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Bishop’s Institute For
Ministry & Leadership

Our Mission

The Bishop’s Institute for Ministry and Leadership was established in 2015 in the Episcopal Diocese of Florida to provide educational opportunities for laity and clergy by providing:

  • Academic preparation and formation for individuals seeking ordination to the vocational Diaconate or to the Local Priesthood in the Diocese of Florida;
  • Licensed Lay Ministry courses for lay leaders in our parishes seeking the Bishop’s License in specific areas of ministry, e.g. Worship Leader, Catechist, Pastoral Care, Evangelist and Preacher.
  • A variety of seminars in theology and spirituality and retreats designed to encourage all Christians who desire to grow in knowledge of their faith and mature in their discipleship and
  • Continuing education workshops and seminars for clergy and lay leaders to strengthen competencies in ministry and leadership.

 

Licensed Lay Ministry courses for lay leaders in our parishes seeking the Bishop’s License in specific areas of ministry

More Information on Licensed Lay Ministry Courses

What is a Licensed Lay Leader (LLM)?

The canons of the Episcopal Church allow the Bishop of a Diocese to license lay persons to specific ministries that they may exercise in their parish under the direction of their priest or in churches or missions that do not have a resident priest.

The Episcopal Church canon that provides the initiative for our Licensed Lay Leader courses is:

Title III: Ministry
Canon 4: Of Licensed Ministries (excerpts)

Sec. 1 (a) A confirmed communicant in good standing or, in extraordinary circumstances, subject to guide- lines established by the Bishop, a communicant in good standing, may be licensed by the Ecclesiastical Authority to serve as Pastoral Leader, Worship Leader, Preacher, Eucharistic Minister, Eucharistic Visitor, Evangelist, or Catechist. Requirements and guidelines for the selection, training, continuing education, and deployment of such persons, and the duration of licenses shall be established by the Bishop in consultation with the Commission on Ministry.


Course offerings

To date some thirty-six lay persons have been Licensed by Bishop Howard to serve as Lay Worship Leaders and Catechists in their parishes under the direction of their priest. They completed a twelve-month course taught on two campuses — in Jacksonville and Hawthorne in preparation for their License.

A twelve-month course is currently in progress to prepare lay men and women to be licensed in Pastoral Care ministry. There are some eighteen candidates from churches across the Diocese currently enrolled.

The Bishop’s Institute is planning to offer the Lay Worship Leader and Catechists courses again in the coming year in addition to the course in Pastoral Care. Courses for lay Evangelist and Preacher are also in the planning stage.

Who are the LLM courses designed for?

The courses are designed for those who feel they are being called to serve their church in a specific ministry and desire to be equipped for that ministry. In some cases the person’s rector or vicar may recognize that person’s gifts and initiate encouraging them in accepting and preparing for it. Others may already be exercising a specific lay ministry and see the course as simply an enhancement of their experience and skills.

Two basic requirements for everyone enrolling in a LLM course are:

  • The endorsement by the applicant’s Rector, Vicar or Priest-in-Charge. The endorsing clergy person affirms that the applicant is an adult in good standing in the parish and that he or she endorses the applicant for this ministry.
  • A licensed lay minister must complete and comply with the guidelines for the Safeguarding God’s People and Safeguarding God’s children programs.

Further inquiries

If you would like further information about the Bishop’s Institute Licensed Lay Ministry courses and/or you would like to be informed personally of proposed offerings please contact Hannia Reyes at the Diocesan Office: 904-356-1328 or hreyes@diocesefl.org.

 

The vocational Diaconate in the Diocese of Florida: Academic preparation and formation

Vocational Diaconate

The academic component in the formation of vocational Deacons in the Diocese of Florida is entrusted to the Institute’s Deacons School. The Deacons School is a fourteen-month course that meets once a month on a Saturday at Camp Weed. The modules, taught by tutors drawn from our Diocesan clergy cover spiritual discipline; practical training and experience; the theology of the diaconate; Holy Scriptures; church history; Anglican theology and pastoral care.

Further information

The academic courses designed for vocational Deacons operate within the overall discernment and formation process for those accepted by the Bishop with the recommendation of the Diocesan Commission on Ministry to prepare for ordination. For details on the overall discernment process for the vocational Diaconate in the Diocese please contact the Diocesan Office: 904-356-1328 or email Hannia Reyes.

Dietirch Bonhoeffer: A Weekend with Earl Palmer – Video Lectures

The distinguished author, preacher and scholar Earl Palmer presented this series of lectures over the course of the weekend of September 23-25, 2016. Videos of each session as well as the sermon at the Holy Eucharist can be viewed via the following links:

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

Sermon

C.S. Lewis Weekend Audio Links

The distinguished author, preacher and C.S. Lewis scholar Earl Palmer presented a series of four lectures over the course of the weekend of September 18-20, 2015. For those who want to review the series, The Bishop’s Institute offers these audio links.

C.S. Lewis, His Friends, His Journey Toward Faith

C.S. Lewis in a Time of War

C.S. Lewis: The Mere Christian Who Helped Us Believe

Stories of the Marvelous: C.S. Lewis, The Storyteller

Books Online at St. John’s Cathedral Bookstore & Gift Shop

A place where the best reads, the best company, and the best gifts are in downtown Jacksonville, just across the street from the Cathedral.

Shop in-store or anywhere, any time on our website.

We offer a vast collection of inspirational and spiritual books and Episcopal church supplies. We specialize in Fair Trade and social enterprise gifts. We also offer a variety of other gifts to celebrate life’s special occasions, including baptisms, confirmations, and weddings. We also offer imprinting services on Bibles and Books of Common Prayer.

Churches receive a 10% discount on all orders. We also offer a 10% group discount for book clubs or book studies. Contact the bookstore at cathedralbookstore@jaxcathedral.org for more information.

The store offers programs for art, music, drama, and books. The First Monday Book Club meets monthly and engages in lively discussions of member-selected books. The ART@noon Salon program presents an opportunity to members to engage in lifelong learning in all areas of the arts by participating in regular Zoom programming, art walks, author and artist interviews, attending music, drama and dance productions at the Cathedral and the Jacksonville community. This programming is a vital part of the life of St. John’s Cathedral. It encourages evangelism, engagement, connection and fellowship.

Currently, we are staffed by one full-time and one part-time staff member.

Our devoted and generous volunteer team is the heart and soul of the bookstore ministry. The team shares the Cathedral’s message of “Love at the Core” every business day.

Address:
221 E Church St. Jacksonville FL 32202

Phone:
(904) 356-5507 x152

Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Click here to visit the St. John’s Cathedral Bookstore & Gift Shop website

Preachers on Preaching Video Series: Hosted by the Rev. Joe Gibbes