A Directory of Terms
(A bit of fun)
ABC Archbishops’ Council
Body with oversight of ministry matters in the Church of England
ABM Advisory Board for Ministry
Now known as a Bishop’s Advisory Panel (BAP). You may still hear this term used
ACCM Advisory Council for the Church’s Ministry
Previous name for ABM (see above). Before that there was CACTM but that’s so long ago
that no-one can remember what it stood for!
AD Archdeacon
ADDO Associate Diocesan Director of Ordinands
The ADDO works collaboratively with the DDO (Diocesan Director of Ordinands)
AEC Assessment at the End of Curacy
A national process of assessment by which Dioceses ‘sign off’ those in IME at the end of
year 7 enabling them to take up a post under Common Tenure
APL Accreditation of Prior Learning
Academic credit awarded retrospectively for learning previously undertaken
APEL Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning
Academic credit awarded retrospectively for experiential learning or learning ‘on the job’
previously undertaken
ASB Alternative Service Book
1980 prayerbook containing various services. Eventually replaced by Common Worship and
no longer authorised for use in the Church of England
BAP Bishops’ Advisory Panel
National discernment panel which advises Bishops whether candidates are suitable to begin
training for ordained ministry
BCP Book of Common Prayer
1662 prayerbook containing various services authorised for use in the Church of England
CDM Clergy Discipline Measure
Measure under which clergy guilty of a misdemeanour can be removed from office
CMD Continuing Ministerial Development
Further learning and development undertaken by ordained and lay ministers after initial
training and authorisation
CME Continuing Ministerial Education
Now known as CMD although some Dioceses continue to use the old title and you may still
hear it used by some people in our own Diocese
CME 1 – 4 Continuing Ministerial Education 1 – 4
Former name for IME 4 – 7 or IME Part 2. You may still hear some people use it
Comms Communications
Diocesan Communications Team and their work
CRB Criminal Records Bureau
Body responsible for checking prior to ordination, licensing or employment whether a person
has a criminal record
CRC Central Readers Council
National body with oversight of the training and deployment of Readers (LLMs)
CTS (or CToS) Clergy Terms of Service
Legal framework for the deployment of ordained ministers under Common Tenure which
gives ordained ministers, both stipendiary and non stipendiary, most of the same rights as
employees
CW Common Worship
Contemporary worship resource containing services and texts for all liturgical occasions. CW
may also be used to indicate Church Warden
DAC Diocesan Advisory Committee
Subcommittee of Bishop’s Council responsible for the care of churches
DBE Diocesan Board of Education
Statutory Board responsible for the schools, children and youth ministry. The acronymns
BoE/ BofE/ BofEd are also sometimes used
DBF Diocesan Board of Finance
The Board of Finance is a registered charity and is responsible for the finance and
administrative functions of the Diocese
DDO Diocesan Director of Ordinands
Officer responsible to the Bishop for discerning vocations to ordained ministry, sending
candidates to a BAP and making recommendations regarding training of recommended
candidates and initial deployment of those to be ordained
DEC Diocesan Education Centre
Premises of the Diocesan Board of Education, located in Devizes Road
DioSec Diocesan Secretary
Person with overall responsibility for the finance and administrative functions of the Diocese
DirEd Director of Education
Person with overall responsibility for the work of the Diocesan Board of Education
DirMin Director of Ministry
Person leading a Diocesan ministry team, known in this Diocese as the Director of Learning
for Discipleship and Ministry
DRACSC Deployment, Remuneration and Conditions of Service Committee
Committee of the Archbishops’ Council responsible for these aspects of clergy deployment
Finco Finance Committee
Subcommitee of the Bishop’s Council responsible for the finances of the Diocese
FiF Forward in Faith
Campaigning group representing those who do not believe that women should be ordained
HEFCE Higher Education Funding Council for England
Body dispersing government funding to universities
HoB House of Bishops
Upper House of General Synod which also meets separately. Includes all Diocesan Bishops
and a number of elected representatives from among the Suffragan and Area Bishops
IME Initial Ministerial Education
Programme of initial formation for ordained or lay ministry, comprising 1-3 years before
ordination or licensing and 3-4 years following ordination or licensing. The years before
ordination or licensing may be referred to as IME 1 – 3 or IME Part 1. The years after
ordination or licensing may be referred to as IME 4-7 or IME Part 2
LfD Learning for Discipleship
Diocesan open access modular learning programme for interested lay learners and those
preparing for Licensed Lay Ministry (LLM) and various other forms of recognised lay ministry
LDMT Learning for Discipleship and Ministry Team
Team responsible for the ‘ministry’ functions of the Diocese including vocations, spirituality,
discernment, learning and training, continuing professional development and in service
support
LDMC Learning for Discipleship and Ministry Council
Subcommittee of the Bishop’s Council with oversight of the work of LDMT
LLM Licensed Lay Minister
Person trained and authorised to exercise ministry as a lay person. The majority of LLMs
were previously known as Readers and may be designated LLM(R). The focus of their
ministry is preaching, leading worship and enabling the learning of others. A very small but
growing number of LLMs exercise ministry with a different focus
LPA Lay Pastoral Assistant
Person trained and commissioned to offer a pastoral ministry within their own Christian
community, under the supervision of their incumbent
MinDiv Ministry Division
The national ministry department of the Church of England, based at Church House,
Westminster
MSE Minister in Secular Employment
Ordained person exercising ministry primarily in their place of work
NSM Non Stipendiary Minister
This title is no longer used in the Diocese. Ministers without stipend are referred to as non
stipended ministers or the letters ns in lower case may be used next to their name
OLM Ordained Local Minister
This title is no longer used in the Diocese although some ministers continue to exercise, and
to be discerned for, a locally deployable form of ministry. The letters ldom in lower case may
be used to describe a locally deployable ordained minister or the ministry which they
exercise
(O)PM (Ordained) Pioneer Minister
Ordained or lay minister exercising ministry with a pioneer focus. In the case of an ordained
minister he or she is likely to have been selected for training specifically with this focus in
mind
POT Post Ordination Training
Also known as ‘potty’ training. Long disused name for CME 1 – 4
PotOrd Potential ordinand
Candidate working with the DDO and/ or ADDO to confirm a call to ordained ministry
PTO (or PtO) Permission to Officiate
Person not holding the Bishop’s license but having permission to exercise ministry in a given
sphere, usually in their locally community under the supervision of their incumbent. Ministers
with PTO are often those who have retired from licensed ministry
RTP Regional Training Partnership
Affiliation of Dioceses and ecumenical partners for the collaborative delivery of training
SCRTP South Central Regional Training Partnership
Our own RTP comprising the Dioceses of Guildford, Portsmouth, Oxford, Salisbury and
Winchester together with the Methodist and United Reformed Churches
SpiDir Spiritual Direction/ Spiritual Director
SRI Southern Regional Institute
A longstanding affiliation of seven southern Dioceses delivering training at transition points in
ministry, currently Bath and Wells, Bristol, Guildford, Portsmouth, Oxford, Salisbury and
Winchester
WATCH Women and the Church
Campaigning group which exercises a watching brief on women’s ministry in the Church of
England and works for the full inclusion of women in all three orders of ministry
- Rev Tony Gilbert
- The Rectory, Church Road
- Thornford
- Dorset
- DT9 6QE