What should you read before you get ordained?
Whether you are due to be ordained this year, currently in training, or consider the possibility, there are some important questions to consider first. At Church Society, we publish a wide range of resources for clergy and lay people, including books, a magazine and a journal, and online resources including a podcast and videos as well as blogposts and even some children’s resources. We hope there’s something valuable in everything we publish, but these are our top recommendations to help those who are considering or training for ordained ministry in the Church of England.
1. Foundations of Faith
Anglican pastors and theologians from around the world reflect on the foundational teachings of global Anglicanism. Putting the Thirty-nine Articles in their biblical and historical context, they navigate some of the difficult terrain with clear and compelling application for today. There is a commentary on each of the 39 Articles, together with relevant scriptures, questions for reflection and a prayer. The book is thus a devotional guide as well as a doctrinal one. This is essential reading for every Anglican minister.
Paperback | Hardback | Digital
2. Fight Valiantly! Contending for the faith in the Bible and in the Church of England
At a time when the faith we profess is constantly under attack, from outside the church and within it, we need to know how to contend for it. In Fight Valiantly, Lee Gatiss examines what the Bible says about how, when, in what manner and to what end we must contend for our faith. There is specific application of this to the contemporary context of the Church of England. The book also includes many stories of contending from a wide variety of people and a series of eight interactive Bible studies which could be used by individuals or in small groups.
Paperback | Study pack | Digital
3. Be Faithful: Remaining Steadfast in the Church of England Today
We live in a turbulent time, and life is not always easy for evangelicals within the Church of England. How can we move forward together, without being blown off course or losing our way? How can we meet the theological and pastoral challenges of our day?
In this book, Lee Gatiss, Mike Ovey, and Mark Pickles survey the scene and draw inspiration from the past for our present difficulties.
Mike Ovey — Faithful Teachers in an Age of Confusion
Mark Pickles — Faithful Stewards in a Fickle World
Lee Gatiss — J. C. Ryle: A Faithful Anglican
Paperback | Digital
4. Gospel Flourishing in a Time of Confusion: Wisdom from the Bible & Church History for Anglican Evangelicals
Should we stay in the Church of England, making use of the many gospel opportunities it affords? Or should we leave for pastures new, since things within the established church have become so difficult? What does it mean to be a“righteous remnant”in an apostate church, when everyone seems to be doing “what is right in their own eyes”? Are there lessons we can learn from how our ancestors handled these sorts of questions, not just in recent times but in the very earliest days of the church? Rod Thomas, Wallace Benn, James Hughes, Rob Munro and Lee Gatiss give biblical, historical and theological perspectives on the questions all Anglican evangelicals are facing.
Digital
5. Feed My Sheep: The Anglican Ministry of Word and Sacrament
Jesus is the Good Shepherd that God’s people need to lead and protect them, and ministers of his church serve as under-shepherds of that flock. The book looks at what ordination is, and how ministers can nourish their congregations through preaching and the sacraments. It also gives an introduction to the wider context of the Anglican Communion. Contributors include Mike Smith, Julian Henderson, Nigel Atkinson, Andrew Atherstone, Tim Ward and Michael Nazir-Ali.
Paperback | Digital