Criteria for Nomination
There is need for 2 people from the spiritual direction community to be discerned at this time. We ask you to consult with the people whom you intend to nominate about their readiness and willingness to serve on the Council for a four-year term, commencing February 2026.
The criteria for nominating Council members are that the nominee would be:
publicly committed to the AECSD's Formation Guidelines: Recommendations to Foster, Support, and Recognise the Formation of Spiritual Directors in Australia and the Code of Ethics for Spiritual Directors.
experienced (for some years) in, and currently involved in the practice of spiritual direction.
open to and in some way already part of the wider ecumenical spiritual direction community in Australia e.g., an active member of one or other spiritual direction associations, a staff member of one or other spiritual direction formation programs, a supervisor of spiritual directors.
committed to pursuing best practice in spiritual direction in Australia as a God given vocation and charism of the Holy Spirit.
committed to contemplative discernment on behalf of the Australian Spiritual Direction community.
Further information on membership is available in the Constitution of the Australian Ecumenical Council for Spiritual Direction.
Nominations need to be returned by 31st October 2025. The Council will then discern the new members of the Council at its Council meeting on 18th November.
The discernment will be attentive to the need to have people from different geographical regions of Australia, a gender balance and a denominational balance.
To assist nominees to discern their availability to serve on the Council, nominees will need to be available:
to attend two 2-day in person meetings (the Council reimburses interstate airfares), and 2 half-day Zoom meetings each year;
to be involved in the recognition/re-recognition process of spiritual direction formation programs. This may include visiting formation programs that have applied for recognition according the Formation Guidelines;
to help plan and participate in Council-sponsored events, as well as undertake specific roles associated with the work of AECSD as discerned.
Please complete the online nomination form and click the submit button for each person that you nominate. Please ensure that you have notified and obtained agreement from your prospective nominee.