At the time a person is named a postulant for Holy Orders, the Committee on Holy Orders (COHO) will assign one of its members to be a Companion to that person. These guidelines are intended to define the relationship of the postulant and the COHO companion.

1. Purpose. The purpose of the COHO companion is to provide a convenient and relatively informal avenue for ongoing communication and advice between people in process (PIPs) and COHO.

2. The Role of the COHO Companion. Initial contact with the PIP should be made by the companion soon after he or she is assigned. Once that initial contact is made, responsibility for ongoing communication is shared but is primarily that of the PIP.

The COHO companion is to be aware of where the PIP is in terms of studies, Clinical Pastoral Education (or equivalent), field education, and other aspects of progress towards ordination. The companion should serve as an ordination process adviser to the PIP: he or she should help to identify procedural steps (such as application for candidacy) when the time is appropriate, and guide the PIP through any questions that may arise. The companion should be familiar with the ordination process for Deacons and Priests, but should not hesitate to contact either of the COHO co-chairs, or the Bishop, if clarification is needed or special circumstances arise.

3. The Role of the Person in Process. The PIP has an obligation to keep the companion informed about what the PIP is doing: program of studies, scheduling of CPE or equivalent, choices concerning field education, and so forth, so that the companion will have the information he or she needs to serve usefully as an adviser. As a general rule, PIPs should be in touch with their companions at least a couple of times a year, and should update them each time a major step in the ordination process is completed. Because companions will be the COHO members most familiar with their respective PIPs, questions about the ordination process should be directed in the first

instance to the companion.

The PIP is always primarily responsible for knowing, anticipating, and completing the various steps of the ordination process. The companion is a resource toward that end.