Ordained deacon in July 2022 | Ordained priest in July 2023

My home town is Cheltenham in Gloucestershire and I have was hugely privileged to grow up in a Christian home.

I had various life challenges and got a bit angry with God in my teens, but God continued to pursue me and I returned to church age 20 and sensed a call to ordination in the first year of my return to faith, so have been carrying the call for about 22 years now!

It’s a delight to start my curacy at St Alkmund's this year and hope that God will use me as he sees fit! 

I have a career background in theatre in education and education administration which involved my last five years prior to ordination working for the Diocese of Gloucester education team. 

I am passionate about helping people to understand something of the depth of God’s love for them and the world and am motivated by discipleship, mission and supporting people to draw close to Christ in the midst of all types of suffering and grief.

This is much of my own personal testimony and I believe it’s part of why God has called me to His church.

I’m grateful that no tear is ever wasted by God. 

Other passions include, in no particular order: coffee, cheese, prayer, my cat Bundle, my family and gorgeous God children, lego, and reading.

I also have a hugely eclectic music taste which can make people chuckle. Does anyone else remember and love the Wombles?! 

Favourite hymn: Great is Thy Faithfulness and favourite modern worship song is Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, because that’s the God I know and can testify about! 

Favourite Bible passage: Isaiah 61 - Sums the gospel up beautifully and sums up my journey with God, too! 

Who becomes a priest?

My passion was trying to help children and families have the best possible quality of life

Ordained deacon in July 2022 | Ordained priest in July 2023

My name is Rhiannon, and I was brought up in the Salvation Army until my parents moved us to a Presbyterian church when I was 15.

This started theological reflection and questioning as I started trying to reconcile very different understandings of some Bible passages. 

I chose to attend an Anglican church aged 17 but, after marrying, we attended one of the new churches for many years. 

We moved to Glossop in 1999 - convinced God wanted us in an Anglican church - and have been part of Whitfield Parish since then.

During this time, I have been a member of and led small groups, been on the prayer ministry team, on PCC and Deanery Synod and helped with a variety of church events, particularly enjoying helping with Messy Church and holiday clubs.

I was a Street Pastor for nearly a decade. 

It was a privilege to show God’s love in this way and fascinating seeing and hearing what unchurched people thought about faith and the church. 

I learned a huge amount, including that many non-Christians are comfortable asking faith questions when they are ‘on their own turf’ but would not consider entering a church to ask them.

I worked for the NHS most of my working life, as a children’s physiotherapist working with children with disabilities and their families in the community.

My passion was trying to help children and families have the best possible quality of life, given the disabilities children had and I took on roles which allowed me to forward this agenda.

I retired early when Occupational Health decided my health was not compatible with working with these children.

My husband Geoff and I met as students and have been married for 40 years and we have 2 (or 3) children, depending on how you count: our birth sons Barney and Pete, and Myrle, who we fostered decades ago and remains part of our family.

I love walking in the country, gardening, reading, sewing and knitting - when time allows.

Favourite hymns: there are so many, I might choose different ones on different days. Today's are ‘Thine be the Glory’ and ‘Build Your Kingdom Here’ by Rend Collective.

Favourite Bible verses: Among my favourites are John 3.16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life", Rom 12.1-2 and Eph 3.14-21.

Communion service is where I feel closest to Jesus

Ordained deacon in July 2022 | Ordained priest in July 2023

I am excited to be joining the United Benefice of Atlow, Bradley, Hognaston, Hulland and Kniveton in July.

I am originally from Birmingham and I grew up in a secular family, coming to faith in 2011 and feeling a call to ordination soon after that, although I did not seriously explore ordination until 2016.

My ordination training was at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.

After I left school, I joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a telecommunications operator, where I had a great career and enjoyed doing many sports including fencing and luge.

Twenty-eight years later, I left the RAF to answer my call to ordination.

Whilst working with the Oxford Diocesan Director of Ordinands (DDO), I worked in Aylesbury Prison as a teaching assistant, helping the young men who had learning difficulties with their education.

For me, it was a blessed time where God helped me to work with people who I would not normally have had chance to meet.

My sending church is: Church of the Holy Spirit in Aylesbury.

I have been on the PCC and Deanery Synod along with a number of other roles within the church.

I was also a Street Angel for the Aylesbury Church network, where we go out as a team of three on a Friday or Saturday evening in Aylesbury Town centre representing God’s presence and to care for the night-time economy.

A move to Derbyshire is exciting as I enjoy walking, so I am looking forward to exploring the five parishes of the benefice in the glorious countryside.

