So You Want to Become Clergy???
Qualifications for the Priesthood 
by Abp Frank Bugge, Presiding Abp of the ACoA

So you want to be a Priest eh?

Now why would you want to do something like that?

There is only one reason acceptable, and that is having the urge to become a channel of The Christ Force to help advance the evolution of the human race, and this is best achieved by service not only to fellow humans, but all living things.  If doing something like this gives an inner satisfaction, then you are possibly good basic material for the Priesthood.

To serve as Priest one must be fully and deeply convinced within themselves that the path they are about to take is the right and proper way.  There should not be the slightest doubt by the time you finish your training.  If you look to the Priesthood as your path then you must become acquainted with all the ins and outs of such a decision. You must study thoroughly, all facets of your chosen path, and be critical of all aspects until you find that you cannot doubt your decision, and above all your intuition, your heart and mind are in one accord and at peace with such a decision.  Candidates for the Priesthood in The Church of Antioch must be reasonably grounded in Christianity, and have a working knowledge of all other faiths, including non Christian ways, that they may see the common bonds that can sometimes bind humanity together through trying situations.

The Church of Antioch is an occult Church, but still Old Catholic, and therefore studies the bonds of Christianity and the esoteric ways of life, of course this does NOT mean that we practice black magic, or evil witch craft, or the like.

The Church of Antioch Priest must be aware of the other Christian paths and be able to see the good points of them, and realise that they are genuine ways to God.

The budding Priest must be prepared to study the set curriculum set down by the Bishops, but this in NO way entitles them to become a Priest automatically, as this will only be assessed on completion of studies when and if the Bishop finds the candidate suitable.

A few questions rear their ugly heads,  "can I give wise counselling"  --- "do I know enough to counsel without my personal opinions coming to the fore", "am I big enough to recommend another counsellor if I can't handle the problem" --- "do I know enough about human psychology" --- "am I broadminded enough without having any bigotry".  If you can answer, and say all these things are no problem, then you are not ready for the responsibility of such a position, but if you can honestly say you will do your best and be guided by prayer and the wisdom of the ages then you have a chance.

So you cannot be a Priest because you are a woman eh?

UTTER GARBAGE.........

The Orthodox Religions have for nearly two thousand years fostered this rubbish.  In all churches except The Australian Church of Antioch, all forms of service are written for the male polarity and of course the female doing the service has about as much effect as a fly shifting a mountain, but with the proper minor adjustments to the liturgy as in The Australian Church of Antioch, the female can and does conduct the service in just as an efficient manner as the male can.

Much falls upon the shoulders of the Priest in The Church of Antioch. Where other denominations make provision for their support, our Priests have no such luxuries. As a small Church we cannot afford it, and also, it soon stops anyone entering our Clergy with the notion of a cushy life.  All Priests meet the costs of their own tuition fees, text books, vestments, and usually their own altar items. Many accept the challenge and meet the costs of starting their own small groups which later blossom into full parishes, and while we realise all cannot do this, it is good to have this as a goal to work towards.  Of course some parishes simply need another Clergy member as the present one is simply overworked bearing in mind the fact of spending time to find their own living. Marital status is no barrier, although it is most desirable that if married, the spouse is in accord with the candidate for obvious reasons. It could be most difficult if both partners were at loggerheads over a thing like this for one could not put their best foot forward so to speak.

Educational standard --- Many degrees to line the parlour shelf does not give anyone any advantage over another, by the same token it is good to have a diverse knowledge on many sides. It is important to keep up with current affairs so as to help when asked for advice also to meet other Religions on an equal footing.

When a candidate becomes Ordained in Major Orders (Sub-Deacon, Deacon or Priest), he/she is then promoted to the role of servant. It is then his/her privilege to minister as a servant to the parishioners.

This servant must be adept in many roles as well as spiritual parent.

Ethics are a major part of the Priests concerns; honour and integrity are a must.  A high standard of conduct is expected in these fields. If a person comes to the Priest for counselling or if they wish confession (although that is not a thing that is demanded in our church) this is to be treated as a vow of confidentiality by the Clergy and it must not be broken unless to their Bishop for help in the matter, but only then with the sanction of the person concerned. The Priest's livelihood must be honest and above reproach.

The Church of Antioch expects its Clergy to be a regular servant of the Church and not Clergy in name only.  This means regular attendance assisting at or conducting a service. We do not have room for freeloaders who just wish to use the name of Antioch for their own ends.

The budding Priest should be conversant with the Liturgy, and understand the reason for it, as there is nothing in the ritual that does not have a set purpose.  The candidate should be fully contented with the operation of the Liturgy and the reason for it having no doubt as to the authenticity of it. Suitable documents are available for the basic principles of the services, and a these documents are on the "documents and also the Liturgy Pages" once you login.  It is stressed that these are only the basics and much more must be learned above and beyond these texts. Anyone not feeling in accord with these documents should either seek explanation for the reasons of these, or consider if they are suitable for clergy in The Church of Antioch.

