Diocese of Lichfield
Ministerial Development Review
Introductory Guide
CONTENTS
1. Background
2. The MDR Scheme
3. The MDR forms – what you need and where to find them
4. The MDR Process – step-by-step
5. The 180 Questionnaire
6. Completing the Review Forms
7. Episcopal Review
CONTACTS
Ministerial Development Review Scheme (MDR) in the Diocese of Lichfield is the responsibility, on behalf of the Diocesan Bishop, of the
Director of Ministry (DMD).
For further information, please contact:
Director of Ministry
Revd Lesley Bentley
St Mary’s House, The Close, Lichfield, Staffs WS13 7LD
Telephone: 01543 306227/8
For matters concerning the administration of the scheme, please contact:
MDR Administrator
Jane Instone
St Mary’s House,The Close, Lichfield, Staffs WS13 7LD
01543 306228
Ministry Development Advisers
The Revd Paula Smith
The Revd Maureen Hobbs
1. BACKGROUND TO THE MINISTERIAL DEVELOPMENT REVIEW SCHEME
An optional Ministry Review scheme ran in this diocese for over ten years, between 2000 and 2010. The fact that it had such a consistently high take-up reflects a conviction that regular reflection upon and evaluation of ministry formation and skills must be an essential part of Christian ministry - based on the twin principles of affirmation and accountability. But it was a limited scheme. The Ministerial Development Review (MDR) builds on the best of the scheme it now replaces. MDR provides a more focused, thorough and supportive review to ministers in the diocese, in line with the requirements of the new ‘Clergy Terms and Conditions of Service’ legislation[1]. These requirements mean that participation in the scheme is compulsory for those holding Common Tenure and good practice for others.
The Diocese of Lichfield’s MDR Scheme is part of an integrated, ongoing programme of support and training for clergy which includes a Continuing Ministerial Development (CMD) grant, induction conferences for those new to post, the Clergy Leadership Programmes, general CMD training programmes, Ministry Development Advisers, pastoral conversations with Bishops and Archdeacons and access to counselling and health checks.
(Further information about these support elements is available through the diocesan website.)
The MDR scheme is an Episcopal scheme, using trained lay and ordained Reviewers, appointed by the Bishop, to assist clergy who hold his licence, to undertake a biennial review of current ministry context and development.Itis therefore, a work of partnership and shared responsibility, an honouring of a sacred trust given and received.
The Clergy Terms of Service Regulations say:
Regulation18
(1)Every diocesan bishop shall ensure that arrangements are made for a person nominated by him to conduct with each office holder in that diocese a review of his or her ministry to be known as a “ministerial development review” on at least one occasion in each period of two calendar years.
(3)It shall be the duty of each office holder to co-operate in any ministerial development review undertaken under this regulation. (GS 1638)
2. THE MINISTERIAL DEVELOPMENT REVIEW SCHEME (MDR)
WHY REVIEW?
A sacred trust as demanding and costly as Christian priesthood and ministry requires and deserves continuing support and the opportunity to reflect upon its effectiveness and development. Historically the provision and quality of such support has varied widely across the Church of England. MDR, based on nationally agreed guidelines, is a means of encouraging and resourcing clergy in vital and often costly ministry of preaching the gospel, prayer, celebrating the sacraments, offering leadership within the church, enabling the ministry of church members, working collaboratively in pastoral care and the development of faith and discipleship and discerning the working of God within a society which is changing rapidly. It does this by assisting a minister in effective critical reflection on his/her ministry context and guiding him/her to those priorities that will promote continuing ministry development and training. One of the major responsibilities of a bishop is the pastoral and professional care of clergy. Ministerial Development Review is an important part of the process for exercising that responsibility.
MDR reviews will take place every two years. The Bishop is required to provide the Review scheme in statute. Clergy with Common Tenure are required to participate. Failure to comply with the Review process may result in disciplinary action. In the fifth year you will be invited by the Bishop for a conversation about your ministry and discipleship conducted by the Bishop or the Archdeacon (ABC). This means that a minister will sometimes be reviewed twice in two years, though the MDR and episcopal conversations will differ in nature. For example, the sequence could be:-
2010 – MDR, 2011 – no Review, 2012 – MDR, 2013 – ABC, 2014 – MDR, 2015 – no Review, 2016 MDR, 2017 ABC
WHO IS REVIEWED?
All clergy on Common Tenure in the diocese are required to have a Review every two years, with a Reviewer chosen from the list provided, and an ABC every four years. This includes those who receive a stipend and those who do not and those who are licensed for Local Ministry. Although those receiving remuneration for their ministry from an outside body e.g. the NHS, will be subject to review by their employer, they will also be subject to MDR in respect of their licence. Where a minister holds a dual post e.g. PDA and Incumbent, he/she will have a single MDR. This will be in addition to any line management meetings and Reviews that are required by the Diocese in respect of the Diocesan post. A minister in a training curacy will be subject to his/her own Review process and will not take part in MDR. Those on Freehold will be strongly encouraged to take part in MDR Reviews and Episcopal Reviews under the new system.