I also enjoy gardening and cooking, although baking is not something I have been able to master - yet.

My preferred service is the communion service, it is where I feel closest to Jesus.

One of my favourite hymns: In Christ Alone.

One of my favourite Bible verses: Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I have particularly been able to focus in on Disability Theology

Ordained deacon in July 2022 | Ordained priest in July 2023

Hi, I’m Sam! I’m originally from down south in rural Gloucestershire, you may be imagining cheese-rolling and Hot Fuzz, and I wouldn’t want to stop you thinking that!

For the last three years I’ve been living in Birmingham and training at the Queen’s Foundation.

From the breadth of study within Theology, Ministry and Mission and my own research, I have particularly been able to focus in on Disability Theology.

This comes from my own identity as a disabled person but also the joy of exploring the vastness of Jesus Christ.

Gradually travelling north, I left for Herefordshire to train in graphic design.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I have developed a lot of church branding, websites and posters over the years.

It was also during this time I started to discern where God was calling me.

Having explored religious life (being a nun!), and working full-time praying for people over the phone, I decided to work for a year in a parish church in Hereford.

The idea of being a priest completely terrified me but I kept exploring what this might look like!

[Somewhere in this time I had my next-door neighbour tell me that she didn’t believe women should be ordained.

Rather surprisingly, this is the clearest moment I felt God calling me. Instead of feeling threatened by this, it lit a fire in me, giving me a deeper knowing that God was calling me to become a priest.]

Before coming to Birmingham, I had the joy of getting to be a part of the Chaplaincy team at Keele University.

It was there that I started to more seriously embrace God’s call to ordained ministry, where I had the privilege and the invitation to travel with those in their everyday experiences - a ministry of reaching those on the margins and a practicing to be a visible reminder of God’s love through hospitality.

On days off I’m likely to be exploring Derbyshire countryside with my trusty camera, cooking with friends, or print making.

It’s with this mixture of experience that I come to be ordained deacon, very excited and possibly a little less terrified than before.

I look forward to serving as curate across Swadlincote Minister.

Favourite Bible verse: I always love the passages which involve food and where we get the reminder that God came to be with us. Jesus’ meal with Zacchaeus does both these things, where He says: ‘“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”’ (Luke 19:10)

Favourite hymn: Very difficult to pick one, but I always love a song that gets everyone singing with enthusiasm. So I’ll go for: Tell Out, My Soul.

I've always had a sense of calling to ordained ministry, but assumed that either God or I had got it wrong!

Ordained deacon in July 2022 | Ordained priest in July 2023

I'm Elliot, and for almost all of my 32 years I've lived in Swadlincote, South Derbyshire.

I'll be ordained in July 2022 as the new curate for the Dronfield with Holmesfield Parish, and Megan and I are really looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us up there!

We're particularly looking forward to engaging with young people, music, and bridging connections with the parish's five churches.

Although I've been a "Christian" for my whole life, it wasn't until I was 13 when I first encountered the Holy Spirit that I began to have a true relationship with Jesus – showing me the errors of my adolescent mischief but surrounding me with his love and grace.

God has never failed to be with me even through my darker days, and more than ever I know that he is strong when I am weak.

To some extent, I've always had a sense of calling to ordained ministry, but assumed that either God or I had got it wrong!

For a long time I wanted to be a psychiatrist/therapist, hoping to help people by helping them understand themselves better; but academia wasn't my friend as a teenager and I never went to uni, instead I worked in electronics for a decade.

During this time, my role at church grew and expanded – worship leader, youth leader, PCC member, preacher, etc – but it wasn't until I proposed to Megan in 2016 that I felt the call to ordination reawaken, and felt a fresh outpouring of God's grace amongst my many failures and weaknesses.

Three years of patience, discernment, support from friends and family, and finally a thumbs-up from the Bishop's Advisory Panel, and we were off to train at Trinity College Bristol, and earn that degree I'd missed out on the first time around!

So here we are, on the brink of ordination, (which is both exciting and terrifying!) and I've never been so sure that God has amazing plans for us to bring his kingdom on earth, alongside amazing people to share this calling with.

A particular passion of mine is helping others to see their own calling, and hopefully helping them grow into the person God made them to be, so let’s get started together!

Favourite Bible verse: Psalm 23 has always had a special place in my heart, and helped me know God even in the valleys. But, as clichéd as it is, John 3:16 for me summarises the whole gospel in one verse: God lovingly and graciously gave his Son that we may have life to the full.

