Overview
Christ the Eternal High Priest Institute for Priestly Formation is a comprehensive program dedicated to the holistic formation of candidates for priestly and diaconal ministry within the Independent Catholic Christian Church. Rooted in the model of Christ as the eternal High Priest, the Institute offers a thoughtful and integrated framework shaped around four foundational pillars: Intellectual, Spiritual, Ministerial, and Community and Human Formation.
Each pillar is intentionally designed to do more than impart knowledge or skills. They invite candidates to engage deeply with the realities and challenges of ordained ministry. Throughout their journey, candidates are encouraged to wrestle with theological, pastoral, and personal questions that demand honesty, humility, and faith. This process of reflection and integration lies at the heart of the Institute’s mission: to prepare candidates to serve the Church with wisdom, maturity, and authenticity.
These four pillars work together to shape well-rounded Christian leaders, prepared to serve as deacons or priests. While intellectual formation naturally occupies a significant portion of the candidate’s time, each area of formation is equally vital. They overlap and reinforce one another, contributing to the candidate’s overall maturity and readiness for ministry.
The formation process unfolds in stages of increasing depth and responsibility, beginning with a postulancy period prior to clerical tonsure. From there, candidates progress through the minor orders, each step deepening their spiritual life, practical experience, and sense of vocation. As they advance, so too does their involvement within the jurisdiction and the complexity of their formation assignments.
Ultimately, the Christ the Eternal High Priest Institute seeks to form servants of the Gospel who are well-prepared for ministry and transformed in mind, heart, and spirit, ready to serve the Church with integrity, wisdom, and love.
Each pillar is intentionally designed to do more than impart knowledge or skills. They invite candidates to engage deeply with the realities and challenges of ordained ministry. Throughout their journey, candidates are encouraged to wrestle with theological, pastoral, and personal questions that demand honesty, humility, and faith. This process of reflection and integration lies at the heart of the Institute’s mission: to prepare candidates to serve the Church with wisdom, maturity, and authenticity.
- Intellectual Formation provides a solid theological foundation. It nurtures critical thinking, a sound doctrinal understanding, and the ability to engage faithfully with both Church tradition and contemporary issues.
- Spiritual Formation fosters a deep, personal relationship with Christ through prayer, sacramental life, and spiritual disciplines supporting a lifelong holiness and service vocation.
- Ministerial Formation equips candidates with practical pastoral skills and a heart for ministry, preparing them to preach, teach, lead worship, and accompany God’s people with compassion, competence, and care.
- Community and Human Formation cultivates personal growth as an individual as well as in Christian fellowship, emphasizing mutual support, accountability, and shared growth in charity within the life of the jurisdiction.
These four pillars work together to shape well-rounded Christian leaders, prepared to serve as deacons or priests. While intellectual formation naturally occupies a significant portion of the candidate’s time, each area of formation is equally vital. They overlap and reinforce one another, contributing to the candidate’s overall maturity and readiness for ministry.
The formation process unfolds in stages of increasing depth and responsibility, beginning with a postulancy period prior to clerical tonsure. From there, candidates progress through the minor orders, each step deepening their spiritual life, practical experience, and sense of vocation. As they advance, so too does their involvement within the jurisdiction and the complexity of their formation assignments.
Ultimately, the Christ the Eternal High Priest Institute seeks to form servants of the Gospel who are well-prepared for ministry and transformed in mind, heart, and spirit, ready to serve the Church with integrity, wisdom, and love.
ICCC Formation Process
The following outlines the formation process within the Independent Catholic Christian Church, highlighting the core themes of spiritual, ministerial, and community formation, along with a detailed overview of the intellectual formation curriculum. Formation in the Church is grounded in the belief that growth in ministry must be holistic. All four pillars, spiritual, ministerial, intellectual, and community and human formation, are pursued simultaneously, each reinforcing the others. Candidates meet monthly (in person or online) with the director of each formation area to discuss progress, address challenges, and receive guidance.
Each area of formation includes multiple assessments at every stage, designed to foster growth and ensure readiness for the responsibilities of ordained ministry. Intellectual formation consists of assigned readings, recorded lectures, written reflections or papers, and ongoing discussions with the course instructor. Before each course begins, the instructor and candidate will agree on a meeting schedule and the candidate will receive a course outline detailing expectations and milestones.
At the conclusion of each formation phase, candidates complete a self-evaluation, which is reviewed alongside faculty feedback by the Chapter of Canons. Together, these evaluations help discern whether a candidate is ready to progress to the next minor order or whether additional time and formation are needed to strengthen key areas of development.
