Commissioned Lay Missioners: A New Lay Vocation for a Mixed Ecology Church 

The Anglican Diocese of Niagara is boldly embracing a future rooted in both tradition and innovation. As part of our commitment to becoming a mixed ecology Diocese – where inherited and emerging forms of church flourish side by side – we are proud to introduce a new expression of lay vocation: Commissioned Lay Missioners (CLMs). 

This development arises from a growing recognition that the Holy Spirit is calling the Church to reach beyond our walls – to listen deeply and respond creatively to the spiritual and practical needs of those in our neighbourhoods who have little or no connection to the Church. Many in our now post-secular society identify as “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR) or have been hurt or alienated by religious institutions in the past. In this changing landscape, the Church is called to cultivate new forms of presence and community that engage meaningfully with the de-churched and unchurched. This is the vocation of the missioner. 

Commissioned Lay Missioners are the newest of three expressions of this ministry in the Diocese, complementing the existing roles of Licensed Lay Missioners and Ordained Missioners. These are faithful Christians who have been deeply involved in Anglican parish or diocesan life and have discerned a vocation to contextual mission – forming new ecclesial communities out of contextual mission rooted in prayer, justice, hospitality, and presence. Their call is not to “fix” the Church, but to grow and evolve something new, alongside and from within it, in response to God’s movement in the neighbourhood. 

After a careful process of vocational discernment, we are delighted to begin the process of commissioning nine pioneering individuals into this ministry. Please pray for Ellick, Felicia, Frank, Jing, Margaret, Marla, Margaret, Nicole, and Roberta, as they begin a two-year apprenticeship in contextual mission and lay formation. This journey includes hands-on local practice and theological learning through the Certificate in Mission Practice Course, offered through the Niagara School for Missional Leadership (NSML). 

These CLMs are being placed in a variety of innovative missional contexts across the Diocese, each offering a unique opportunity to explore how new ecclesial communities might emerge through relationships, listening, and discernment in context. 

Three of our CLMs – Ellick, Frank, and Jing – are serving with The Mission in Acts Mission (MIAM), which has recently become an official Diocesan Mission under Canon 4.9. With the leadership of The Reverend Canon Garfield Adams, MIAM is currently rooted at the parish of St. Luke’s Palermo, with some missional activity operating out of St. Cuthbert’s Oakville. Looking ahead, the team is discerning the planting of a new Mandarin-speaking worshipping community into a further local parish where there is also a significant “new to Canada” Mandarin-speaking population. This work is already bearing fruit as it gently nurtures connection, belonging, and Christian formation among newcomers. 

Nicole is already involved in the Hamilton Well Mission Project that operates under the direction of the Licensed Lay Missioner, Susie Kim. Based out of Christ’s Church Cathedral and other venues in James Street North in Hamilton, this mission seeks to use meditation, dialogue, book-reading and socials with a focus on contemplation and wellbeing to engage with the SBNR who are spiritually seeking but do not trust Christians or the Church.  

Roberta will serve at Our Saviour the Redeemer, Stoney Creek, working with The Reverend Canon Bahman Kalantari to develop fresh mission initiatives within the parish and wider community. With a particular sensitivity to cross-cultural ministry and local outreach, this partnership holds promise for new expressions of ministry that will reflect the diversity of the neighbourhood. 

In Hamilton, Felicia and Margaret will be part of the emerging mission ministry team at St. John the Evangelist, Locke Street, where they will work alongside The Reverend Dena Thomas under the leadership of The Reverend Andrew Rampton. Their mission is to engage with spiritual seekers in the area, many of whom would never walk through the church doors uninvited. Through intentional relationship-building, spiritual dialogue and contemplative practices, and creative forms of presence, they hope to cultivate missional spaces for the building of trust, spiritual exploration, and invitation. 

Also in Hamilton, Marla will serve under the direction of the Reverend Nicola Zhang at the parish of St. Michael’s to support the development of new missional initiatives. This parish, located in a diverse and evolving part of the city, offers fertile ground for listening to and engaging with neighbours who are seeking deeper meaning and connection in their lives. 

Each Commissioned Lay Missioner is stepping into a role that is both ancient and profoundly contemporary. Like the first disciples sent out in pairs, they go not with fixed agendas, but with open hearts, listening ears, and a deep trust in the Spirit’s leading. This work is not about quick results or filling pews or managing decline – it is about faithfulness to Jesus and, therefore, seeking to develop an incarnational presence, deep hospitality, and the planting of seeds of the Gospel in unlikely places. It is rooted in the theology of the mixed ecology – a vision of the church where both inherited and emerging forms of Christian community are valued and nurtured in mutual relationship. 

This initiative represents a significant step forward for the Diocese of Niagara in cultivating lay leadership for the future Church. Commissioned Lay Missioners are not substitutes for clergy, nor are they “volunteers” in the traditional sense. They represent a new vocational pathway – lay people with a particular charism, training, and commission to serve the Church through mission on the edge of culture and faith. 

We celebrate these nine new CLMs as courageous pioneers. They are helping us to pilot a new and necessary lay vocation that is deeply rooted in the Anglican tradition, yet alive to the Spirit’s new work in the world. As our communities continue to change, and the Spirit continues to stir, may these missioners help us reimagine a Church that is ever more hospitable, creative, and faithful to God’s mission in the world.