Favourite worship song: "So Will I" by Hillsong, which not only beautifully speaks of God's creation and Jesus's redemption of the world, but declares how I will respond in worship and service to him. "I can see your heart eight billion different ways, every precious one a child you died to save. If you gave your life to love them, so will I."

The ‘Seeing Creation’ exhibition was held on the 1-2 May 2022 at Hathersage Parish Church.

Inspired by creation it focused on six areas including textile creativity, visual arts,shaping with wood, caring for creation, children’s crafts and hospitality.

Here Bernard Madden from the organising team shares his reflection on the success of the event.

Textiles: From displaying existing and contemporary church and personal textiles to a busy table of lace making and cross-stitching workshops led by experienced hands, the area was abuzz with those trying out new skills.

Visual arts: Here we displayed how contemporary mainstream national artists capture aspects of the Christian faith; and about twenty local invited artists and photographers displayed their work.

It was heartening to see the creative talent all around us being shared with an appreciative audience.

Shaping with wood: This was hugely popular; under the careful instruction of a church member with his band fret saw, every age enjoyed having a go at cutting some creatureshape for themselves.

A lovely take-away!

Caring for creation: It was important to show how seriously we as a church take this.

Both A Rocha / Eco Church and local Climate Action Group enthusiasts were on hand to inform and encourage - and to give away something to plant!

Children’s crafts: Central in the church was a large table-top cardboard model reflecting our surrounding Hope Valley. 

All ages enjoyed making a tree from a paper bag, decorating with colourful leaves and ‘planting’ it on the model and taking a scripture verse card. ‘The leavesare for the healing of the nations’.

Clay model-making proved popular with the children.

Our schoolchildren painted their self-portraits on paper plates strung overhead.

Hospitality: We ensured that Welcomers were always at the door and refreshments constantly available in the church (importantly, not in a separate room, and by donation rather than charge).

This proved to be ‘the glue’ in the event – binding each aspect together with opportunity to stay around, relax and chat. ‘Practice hospitality’ (1 Peter 4:9)!

Positive vibes

We had worked hard, transformed how the church looked - clearing away some of the flexible pews, hanging banners and displays – but were rewarded with much appreciation as well as good insights into how many ‘see church’.

One remarked: “This is how I remember church: being together and having space to chat and enjoy time here.”

Others: ‘Wonderful to visit such a vibrant and creative community.’

‘Lovely welcoming … What a fabulous use of church facilities.’

At the entrance were the words: ‘Jesus is Lord! Creation’s voice proclaims it!’

Yes, and the same Lord who made each of us gave us gifts for sharing and encouraging and testifying to all that He has given us.

As our vicar, Paul Moore, reminded us in our opening service: “Now get out and see all the wonder, beauty and glory of God all around us that He has so generously created”.

Bernard Madden and event team.

Taking Minutes

↓ Download: Hints and tips for minute taking [PDF]

We are delighted to be able to invite you to the next Diocese of Derby and Ecclesiastical Insurance churchwarden networking event.

This will take place at St Thomas’s Church, Brampton on Thursday 30 June between 10am and 3pm. 

This time, there will be a focus on environmental topics.  Gareth Greenwood, our Diocesan Community Projects Development Officer, will be helping us to learn how we can source funding and grants for building work, as well as considering how we can use our buildings more widely. Lynne Ingham from Ecclesiastical Insurance will talk to us about keeping churches open. As part of the day, Stella Collishaw, our Community Action Officer, will be giving us some more information about churches reaching net zero carbon by 2030. 

In addition, John Beardmore, our Diocesan Energy Advisor, Nigel Sherratt, our DAC Secretary, Kat Alldread, our Lay Vocations Officer and Dave King from the Comms Team will be present throughout the day.

The day will end with a question-and-answer session where those present will answer any questions you may have relating to the environment, church buildings, sourcing funding and the Church of England’s net zero carbon target. 

Please submit in advance any questions on these subjects. This can be done either by emailing Ellie Ballard directly ellie.ballard@derby.anglican.org before the 28 June or by completing the section on the Eventbrite booking form when you register. Cathy Luffman or Ellie Ballard can provide you with the registration link - places are limited, so please secure yours as soon as possible.

As well as reserving your place, please also let us know of any dietary requirements that you may have.

If you wanted to bring anyone else with you from your PCC who has a specific interest in any of these matters, then please do forward this invitation on to them.

If, following the recent APCMs, you are no longer the churchwarden, please would you pass this invitation on to your successor and let them know how much we would love to see them at this event.

For any questions about the event, please either contact Cathy on cathy.luffman@derby.anglican.org or Ellie Ballard on the email above.

We look forward to seeing you there.