The path to prayer

There are more than 20,000 ordained ministers in the Church of England, plus some 6,000 readers and licensed lay ministers. The Church ordained 498 new clergy in 2015 and has plans to ramp this up to 750 a year by 2020. Depending on age and experience, it takes two to three years of full-time training to be ordained a priest. You’ll then serve a three- to four-year curacy, before being able to apply to become a vicar in your own right. The first step for those interested is to speak to your vicar. Those under 30 should go to www.callwaiting.org.uk to find out more and older applicants can visit http://vocation.churchofengland.org