WHO REVIEWS?
Ministry Reviewers are appointed by the bishops for their wisdom and experience. They are chosen for their skill in listening to others, summarising and feeding back the information they receive, helping clergy to set realistic working goals and helping them deepen their reflection on their ministry. Some are lay people, using their experience and insights to express the partnership between clergy and laity in the strengthening and development of the Church's mission and ministry. They are all church members.
Reviewers undergo training for this role. They also meet together at least annually with the Director of Ministry and senior staff to review the process. All undertake this ministry in a voluntary capacity.
The Review process is assisted by the work of Review Contributors, usually chosen by the Reviewee, but occasionally by the Bishop.
THE OUTCOME
The interview with the Reviewee will be aided by Review preparation forms, which will provide the background for the discussion. These will remain confidential to Reviewee and Reviewer. There will be some agreed Outcomes and Goals for ministry development over the coming two years (or beyond) which identify further support or training needs that might help in the attainment of those goals.
This forms a Review Summary statement, (form III below) agreed by the Reviewer and Reviewee and sent to the Area Bishop and Diocesan Bishop, who will acknowledge receipt of it. If the Reviewer and Reviewee fail to agree the text of the Summary, then each will send his/her Summary to the Bishop, via the Administrator.
The Review Summary informs the Bishop’s ministry of Episcopal oversight of his clergy and provides important background to the five-yearly Episcopal Review which may be conducted by a Bishop or an Archdeacon. (seesection7: ‘Episcopal Review) Capability proceedings are separate from MDR, but the summary will be used to provide part of the background information should the Bishop direct that Capability Procedures should be initiated. More information about Capability Procedures is available with the Statement of Particulars that is issued to everyone on Common Tenure.
A summary of specific need for training or further resources is sent to the Director of Ministry (DM) and the Ministry Development Adviser. After the Review is concluded, the Ministry Development Adviser will contact the Reviewee and arrange a meeting to enable the development of a training plan for the next two years.
3. MDR FORMS – WHAT IS NEEDED AND WHERE TO FIND IT
Please note that the scheme normally presumes access to the internet and all the Review forms, with guidelines for the Review, will be available for downloading from the Diocesan website. This greatly simplifies the administration of the scheme and keeps central costs down. Of course, where participants do not have internet access, they can request hard copies from the Administrator and use the postal service.
At various stages in the Review process the Reviewee will need to choose a reviewer and download:-
Introductory Guide
Form 1 - My Ministry Context
Form II – My Ministerial Development
Form III – My Summary, Objectives and Goals
Introducing the 180 Review Questionnaire and guide – Reviewee’s copy
Introducing the 180 Review Questionnaire and guide – Review Contributor’s copy.
4. THE MDR PROCESS – step by step
(a full version of the process can be found on the web-site)
A - Choosing the Reviewer.
Early in the Review period, the Reviewee will be contacted by the Area Bishop informing him/her that a Review is due to take place. The Reviewee should follow the directions in the Bishop’s letter to choose a Reviewer, a list of three is chosen in order of preference. Reviewees in parish ministry should Not select Reviewers from their own Deanery.
B - Reviewer is agreed
Once the choice has been indicated to the MDR Administrator, availability is checked, together with the Reviewer’s willingness to see each Reviewee.
Each Reviewer will only see a limited number of Reviewees each year, so the first choice may not always be possible.
C - Contact Details sent to Reviewee
When the choice of Reviewer has been agreed, a copy of the last MDR Form III ‘My Summary, Objectives and Goals’ (if available), will be sent to the Reviewer by the MDR Administrator. Any further contact details needed will be sent to the Reviewee. The Reviewer will contact the Reviewee within two weeks of being informed of that they have been chosen by the Reviewee. The Reviewer will then confirm the date and time of the appointment to the MDR Administrator.
The Review will be held at the home of the Reviewer (or other agreed meeting place). It should not be at the Reviewees’s own place of work or home. Two hours should be allowed for this meeting.
D - Arranging Completion of the *180 Questionnaire (full details in Section 5)
E – Completing the Review Forms (full details in Section 6)
The Reviewee is sent and completes both preparation forms (Form I – ‘My Ministry Context’; FormII – ‘My Ministry Development’) as appropriate, and Form III – ‘Summary, Objectives and Goals (in draft) and sends them to the Reviewer to arrive not less than two weeks before the agreed review date.
The ‘180Questionnaire Form’ is also completed by the Reviewee and at the same time by the Review Contributors,who will have received a copy of this form from the Reviewee, preferably by email or post. The Reviewee will ensure that the Review Contributor has the contact details of the Reviewer to whom the form is returned - two weeks before the agreed Review date.
The Reviewee keeps a copy of the forms they have completed for his/her own reference.
F – The Interview.
