A vital accompaniment to Ministerial Development Review Scheme is the Episcopal Review. This focuses on that ministry of oversight that is proper to the bishop. It will look at the person’s ministry in the context of the wider Diocese: it is a way of sharing that ministry with the bishop. This review is in addition to the Ministerial Development Review, and will take place every three years.
The process presupposes that there are other occasions when the bishop will meet their clergy on an individual basis, so that immediate issues of pastoral care do not distort the focus of the review discussion.
Format of the review
The questions for an Episcopal Review are deliberately kept simple (and rather less structured) in order to engender a discussion in which reviewees can raise issues which are vital to them.
Questions might include:
- What has excited you in ministry recently?
- What have been the low points in ministry recently?
- Where would you like to be in five years time?
- What do you feel you have to contribute to the wider church?
- How are you and your parish (ministry) responding to Capital Vision 2020?
Response
The Bishop will follow the Review up with a letter summarising agreed outcomes.
MDR
It is of key importance that the Episcopal Review is seen in the context of MDR. Therefore:
- Bishops will have reviewed all MDR Summaries since the previous Episcopal Review, noting important factors and themes
- Bishops will request a copy of the reviewee’s most recent ‘Personal Context’ form from the reviewee (MDR Form 2)