CAPTION: The new Licensed Lay Ministers have trained for two years and will be serving in parishes across Devon
Bishop Moira Licenses New Lay Ministers to be Instruments of God’s Love in the World
The Bishop of Crediton has licensed four new Licensed Lay Ministers to serve in the Diocese of Exeter in her new capacity as Diocesan Lead for Licensed Lay Ministers.
The annual service celebrating licensed lay ministry across Devon took place at Exeter Cathedral on Saturday 4 October.
The Rt. Rev’d Moira Astin said: “It’s a real joy to take on this new role. All of us in our baptism are called to be ministers, but it’s right that some are set apart to have the extra training and extra focus in their lives.
I look forward to supporting LLMs as they serve in our churches in their various ministries, not least through opening the scriptures and bringing their daily experiences of serving God to inspire the discipleship of those in our churches and beyond.”
The role has previously been known as Warden of Readers.
Those being licensed as LLMs were Christina Shields, Rosalind Pugsley, Elizabeth Bevan and Liz Dunbar – who is the first person in the Diocese of Exeter to be licensed as a Pioneer LLM after training with the Church Mission Society.
Bishop Moira said “This is one of the gifts of God to his Church that we are rediscovering. Those, like Liz, who are called to be in situations where you don’t have the regular church. Liz is bringing something into focus which we are all called to be – God’s instruments of love in the world.”
Lesley Gubbins and Richard Orr were also licensed at the service after transferring from another diocese.
They and the new LLMs were all supported at the service by their archdeacons, vicars and tutors from Spiritus theological college, which carries out LLM training in the diocese.
There were also many LLMs who had gathered from across the county to encourage their new members and renew their commitment “to proclaim the word and works of God.”
Dave Lewis, an LLM in Barnstaple, was the preacher and encouraged those gathered to follow in the wake of Simon Peter the fisherman and “not be afraid but accept God’s invitation to go out a bit further and a bit deeper to find a space where you can be lifted higher and find the Kingdom of God is that bit closer.”
You can find out more about training as an LLM here.
