Education for Ministry - EfM

An adult education programme at St John's Cathedral

Our call to be ministers in the world

Many people think that one must be ordained in order to be a ‘minister’. The fact is that all baptised Christians are called to be active participants in the Church’s total ministry. This total ministry is nothing less than the exercise of the Church's vocation to continue the ministry of Jesus. He reconciled the world to God. We are called to incarnate that reconciliation in our own time and in our own place through worship, service to others, and by proclamation of God's Word to all people.

What is EFM?

EFM is a comprehensive educational programme involving intensive study of Christianity. Participants learn from their own experience, from other Christians, and from the traditions of Christianity found in Scripture and in the history of the Church.

EfM was developed in 1975 by the Anglican School of Theology at the University of the South in Tennessee, and has expanded internationally and ecumenically - with groups in Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Mexico, The Bahamas, and Botswana as well as the USA, and including people from other denominations. Over the years 80,000 people have participated in EfM.

EfM began in Australia in 1978 and is now administered, under licence from the University of the South, by The Anglican Diocese of Brisbane as EfM-Australia. It came to Hong Kong in the 1990s and is currently administered by EfM-Australia.

For whom is EFM intended?

EFM is for those who want to discover more about Christianity and their ministry as baptized Christians.

No specific qualifications are needed to join a group, beyond an ability to read English discerningly, and make the necessary time commitment.

At present there is a Chinese-speaking group which meets from September to June.

Year 1 - The Hebrew Bible
Year 2 - The New Testament  
Year 3 - Church History
Year 4 - Theology, Ethics, and Interfaith Encounter

What does EFM cost?

The annual cost of EfM at present is HK$2,500. This covers the study guide and mentoring.

Recruitment is usually by invitation in the weekly Pew Bulletin once or twice a year and occasionally open evenings are held for people interested in joining.