Dear friends,

I’m writing to share some important updates about the Anglican Foundations Program (AFP).

As many of you know, the AFP was created to bring theological formation in the Anglican tradition to those in C4SO’s ordination process, while also building meaningful relationships across our geographically dispersed diocese. The program has been a great success, and many of you have experienced the fruit of the AFP firsthand.

Over the past several years, the Province and partner seminaries have been working together to establish consistent educational standards for ordinands, and to develop degree and certificate programs that align with those standards—all of which reflects typical best practice in denominations. The result is a growing network of high-quality, accessible and affordable pathways for Anglican theological formation which didn’t exist a few years ago. This presents an exciting opportunity to partner with trusted seminaries that provide robust theological education, while allowing us to focus more intentionally on the distinctive work of discernment, formation, mentoring and equipping leaders for ministry within our diocese.

In light of these developments, we are going to transition to fulfilling the purposes of AFP through Anglican academic partnerships, and will therefore no longer offer the AFP in its current form.

We are grateful for your hard work and dedication in completing one or more AFP courses. For those in the ordination process, please be assured that any AFP courses you have taken will fully count towards the educational requirements.

We are excited about this next chapter. We believe these partnerships will strengthen the preparation of our future clergy, while enabling C4SO to invest in the relational and formational aspects of raising up leaders for the Church.

What if I’m in the ordination process and still need to complete AFP courses?

First, be at peace! We are fully committed to walking with each person through this transition process. The Rev. Trish Nelson, our Canon for Ordinations, will work with each ordinand to determine what educational requirements still remain, and will connect them to the appropriate course or seminary program—all of them accessible and affordable—to fulfill the educational requirements for the order in which they are discerning. If she hasn’t already, Trish will be reaching out soon to those of you who are currently in the discernment process. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact her at ordination@c4so.org.

If you are not in the ordination process but would like to continue learning about the Anglican tradition, I would be glad to recommend programs and/or resources that can help you continue to grow. Many of the programs available to ordinands are available to lay people, as well.

What will happen to AFP?

While AFP is discontinuing in its current form, our commitment to formation is deepening. We will continue cultivating relationships and providing robust ordination preparation through reimagined ordinand retreats, as well as other opportunities for connection and formation. I look forward to sharing more details soon about a Fall 2027 retreat, as well as other opportunities for Anglican formation throughout our diocese.

It has been a joy and privilege to serve you through the Anglican Foundations Program. Thank you to everyone who participated, taught, led small groups, and invested in this shared work of formation!

Grace and Peace,
Jason Veach
Director, Anglican Foundations Program