PLEASE READ THIS KEY INFORMATION FOR POTENTIAL LEADERS
A Home Fellowship is a gathered local expression of the Church’s ministry, meeting ordinarily in a home or suitable community setting, under the authority of the Bishop and in practical connection with the Digital Ministry Office. Its ordinary rhythm includes hospitality, prayer, Scripture, online teaching, discussion, mutual care, and mission.
What a Home Fellowship Is
● A place of Christian hospitality and welcome.
● A local discipling community connected to the wider Church.
● A pastoral front door for people who may not yet feel comfortable or be able to enter a church building.
● A prayer cell for spiritual renewal and evangelism.
● A formation ground for future deacons, catechists, lay ministers, and church planters.
● A mission outpost of the Digital Ministry Office, a sort of "remote campus".
● A home for faithful Anglicans in exile—a landing place for believers whose conscience no longer allows them to remain in their present diocese, offered not as a rival church but as a doorway back into ordered, orthodox Anglican life.
The Home Fellowship is not constituted by the ownership of a house, the charisma of a host, or the enthusiasm of a small circle. It is constituted by submission to Christ and ordered participation in the life of His Church. The host provides a place. The leader provides pastoral facilitation. The Digital Ministry Office provides authorized teaching. The Bishop provides oversight. The Holy Scriptures provide the rule of faith. The Holy Spirit gives life.
In Anglican understanding, the Church is visible as well as spiritual. It has doctrine to confess, sacraments to administer, shepherds to oversee, discipline to maintain, and mission to fulfil. A Home Fellowship therefore must avoid two equal errors: becoming so informal that it loses reverence or becoming so over-formalized that it pretends to be a parish.
THE ROLE OF THE LEADER
A Home Fellowship rises or falls on the leader’s character before God. Gifts may gather a crowd, but character keeps the flock safe. The leader must be a person of integrity; one who is under authority, under Scripture, under discipline, and under grace.
The pastoral question is not merely, "Can this person speak?" The real questions are, "Can this person be trusted with souls? Can they keep confidences? Can they receive correction? Can they resist flattery? Can they love difficult people? Can they say, I do not know, without pretending? Can they hold doctrine firmly without becoming harsh? Can they be warm without becoming careless?"
The fellowship leader is not ordained, he is licensed and he must therefore be ecclesially minded.
Required Marks of Readiness
● Credible Christian profession and visible repentance.
● Regular participation in the worship and life of the Church.
● Agreement with CAC doctrine and discipline.
● Able to communicate the Gospel clearly.
● A stable prayer life and willingness to be formed.
● Emotional maturity and self-control.
● Safeguarding awareness and willingness to follow policy.
● Teachability before clergy and diocesan leadership.
● A hospitable spirit and ability to include newcomers.
● Freedom from unresolved patterns that would endanger others or bring scandal.
After we receive your interest ofrm below, we will be in contact with you to discuss the selection process, and to explain the training we will be providing for the leaders who are selected.
The questions that we are asking below are to help us understand your suitability for the role of a host, and how we can assist in the required formation for those who are selected to lead home groups.
Thank you for your interest, and your willingness to serve.