Postulant (Minimum 6 months)
Cleric (Minimum 6 months)
Doorkeeper (Minimum 6 months)
Reader (Minimum 6 months)
Exorcist (Minimum 6 months)
Acolyte (Minimum 6 months)
Subdeacon (Minimum 9 months)
Priesthood Candidates only
Deacon (Minimum 12 months)
Each area of formation includes multiple assessments at every stage, designed to foster growth and ensure readiness for the responsibilities of ordained ministry. Intellectual formation consists of assigned readings, recorded lectures, written reflections or papers, and ongoing discussions with the course instructor. Before each course begins, the instructor and candidate will agree on a meeting schedule and the candidate will receive a course outline detailing expectations and milestones.
At the conclusion of each formation phase, candidates complete a self-evaluation, which is reviewed alongside faculty feedback by the Chapter of Canons. Together, these evaluations help discern whether a candidate is ready to progress to the next minor order or whether additional time and formation are needed to strengthen key areas of development.
Postulant (Minimum 6 months)
- Spiritual Formation:
- Introduction to Praying the Office
- Intellectual Formation:
- Introduction to the Independent Sacramental Movement and the ICCC
- Community and Human Formation:
- Community life and worship
- Ministerial Formation:
- N/A
Cleric (Minimum 6 months)
- Spiritual Formation:
- Living a life of prayer, setting apart time and space for God
- Intellectual Formation:
- Introduction to scriptural hermeneutics
- Introduction to the Old Testament
- Introduction to the New Testament
- Liturgy practicum
- Community and Human Formation:
- Physical wellness (health/habitat)
- Ministerial Formation:
- Life in ministry
Doorkeeper (Minimum 6 months)
- Spiritual Formation:
- Role and importance of spiritual direction
- Praying with Scripture
- Intellectual Formation:
- Introduction to Christian Theology
- Liturgy practicum
- Community and Human Formation:
- Emotional wellness (compassion/vulnerability)
- Ministerial Formation:
- Doorkeeper in an affirming church (reflection & project)
Reader (Minimum 6 months)
- Spiritual Formation:
- Sacred silence
- Various examples of a spiritual life.
- Intellectual Formation:
- History of Christian spirituality
- Liturgy practicum
- Community and Human Formation:
- Mental wellness (focus/concentration/meditation)
- Ministerial Formation:
- Public reading
- Lectio continua reflexion
Exorcist (Minimum 6 months)
- Spiritual Formation:
- Spiritual life: Purgative, illuminative, and unitive way
- Developing a rule of life
- Ignatian spirituality
- Intellectual Formation:
- History of Christianity, East and West
- History of the Old Catholic and Independent Sacramental churches
- Community and Human Formation:
- Strengthen will
- Ministerial Formation:
- Pray with and for the sick
- Combating evil within the world and the self
Acolyte (Minimum 6 months)
- Spiritual Formation:
- Liturgical prayer
- Lifelong commitment to ordained ministry
- Guiding others in their spiritual path
- Intellectual Formation:
- Introduction to social ethics
- Introduction to social justice
- Homiletics I
- Liturgy practicum
- Community and Human Formation:
- Strengthen love and service
- Ministerial Formation:
- Intercessory prayer
- Homiletics practicum
- Preaching on difficult topics
Subdeacon (Minimum 9 months)
- Spiritual Formation:
- Prepare a spiritual talk/ mini retreat
- Devotional prayer in various forms
- Sub-deacon’s choice of any topic they would like
- Making a private retreat
- Intellectual Formation:
- Theology and history of Christian liturgy
- Theology of the diaconate
- Homiletics II
- Liturgy practicum
- Community and Human Formation:
- Life and service as major clergy
- Ministerial Formation:
- Outlining plans for future ministry
- Homiletics practicum: Video recording of homilies each month
- Ministry practicum: Baptisms, weddings, funerals, spiritual direction, pastoral counseling
- * For deacon candidates, any topics they wish to review
Priesthood Candidates only
Deacon (Minimum 12 months)
- Spiritual Formation:
- Give a spiritual talk/ mini retreat
- Spiritual direction & pastoral counseling
- Discussion: What do your homilies thus far say about you?
- Deacon’s choice of any topic they would like
- Intellectual Formation:
- Introduction to spiritual direction
- Introduction to parish ministry
- Introduction to pastoral ministry
- Theology of the priesthood
- The Sacraments: Reconciliation, marriage, funerals, baptism (segments) divided between subdeacon and deacon, sacramentals/ blessings
- Community and Human Formation:
- Life and service as a Deacon
- Ministerial Formation:
- Begin putting your ministry plan into practice as much as possible.
- Mass practicum: Video recording of all approved rites
- Ministry practicum: Reconciliation, anointing
- Any topics the deacon wishes to review
For additional information about our formation or incardination process for clergy, please read our Canons.