One of the most important things is the complete understanding of the creed. Without this the whole principle of the Church is not understood.

These are the basic things we expect of the Clergy in The Australian Church of Antioch, and only in some very special circumstance will this be deviated from, for we feel that it is a privilege to serve in this way in the Lord's plan of evolution of the cosmos.

If you think this is for you feel free to discuss it with the                 Bishops of The Church of Antioch.
Information & Forms

Curriculum
​
Application Form
Expectations of a Priest within the Australian Church of Antioch
by Abp Frank Bugge, Presiding Abp of the ACoA

First and foremost:

The Australian Church of Antioch will not tolerate Priests who are in any way detrimental to the public, and any Priest who is deemed to be so by the Governing Synod of the Church, shall be instantly defrocked from the Priesthood.

Some of the things that can cause instant dismissal are paedophilia, habitual drunkenness, drug indulgences (not to be confused with properly prescribed medication) illegal practices, immoral danger to others.

We expect that any Priest in our church will be a person that can be trusted and looked up to as being a reliable, down to earth, honest member of humanity.  We do not expect any Priest to be infallible and never make any errors.  As long as we are human we shall make errors of judgement from time to time, but it is up to us to do our utmost to make ensure that these times are kept to the minimum level that our abilities will allow.

We do not expect any Priest to be a living encyclopaedia, or instantly know everything that is asked of them.  We do however expect that if a Priest does not know any question that is asked of him/her, then said Priest will give an honest answer and admit not knowing.  Said Priest should then put the matter in abeyance and take strides to enquire and find out the answers. We desire, and indeed expect the senior Clergy in our church shall always be readily approachable, and ready to assist in enquiries into any and all subjects for the benefit of the members.

We expect that any Priest shall derive a living in an honest and above board method.

We expect our Priests to have a compassionate outlook for all, but we do not expect any Priest to be unrealistic, in that they are literally preyed upon and used by parasites.

Remember God helps those who help themselves, but it is not a Priest’s role to force help upon a person where it is not wanted. This is interference with their free will and as such is not acceptable. The only time this is acceptable is if a person is in the act of committing suicide. The person can then be regarded as not being rational for the moment.  After the crisis is over however it is not our place to interfere, and we must let the person once again take control of their life.
Some frequently asked Questions are:

I am a woman, can I become Clergy?  
Yes, male domination of the Priesthood is the result of archaic patriarchal bigotry, nothing else. The Australian Church of Antioch has outgrown such discrimination, and this Church has strong genuine lines of female Apostolic lineage. 
See "Principles of Church about Women" & "The Importance of both Genders within the Church"

I am gay, can I still be clergy?
You are still one of God's children, and being gay does NOT bar you from Clergy. You can be accepted as Clergy if you complete the necessary curriculum and are of good character. There are those who believe that there is documented proof of one of the disciples being gay.   

I am a reformed jailbird, can I become Clergy?
This must be discussed with the Dean of the school after seeing a police report and other criteria.  Special circumstance may prevail here.   

I am still in jail, can I become Clergy?
The same criteria would apply as the previous question.

I lean toward Buddhism and Esoterics, can I become Clergy?
Yes you can still enrol, just because you see the good in another pathway to God does NOT make you unsuitable --- remember Jesus was an Essene ---        Essene being a Jew who is a Druid.

I wish to follow the monastic way of life, can I be Clergy?
Yes, we actually have two monastic style orders under the church's protection.  A certain monastic style may be the preference of many people and some may even wish to start their own order after being Ordained. This would have to be discussed with the Presiding Archbishop, or Dean of St Michael's Divinity School.

Are Clergy in your Church able to perform marriages, funerals etc?
Yes, we are fully recognized with the Australian government as a recognized religion.

Does your Clergy take confessions and are they confidential?
If anyone feels they would benefit by this we certainly will hear confessions, but we do not actively encourage the necessity for confessions.  A strict rule for Clergy is, NEVER under any circumstance must any confession be divulged by Clergy without the permission of the person concerned.  
Any Clergy member divulging such information would be viewed as unwanted and undesirable by the Church.  

I am gay --- will you marry me to another gay person?
Jesus said "Judge not lest ye be judged" --- Mathew Chapter 7 Verse one.
Our church has no qualms over marrying GAY folk --- we happily do it as we would happily do any other marriage.
The Australian Church of Antioch has a no discrimination policy on sexual preferences.

See "Recommended Reading" "MARRIAGE OF LIKENESS", by John Boswell.

   
​
Anyone wanting more information, please do not hesitate to contact either the
​Dean of St. Michael's Divinity School, Abp Glenn Taylor 
​or the assistant to the Dean, Abp Leonie Newman.

See also the "Contact Us" page for more details.