstances in community and church life, a greater emphasis has been placed on this particular aspect of ordained ministry in certain congregational contexts: where there is a declining ability to maintain ordained ministerial leadership. The concern (of rural presbyteries in particular) was to identify forms of leadership that could sustain these congregations in their worship and mission.

The process of developing real world responses to the emerging context of congregational life and mission was accompanied by theological and biblical reflection. Resource Ministry is being emphasised as a New Testament model of doing church, which is not to be considered a second class form of ministry and church life because a full time ordained minister is not available. It is also embedded within the Uniting Church’s Basis of Union and liturgical practice. Examples of some of this reflection can be found in the Resources pages (click on the navigation link on the right).

Two factors required adaptive change to meet the shifting circumstances:

1. Ministry placements could no longer maintain the mid 20^th pastoral model; and
2. Congregations could no longer be dependent on ministry agents to do ministry for and to them.

Resource Ministers were appointed by Presbyteries to work with a cluster of congregations with the task of empowering and equipping lay people for their ministry – both within and outside the congregation. The aim was to develop congregations which are sustainable in the long term in the absence of full time ordained leadership. Their work includes the development of ministry teams, training and resource material. It soon became obvious that simply teaching lay leaders the mechanics of keeping a congregation operating was not enough. Resource Ministry works best where a congregation takes seriously its discipleship formation and faith practices.