Our Curacy: What’s a Curate? (Part 1)
This is the first part of a two-part series on our curacy. Check out part two to learn more about Jared (our new curate) and his wife Abbi.
On August 1st of this year, Redeemer will have a new curate.
“Yay!” you say, “But what’s a curate?” Good question.
“Curate” comes from the Latin curare, meaning “to take care of, to look after, to have spiritual charge of, etc.”
The word “curate” comes from a Latin word meaning “to care.” As a verb, “to curate” means to gather or collect for the purpose of caring for items, such as a museum curator would do with art or artifacts. In the church, the noun “a curate” is a position that is assigned for the gathering of and caring for people and souls. Traditionally, a curate is often a younger clergy person who serves as an assistant to the rector (senior pastor) in order to gain experience and training under a seasoned priest. This does not mean that the curate is simply watching—not in the least! A curate is a leader in the church who is given responsibility and authority to play important roles in the life of the congregation.
For over a year, leaders at Redeemer—particularly Fr. Alan, Jessie Meriwether, and me—have been working with an organization called Made to Flourish (MTF). The purpose of MTF is to assist local churches in raising up well-formed leaders who will serve as the next generation of senior clergy throughout the church. Specifically, MTF is interested in helping churches start residency programs, which we call curacies in the Anglican Church. We engaged in a detailed and intentionally arduous process to learn from MTF about the creation of such a program, and they have come alongside us with their wisdom and a significant financial grant to help us get started. We could not be more thankful for their support and partnership.
Made to Flourish (MTF) will “help you connect faith and work theology to the everyday practices of your church and ministry so that you can truly equip your spheres of influence and contribute to the common good of your city.”
Our desire to start a curacy program at Redeemer stems from our passion for the church—not just our local congregation, but the church universal. We believe God has done and is doing great things at Redeemer and we want to help form leaders who can shepherd other congregations to boldly seek the mission of God just as Redeemer has. We have something to offer, and when I say “we,” I mean our entire Redeemer family. The fellowship, the service, the worship, the creativity, the hunger for those who do not know Jesus, the list goes on. The church needs leaders who are shaped in an exciting place like this.
We are a people in need of grace who are a part of a vibrant move of the Holy Spirit. The church needs leaders who are shaped in an honest place like this.
We are also not perfect. We have sin, dysfunctions, conflict, disagreements, ineffective systems, distractions—this list goes on as well. But we strive as the people of God to overcome these obstacles with wisdom and courage. We are a people in need of grace who are a part of a vibrant move of the Holy Spirit. The church needs leaders who are shaped in an honest place like this.
Our curacy is a two year program that will allow the curate to gain experience in many aspects of our life in ministry and in pastoral leadership. Specifically, we are asking our curate to work closely with me while overseeing the areas of community and worship. So, the curate will gain experience in organization, strategy, vision casting, conflict resolution, and more importantly: discipleship and loving people well in the name of Jesus. At the end of those two years we will help our curates determine their next steps—perhaps serving as a rector of another church, or planting a church, or sometimes staying on staff here at Redeemer if there is a proper spot. We will work together to make sure the curate is well cared for as he seeks his next placement.
We are so excited to have Jared and Abbi Wensyel (and their little one on the way) as a part of Redeemer!
Amazingly, God has already provided a curate for us! Jared Wensyel and his beautiful wife Abbi, along with their soon-to-be-born baby, recently moved to Greensboro. Jared is working at a job in logistics until the beginning of the curacy on August 1. Jared and Abbi are already getting to know folks within our church, and we encourage you to reach out to them and welcome them as you are able. The Wensyels served the church in Germany where Jared worked to plant a church in Frankfurt. He is an ordained deacon, and as soon as we get his diocesan paperwork taken care of, you will see him serving some Sundays in our worship services. We could not be more excited about how God has brought this amazing family to our church and for all that the Spirit is going to do as Jared begins his tenure as our curate this fall.
I am so glad that Jared and all of our future curates will have the opportunity to be shaped by all of you. This curacy program will be a gift to Redeemer and the wider church and we pray it will be a blessing to God.
-The Rev. Canon Dr. Dan Alger
