CAPTION: The Bishops of Exeter Diocese with the newly ordained ministers
20 New Church Ministers for Devon Ordained at Exeter Cathedral
20 people have been ordained as church ministers at Exeter Cathedral this weekend, the highest number in recent times.
They will now be serving in parishes across Devon, including in villages, towns, coastal and urban communities.
19 men and women were ordained deacon in a packed service at Exeter Cathedral on Saturday 27 June.
Rev’d Rich Kelly celebrates with family after being ordained
This followed a smaller ordination service at the Bishop’s Palace Chapel in Exeter for one candidate on health grounds on Friday 26 June.
Rev’d Elizabeth Flaherty will be serving as a curate in Barnstaple and trained at St Stephen’s House in Oxford. She said after the service “I’m so excited, it’s been the most wonderful experience. I grew up in the Church and more and more I felt God calling me to devote more of my life to him.”
“I’m most looking forward to getting to know the people in my new parish. I really love people and I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone.”
Rev’d Rich Kelly became a committed Christian when he was 14 and worked as a secondary school music teacher and church worship and youth leader before training for ordination in Plymouth.
Some of the new ministers who trained on the Exeter Ordination Pathway
He commented “I feel quite emotional and excited about what God has done here today and what he is going to be doing in the coming weeks and years. I’m most looking forward to getting to pray for people, particularly for healing.”
One reason for the high number of people being ordained this year is the new Exeter Ordination Pathway for ministerial training.
The 12-month pathway began last September, and ten students were amongst those being ordained.
The Bishop of Exeter, the Rt. Rev’d Dr Mike Harrison, who leads the new training pathway, said the high number of ordinations was a cause for celebration: “I’m delighted to see so many people come forward for ordination this year, indeed it is the most in recent history.
“To my mind this is indicative of a movement of the Holy Spirit and reflects how many people in Devon are looking to go deeper to find a sense of meaning and purpose in life.
11 ministers were ordained as priests by Bishop Moira
“These new church ministers will be spread across the parishes of Devon, from coast to moor, in urban environments and in rural ones. They will be resourcing churches ministry and mission and serving their communities with joy in manifold ways.”
Rev’d Antonia Tregenza, from Crediton, who trained on the new ordination pathway, said her road to ordination began seven years ago when she did the Diocese of Exeter’s Foundations course and then trained as a Licensed Lay Minister.
She said: “It’s been a wonderful joyful journey and an incredible emotional rollercoaster, but we’re there now and it’s just so wonderful.”
In the afternoon of 27 June, 11 people who were ordained last year as deacons were ordained as priests by the Bishop of Crediton, the Rt. Rev’d Moira Astin.
It was her first ordinations since she was consecrated as a bishop last July.
You can find out more about the different training run by the Diocese of Exeter here: https://exeter.anglican.org/ministry/lay-ministry/foundations/
You can watch a recording of the Deacons service here.
Read the New Deacons Faith Stories
Watch a recording of the Priests service here.
New Priests Share Their Stories
