Most of the content on this page is drawn from the Pastoral Supervision Guidebook. We strongly recommend downloading and reading this as you embark on Pastoral Supervision.

The context for Pastoral Supervision.

Many of us know ministers who have experienced burnout or struggled with feelings of discouragement, exhaustion and isolation and some of us have been in these places ourselves.
We should care for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. And we need to seek continuing educational and development opportunities that are appropriate to our ministry.

Pastoral supervision has been utilised by many in the helping professions (e.g., counsellors, psychologists) for almost 50 years to provide a place for the care, nurture and ongoing development of these helpers. It has become a standard requirement for staff in most helping disciplines as a result. It provides effective support for practitioners by offering a space where complex issues can be brought for reflection, processing and learning. We believe that our ministers can equally be assisted through the avenue of Pastoral Supervision for their wellbeing and the wellbeing of those they minister to.

What is Pastoral Supervision?

In our context Pastoral Supervision may be defined as:
An agreed, regular, planned, confidential and intentional space in which a practitioner skilled in professional/pastoral supervision meets with one or more ministers (the supervisee) to consider together the practice of ministry with a view to enhancing the supervisees’ ethical practices, personal wellbeing and effectiveness in ministry and their ministry relationships.

Pastoral Supervision is a reflective process. It is not primarily for reporting (as in duty of care) or a process for planning for the future.

Who benefits from Pastoral Supervision?

Benefits for the minister.
Pastoral supervision supports and develops a minister’s work, encouraging self-awareness, learning, and appropriate ministry boundaries. It is a valuable tool for personal and professional growth, promoting reflection and strategies for overcoming challenges.

Benefits for the local church and community.
A healthier and more effective pastoral leader benefits the local church community. The supervision relationship can help to ensure that appropriate ethical and ministry boundaries are in place. It monitors how ministry is conducted to help protect the pastoral leader, their family, the congregation, and the community in which they minister.

How is Pastoral Supervision set up in the Diocese?

The framework for how Pastoral Supervision is conducted in the Anglican Sydney of Sydney is set out in the Pastoral Supervision Policy.
Amongst other details, this includes information on which ministers are required to undertake Pastoral Supervision and how many Supervision sessions are required to be undertaken in any given compliance period (usually the preceding 12 months once the Supervision system is fully implemented).

If you are a licensed ordained or authorised lay minister in the Diocese, you will receive an email informing you when you are required to start undertaking Pastoral Supervision with an Approved Supervisor.

How do I find a Pastoral Supervisor?

The Supervisors List page list all the Approved and Provisionally Approved Pastoral Supervisors in the Diocese, and there is also information on that page on how to choose a Supervisor.
The list is constantly being updated and added to, and you filter the list using a number of criteria to assist you in finding a Supervisor.

Questions?

Many other questions about how Pastoral Supervision works are answered in the Handbook or in the Policy. Please read these documents, and if you have any questions regarding the process, please make contact with the Manager of Pastoral Supervision, Sarah Balogh, via the Contact page.