CAPTION: Self-Supporting Ministers make an enormous contribution to the life and future of the church.
Exeter Cathedral Service Celebrates 60 Years of Self-Supporting Ministry
A service to celebrate 60 years of Self-Supporting Ministers (SSMs) took place at Exeter Cathedral on Sunday 11 June at 4pm.
Self-Supporting Ministers are ordained clergy who carry out their ministry, for example as a parish priest, alongside their existing work. They do not receive a stipend (salary) but do receive expenses and sometimes accommodation.
The first SSMs were ordained at Southwark Cathedral in 1962. There are now over 60 SSMs based in parishes across Devon and around 2800 nationally.
The celebratory service was held at Exeter Cathedral, with refreshments at the Old Deanery afterwards.
Devon-based Rev’d John Lees is the Church of England’s National Officer for Self-Supporting Ordained Ministry. He said “As National Officer for Self-Supporting Ordained Ministry I am delighted that Exeter is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first ordination of SSMs in 1963.
“SSMs make an enormous contribution to the life – and future – of the church.”
John is himself an ordained priest as well as working as a career consultant. He added: “Being an SSM with a focus on the working world opens doors every day for me – I have all kinds of conversations about belief and all the gifts we are given.”
Rev’d Tracey Voysey is an SSM near Axminister, as well as working as a parish administrator. She said “I stand on the shoulders of all those SSM’s who trod the path before me and showed me there was a way for me to exist as an ordained Minister. Thank you to those who have lit the path for me over the last 60 years.
“For me, being an SSM in my own community and ministering to those I have lived alongside for many years has, at its heart, bringing the Gospel alive for them in ways they understand because I know their long-held stories. These are stories of lives that I know God wants to share in, and as an SSM it’s a privilege to bridge the gap between church and community in new ways.”
Across Devon there are now over 60 SSMs based in parishes.
The Bishop of Plymouth, the Right Rev’d James Grier gave a message at the Evensong service on Sunday. He said, “There couldn’t be a more appropriate saint’s day on which to celebrate the ministry of SSMs than St Barnabas’ day.
“Barnabas means ‘Son of encouragement’ and SSMs for the last 60 years have brought immense encouragement to the people, communities and churches of Devon.”
