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Called & Tested

Navigating the Shared Discernment Process

You can get our new book for Free, or if you wish to support our ministry, you can buy it on Amazon on Kindle or in Paperback.

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Who is Called & Tested for?

discerning your vocation in the church of england

Called and Tested is for anyone considering—or already navigating—the Church of England’s discernment process. While officially described as a "gentle, prayerful exploration of your calling," anyone who has survived it will tell you it often feels more like intensive therapy.

This book is designed to put your worries at ease and guide you through the overlooked nuances of discernment. Consider this your personal field guide to the process, written by (me) Andy CK, who recently came out the other side as an ordinand.

While helpful for all candidates, Called and Tested is particularly valuable for neurodivergent individuals. Written with you in mind by an author with ADHD and dyslexia, it is exactly the guide I wish I’d had when I began my own journey.

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What is covered?

Your Initial Calling and First Steps in Discernment

This section guides readers through the overwhelming early stages of exploring a vocation within the Church of England.

  • The "Wait and See" Protocol: Taking a period of time to self-reflect and personally discern your calling is vital preparation, rather than procrastination.

  • The First Conversation: You do not need to be a theological scholar to begin discussions with your minister.

  • Understanding the DDO: Your Diocesan Director of Ordinands (DDO) acts as your regional navigator and the institutional expert for the discernment process.

  • Unmasking Safely: The e-book provides practical scripts to help candidates safely disclose neurodivergence or complex health needs to their DDO.

Understanding the Paperwork Mountain and Emotional Boundaries

Administrative tasks and emotional exhaustion can quickly derail a candidate, especially those with executive function challenges.

  • The Forms Strategy: The book offers practical tactics, such as setting hard deadlines and using dictation software, to conquer complex safeguarding modules and DBS checks.

  • Emotional Excavation: The DDO phase involves an exhaustive emotional excavation of your life history, which can trigger Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD).

  • Surviving the Silence: Candidates are taught how to manage the anxiety caused by the glacial, institutional pace of the Church's communication.

  • Protecting the Household: The guide provides strategies for spouses facing the formal "Spousal Interview" and emphasises the importance of enforcing a strict "Vocation-Free Zone" at home.

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Mastering the Church of England's 'Six Qualities'

Every reflection piece and interview is stress-tested against the Shared Discernment Framework's Six Qualities. This section acts as a translation matrix for the rubric.

  • Love for God & Call to Ministry: The book explains how to articulate your non-linear spirituality and map the concrete timeline of your calling.

  • Love for People & Wisdom: Learn how to demonstrate practical compassion, enforce systemic safeguarding boundaries, and address differing theological views with curiosity rather than certainty.

  • Fruitfulness & Potential: Candidates are shown how to frame their cognitive agility as a leadership asset and map their limits openly to prove they have strategic self-awareness.

Being Tested: Stage 1 Carousels and the Stage 2 Residential

This section offers a comprehensive survival guide for the high-stakes national selection panels.

  • Stage 1 Blitz: Stage 1 consists of six distinct, 15 to 20-minute "Carousel Conversations" conducted by different Diocesan Advisers.

  • Decoding the Scores: The e-book explains the 1 to 7 scoring matrix, helping candidates understand that lower scores often indicate an area for formative development rather than a failure.

  • The 48-Hour Crucible: Stage 2 is a 48-hour residential panel where candidates live, worship, and work alongside Bishop's Advisors.

  • Managing Shared Spaces: Learn strategic pillars for navigating group exercises, unstructured downtime, and intense pastoral and visionary interviews without burning out from masking.

Navigating Special Assessments and Choosing a Theology College

The final sections demystify the complex parallel tracks of discernment and the transition into theological training.

  • The Parallel Tracks: The guide explores the structural mechanics of specialised tracks, including independent psychological evaluations (APW), Canon C4 Faculties for divorce, and National Safeguarding Panel (NSP) reviews.

  • Occupational Health: Discover how to use occupational health assessments to legally secure reasonable adjustments and specialist funding like Disabled Students' Allowances (DSA).

  • Theology Pathways: The e-book breaks down the reality of full-time residential, full-time non-residential, part-time regional, and context-based training pathways.

  • The Open Day Interview: Candidates are provided with vital questions to ask at Theological Educational Institutions (TEIs) regarding hidden costs, family boundaries, and alternative assessment proof.