In the interview, the Reviewer and Reviewee review the past and present (Forms I and II) and consider and agree the Summary and future goals. (Form III) If necessary, the Reviewee revises the draft version of Form III following the interview and then sends the Reviewer a signed copy for him/her to countersign and send on to the MDR Administrator. If Reviewer and Reviewee fail to agree, the Reviewee’s summary, along with the Reviewer’s comments, are sent to the MDR Administrator and on to the Bishop.
The Reviewer’s comments must also be sent to the Reviewee. Occasionally the Reviewer and Reviewee will discuss some very difficult issues. The Reviewer is expected to disclose to the Bishop anything that is relevant to the Reviewee’s ministry in any way. Review discussions cannot be regarded as confidential to the Reviewer and Reviewee, in the sense that the final decision about what should be disclosed is made by the Reviewer.
G - Where the Review Summary goes.
The MDR Administrator will copy Form III to the Diocesan Bishop (for retention in the Reviewee’s blue file) and the Area Bishop will keep a copy on file. For Resolution C parishes, the form will also be sent to the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, if requested on the form.
The forms remain confidential to the Bishops and the Reviewer, but Reviewees are free to share information with others if they wish. Reviewers will not retain copies of the review forms once the Review is completed. Sections 5, 6, 7 and 8 relating to goals and training needs will be sent to the Director of Ministry and the Ministry Development Adviser.
The Area Bishop will acknowledge receipt of the Summary to the Reviewee and will use the Summary as the basis for the next ABC.
The Ministry Development Adviserwill contact theReviewee to enable the development of the training plan.
5. THE 180 REVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE
What is a 180 Review?
The 180 Review offers a simple and effective tool for seeking feedback on an
ordained person’s ministry through the insights of a small selection of peers and church members.
The Reviewee invites six people to act as Review Contributors.
Three of these people should be ministry colleagues - for example, someone with whom the Reviewee works closely in a staff-member relationship (Curate, Reader, Parish Administrator, etc), or one or two people with whom he/she works closely in a colleague relationship (Head Teacher of local school, neighbouring clergy colleague, Area Dean, etc). The other three should be church members - for example, a significant PCC member (Churchwarden, Treasurer, etc) or one or two discerning members of the congregation. Where the Reviewee has a number of different worshipping communities or work contexts he/she will need to make a choice about where and from whom the most helpful responses may be sought.
The important guideline is that those invited to be Review Contributors should be ‘critical friends’, not ‘committed opponents’ or ‘over-enthusiastic supporters’! The Reviewee needs people who are supportive of his/her ministry, but who can speak the truth in such a way that it can be heard and responded to.
Occasionally, the Bishop may wish to nominate people to act as Review Contributors. The Reviewee may object to these nominations and any objection will be noted.
The Reviewee must ensure that all Contributors are properly briefed and understand what is being asked of them and give clear instruction of how and to whom the form is to be returned.
How does the Review work?
The 180 review takes the form of a multiple choice questionnaire assessing the following twelve core ministry capabilities:
1. Communication
2. Leadership
3. Management and Organisation
4. Outreach
5. Pastoral Care
6. Personal Development
7. Preaching
8. Self-Management
9. Spirituality
10. Teaching
11. Working Collaboratively
12. Worship
A description of the scope of each aspect is summarised on the questionnaire.
These are:-
Specific to the minister’s context – reflecting on its values and mission
Relevant to his/her role - its content and importance
Descriptive not prescriptive, and provide a non-pejorative means of reflecting on ministry development at different levels of accomplishment.
Review Contributors and the Reviewee him/herself are invited to assess each competency by choosing one of the five following categories:-
Weak The Reviewee needs considerable development in this area.
Developing The Reviewee shows some competency in this area
within his/her present context, but needs further development.
Maturing The Reviewee is competent is this area, but with some
limitation in experience of application.
Accomplished The Reviewee has natural gifts and/or is experienced in
this competency, and is able to exercise this in a wide
variety of circumstances.
Outstanding The Reviewee excels in this area/these areas of
competency (or has a recognised specialism).
The Reviewee must supply each Review Contributor with a copy of “Introducing the180 Review Questionnaire” and the Questionnaire itself, preferably by E-mail.
If the Contributor does not have internet access, hard copies must be provided.
Completing the Questionnaire
.
Alongside each ‘Aspect of Ministry’ are five boxes.
Each box represents a level of assessment – e.g. ’developing’, ‘accomplished’ etc.
A cross is placed in the box of choice. There is also a space where Review Contributor can make further comments.
When the Questionnaire is completed it should be returned to
the chosen MDR Reviewer, preferably by E-mail
(Contact Details provided by Reviewee)
6. COMPLETING REVIEW FORMS 1, II and III
All three forms need to be completed before the Review and sent to the Reviewer.
The forms are not intended to be restrictive and will not be gone through in exhaustive detail at the Review. They are designed to help the Reviewee and Reviewer prepare for the Review.It will be important to agree where the priorities lie in the Review conversation.
Form I ‘My Context’ is background information about the ministry context which may well remain constant from year to year. It may only need a little updating from one Review to the next. If Reviewees wish they may substitute the Mission Action Plans for the parish(es) in which they minister and their role description for form 1.