
Clergy Licence
For further enquiries and questions on clergy licensing please contact the Diocesan Bishop’s Office on 6232 3612.
The following documentation must be completed by all clergy (deacons, priests and bishops) being licenced in this Diocese for the first time, when moving to a new position within this Diocese and when seeking an Authority to Officiate (ATO).
An Authority to Officiate differs from a clergy licence in that the ATO generally is not to a particular position, rather to a role and permission is granted to officiate as a deacon or priest within this Diocese whenever lawfully invited to do so.
For clergy licensing (including ATO’s) the following documents need to be completed and cleared by the Diocesan Bishop before he/she is able to grant a licence.
Safe Ministry Requirements for Licensing
License holders have positions of leadership, power and trust. As such, the Diocese must ensure that we have done all that is reasonably practicable to ensure each applicant is safe to hold a licence.
Our Diocesan Screening Protocol and Guidelines 2019 set out the requirements for licensing of clergy including:
- Safe Ministry Questionnaire.
- Three (3) written referee reports
- National Police Check
- Current Safe Ministry Training (renewed every 3 years)
- If working in NSW, a Working with Children Check approval from the NSW Government.
- If working in the ACT, a Working with Vulnerable People approval from the ACT Government.
- Anglican National Register check (completed by the Diocese)
- Anglican National Professional Standards Network clearance (done by the Diocese)
- Interview/Endorsement by the Bishop
To complete your Safe Ministry screening requirements online via our secure online Safe Ministry Information System (SMIS), please contact the Bishop’s Office or the Safe Ministry Unit. If you would like to discuss your particular situation, contact the Safe Ministry Unit at safeministry@anglicands.org.au or by telephone on 02 6245 7160.