‘So what exactly is spiritual direction?’ It’s a perfectly reasonable question, but one that it can be tricky to answer – especially if the person asking has little or no familiarity with the context.
‘Sort of a bit like counselling, but about God and stuff’, we might sometimes find ourselves saying. Except, of course, that’s not it at all!
Spiritual Direction has been part of the Christian tradition since the days of the early Church. It is also sometimes known as Spiritual Accompaniment, which suggests walking alongside someone in their faith journey, rather than telling them what to do.
One thing that often has to be made clear to people exploring the idea of having a spiritual director for the first time is that it’s not about solving problems; rather, it is about exploring our relationship with God, through prayer and reflection on our experience of faith and life. It’s essentially a conversation between two people, not only about God, but in which God may even be a third participant.
Whilst the primary focus will – or at least should – concern a person’s prayer life, this will inevitably be seen in the context of life as a whole, in all its various aspects. That said, the Director is not there to give advice or tell people what to believe in, but rather to listen attentively and act as a ‘sounding board’ for whatever someone might bring to the session.
It could be the challenges of maintaining a regular discipline of prayer; it could be everyday matters relating to family life or the workplace. But even when the conversation seems to be dominated by more mundane issues, a good director will invariably ask, ‘so where is God in all of this?’
One of the most significant aspects of the work of St Antony’s Priory involves the training and provision of spiritual directors. We manage a network of spiritual directors spread across the northeast of England, together with the referrals process for people seeking a spiritual director. We are also very fortunate in being able to provide dedicated meeting rooms at the Priory, which people can book to meet with their directees. In addition, we run a two-year programme of formation, which we call ‘Exploring Spiritual Accompaniment’, and we offer ongoing support for members of our network, including supervision groups and bespoke safeguarding training for spiritual directors.
St Antony’s Priory was originally established in 1985 by the Society of the Sacred Mission (SSM), an Anglican religious order founded towards the end of the 19th century in order to train clergy for the Church of England, and which is perhaps best known in connection with Kelham theological College. Although Kelham closed 50 years ago, we remain true to the foundational principles of SSM, by offering a ministry of Christian hospitality, including retreat accommodation and quiet days for groups and individuals, as well as a full timetable of weekday and Sunday services in the chapel. In an exciting new development, we are currently in the process of establishing an Institute for Anglican Religious Life.
The Priory has been involved in training spiritual directors for over 20 years. Throughout this time, the course has always been ecumenical, and we maintain close partnerships with the Catholic diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, as well as other denominations.
Our two-year course provides an opportunity for personal spiritual development, as well as offering practical and experiential training in the skills applicable to accompanying others on their faith journey. All those who then go on to accompany others are required to adhere to the Retreat Association Spiritual Direction Guidelines. They will themselves have a Spiritual Director and will also be expected to attend regular supervision.
During 2020-21, as a result of the interruption of lockdown, we had the opportunity to review the course, making a number of changes relating to how it would be delivered. This process was significantly shaped by our participation in the discussions that led to the new Guidance for Developing Formation Programmes for Spiritual Directors, launched by the Retreat Association in 2024.
Our approach draws on a broad range of Christian wisdom and spirituality, including the Ignatian tradition. One of the key principles undergirding the course is that it should be congruous with the process of spiritual accompaniment itself. Rather than simply being a programme of training in skills or knowledge, it is understood as a process of discernment and formation in the gift of this distinctive ministry.
The foundational aims of SSM speak of ‘increasing the number of those giving their lives to the divine service’, ‘the conversion and perfection of souls’, and the ‘cultivation of divine science’. If we had to choose one word to encapsulate everything the Priory stands for, we could do worse than to pick ‘discipleship’.
In everything we do – whether that is having ordinands on placement, offering time and space for people to be on retreat, or the training and provision of spiritual directors – we see our role as providing the appropriate conditions in which people can explore and deepen their discipleship. For those seeking a spiritual director this may be quite explicit. Many come to us looking for a spiritual director precisely because they want to be more intentional about their walk with God and engage more deeply with their faith.
The same may be true of those called to offer accompaniment – and to take our course. Our spiritual directors come from all walks of life, are a mixture of clergy and lay people, and belong to a variety of different Christian denominations.
One thing we have observed in recent years is that demand for spiritual accompaniment only seems to be increasing – making the need for training new spiritual directors ever more urgent. Part of this increase is the requirement that all ordinands in the Church of England, and even those in the early stages of thinking about ordination, are now required to have a spiritual director. But it’s not just ordinands. We find that many people, including some who are not practising Christians, are nevertheless seeking spiritual depth in a fractured world.
Companions for the journey are needed now more than ever.
Originally published in the Retreat Association Handbook, 2025