Developing Missionary Priests

Revised June 2026

The DHT is seeking to identify, develop and send out future Missionary Priests to create and lead new missions within the diocese. The criteria for such priests are listed below, and apply both to those in the process of discernment in the DHT, and those who join the DHT after ordination.

Qualifications for All DHT Clergy

All Missionary Priests must meet the DHT’s canonical requirements for a priest, including

• A Master’s degree in theology or related subject.

• Participation in the DHT’s spiritual formation program.

• If not yet ordained, completion of the DHT canonical process for ordination.

The Temperament of a Missionary Priest

Not all priests have the gifts and temperament to be missionaries. A missionary priest will be characterized by the following:

1. He will be committed to his own life of prayer and his own spiritual formation. This  will be reflected by the following practices. The priest will

• Embrace and practice the three-fold Rule of the Book of Common Prayer.

• Makes confessions regularly, and at least in the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent.

• Meet regularly with a spiritual director and/or mentor.

• Have a self-reflective temperament. He will be able to receive input, learn from his experiences, adapt, and grow.

We are willing to talk with priests who are not yet fully practicing these things, but sense a missionary vocation, and are willing to learn and grow.

2. The missionary priest will be a lover of souls and a pursuer of people. He will have a real interest in getting to know people and learning about their lives. He will:

• have a desire to bring people to Christ through his ministry.

• be willing and able to reach out to people to arrange meetings.

• have a real interest in getting to know people and learning about their lives.

• be able to develop long term relationships and conversations with people that focus on their lives of prayer and how God is at work in their lives. We refer to this as the “ministry framework of spiritual direction."

• be comfortable in the social spaces of church life. Our approach to mission emphasizes hospitality. The community will gather regularly to share their lives. The missionary priest will be able to inhabit these spaces comfortably.

3. The missionary priest will embrace a gifts-based approach to ministry. The Remnant Mission approach honors apostolic authority, but opposes the error of clericalism. A priest’s ministry is defined and limited by his gifts. He must cultivate the gifts of every member of the Body of Christ for the church to be what God calls it to be (cf. Rom. 12:6, 1 Cor. 12:7, Eph. 4:16, 1 Peter 4:10). Thus,

• He will be willing and able to cultivate and encourage the gifts of every member of the community.

• He will be willing and able to delegate and share the work–and not be a micromanager.

• The missionary priest will be a bit of an “entrepreneur.” To develop a mission means to create something that is not there. This requires a willingness to take risks and do new things for the cause of mission.

4. The missionary priest will be able to persevere in the pursuit of long-term goals. He will

• be able to stay with the work through the inevitable times of testing. He will understand that spiritual horticulture aims at long term fruit that is produced by faithfulness through trial (James 1:2-4).

• be able to help the community stay focused on its life of prayer and the disciplines that cultivate growth into the image of Christ. He will be able to resist the inevitable temptation to divert from long term goals to quick fixes aimed at short term results.

• be a life-long learner who is able to learn and grow through the failures and trials he experiences in his mission efforts.

• continue to pursue additional training and education.

Ongoing Guidance

After being called to a position at a diocesan mission, all new Missionary Priests will

• work closely with the Bishop to develop the spiritual and pastoral aspects of their ministry and mission;

• meet regularly with a more senior Missionary Priest who serves as their mentor;

• receive operational feedback and assistance from the DHT Domestic Mission Committee.

This includes help with logistical details of the mission, including budgeting, developing stewardship within the mission, and finding and developing meeting space.

Open Positions

The DHT is planning for a summer internship for Summer 2027. Contact us to learn more.