A Discernment Guide for Ordained Clergy and Ministers Seeking Sacramental Roots

 

The Independent Sacramental Movement (ISM) is home to clergy from a wide range of traditions—Roman Catholic, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Old Catholic, Continuing Anglican, Protestant, and non-denominational communities. Many come seeking a place to serve, a renewed sense of vocation, or the ability to minister in settings where traditional institutions cannot or will not go.

 

But entering the ISM is not a simple transition.
It requires honesty, humility, prayer, and clear-eyed discernment.

This page is offered to help clergy—whether apostolically ordained or from non-sacramental traditions—understand both the gifts and the serious challenges of ISM ministry.
We hope it helps you discern the shape of your calling.

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1. For Clergy Already Ordained in Apostolic Traditions

(Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican/TEC, Continuing Anglican, Old Catholic, etc.)

 

A. What the ISM Can Offer

The ISM is uniquely positioned for ministries “at the margins”:

• sacramental care for the homeless, sick, and isolated

• ministry in prisons, shelters, nursing homes, refugee communities

• pastoral care for the unchurched, LGBTQ+ persons, and those alienated from institutional religion

• sacramental availability without complex institutional barriers

• opportunities to build small, local, relational Christian communities

• the possibility of renewing your priestly identity outside unhealthy or politicized systems

 

In the ISM, you may find:

• freedom to serve where God sends you

• creativity in forming intentional communities

• direct, personal relationships with those you pastor

• deeply sacramental life, even in small settings

• a chance to rediscover the heart of ministry: proclamation, presence, sacraments, and compassion

 

B. The Real Challenges You Must Face Honestly

Entering the ISM is not an “escape route.”
It is a calling that carries its own burdens.

You should be prepared for:

• Potential excommunication or canonical penalties from your church of origin

• Isolation from former colleagues or friends who may not understand your decision

• No financial guarantees—most ISM clergy are bivocational or self-supporting

• Minimal infrastructure—administrative, pastoral, financial, and emotional support is often limited

• Building your ministry from scratch, often alone and with minimal resources

• Difficulty establishing legitimacy, as many people have never heard of the ISM

• Persistent dysfunction in some jurisdictions:

  • personality conflicts

  • overlapping jurisdictions

  • poor formation

  • inconsistent leadership standards

  • unhealthy ecclesiology

• Risk of repeating the same struggles you faced before
  Changing jurisdictions does not automatically heal wounds or solve pastoral frustrations.

 

C. A Word About Humility and Self-Knowledge

Every priest or deacon brings both virtues and wounds to their ministry.

• If pride, hurt, resentment, burnout, or frustration drove your transition, these issues will re-emerge in the ISM.

• If you have unresolved conflicts, unhealthy patterns, or unmet expectations, simply moving into a smaller jurisdiction will not fix them.

• If you long for authority, titles, autonomy, or recognition, the ISM may tempt you toward ego rather than service.

Grace builds on nature.
Your ministry will only be as healthy as your inner life, prayer, ongoing formation, and willingness to be accountable.

 

D. What Healthy ISM Jurisdictions Expect

Most responsible ISM jurisdictions will expect:

• a genuine call to serve marginalized or underserved Christians

• willingness to work collaboratively and not independently of oversight

• accountability to a bishop or supervising clergy

• commitment to formation, spiritual direction, and ongoing education

• maturity, stability, and a pastoral heart

• humility to receive what the ISM actually is, not what you want it to be

 

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2. For Ministers Without Apostolic Ordination Seeking Sacramental Roots

(Evangelical, charismatic, independent, non-denominational, Protestant clergy, etc.)

 

Some ministers discover a deep longing for:

• sacramental theology

• liturgical worship

• apostolic continuity

• visible signs of grace

• a more rooted and historical Christian ministry

 

The ISM can provide:

• apostolic succession through valid, responsible episcopal oversight

• formation in sacramental theology and liturgy

• resources for celebrating the Eucharist, baptism, confirmation, anointing, reconciliation, etc.

• pastoral training in chaplaincy, small community ministry, and intentional pastoral care

• membership in a wider Catholic/Orthodox tradition of worship and faith

 

But there are serious considerations:

• Apostolic succession is not magic; it requires formation, maturity, and accountability.

• The ISM is not a path to quick ordination or “upgraded credentials.”

• Sacramental ministry requires theological grounding, spiritual discipline, and personal integrity.

• You may need to unlearn habits from denominations without sacramental structures.

• You must be prepared for the same challenges listed above: isolation, lack of financial support, and building a ministry from the ground up.

If you seek sacramental ministry, expect to be formed—not just sacramentally empowered.

 

3. Discernment Questions for All Inquirers

A. Internal Questions

• Am I called to serve the marginalized, or am I escaping conflict?

• Have I sought healing for the wounds of my previous ministry?

• Am I willing to start small, quietly, and humbly?

• Can I live without institutional stability or financial security?

• Am I willing to be accountable to a bishop and peers?

 

B. Practical Questions

• What ministry will I actually do in the first 6–12 months?

• How will I support myself financially?

• How will I build community?

• Do I have the emotional resilience to serve in an unstructured environment?

• Am I prepared for suspicion, misunderstanding, or judgment from others?

 

C. Spiritual Questions

• Do I feel drawn to minister where others will not go?

• Does prayer confirm a call to serve outside traditional institutions?

• Am I at peace, or am I acting from restlessness?

 

4. A Pastoral Invitation

If God is calling you into the ISM, you will know it by the fruit:

• peace

• compassion

• humility

• generosity

• willingness to serve quietly

• a renewed love for the sacraments

• joy in caring for the forgotten

 

This movement is not perfect.
It is small, fragile, and sometimes chaotic.

But it is also real, sacramental, Christ-centered, and filled with people serving out of love rather than obligation.

If you feel called, we welcome your discernment.
If you need honesty, we offer it.
If you need prayer, we support you.
If you need a place to serve, the ISM may provide one.

Wherever God leads—may your ministry flourish, and may Christ be seen in you.