CAPTION: Debbie Vickery, from St George's and St Paul's church in Tiverton, was commissioned at St John the Baptist Church in Bishop's Tawton on Sunday 2 March.
First Growing Faith Leader Commissioned at Service in North Devon
The first Growing Faith Leader for Children and Families has been commissioned by the Archdeacon of Barnstaple at a service in North Devon.
The service saw the first commissioning of a Growing Faith Leader, along with two newly commissioned Anna Chaplains
Debbie Vickery, from St George’s and St Paul’s church in Tiverton, was commissioned at St John the Baptist Church in Bishop’s Tawton on Sunday 2 March.
Debbie said, “I’m really excited to be commissioned as a Growing Faith Leader for Children and Families. Having done Catalyst training last year and the Foundations course, it’s great to see children and families are being recognised as serving with love and joy.
“We want to grow more young people and faith, introduce them and get them to meet with Jesus.”
“Working with children and families is an important role, and it’s really exciting that it’s being recognised in this way.”
“In my role I will be continuing to hopefully help build God’s kingdom in Tiverton.”
Debbie was part of the pilot Diocese of Exeter cohort of 10 people who studied ‘Catalyst’ with Ridley Hall in 2024, creating a supportive and impactful network of reflective practice in Children, Youth and Families Ministry.
The commissioning service was led by the Archdeacon of Barnstaple.
Building from the widely appreciated Anna Chaplaincy ministry, the Growing Faith Leader role is one of a number of new Commissioned lay leadership roles in the diocese, which aim to encourage different forms of vocation and release missional energy locally.
Training for a commissioned role involves a short course and follows on from the Foundations introduction to theology course.
Once someone has done the training they will be commissioned by their archdeacon to serve in a specific voluntary role in their mission community.
The first commissioned roles to be rolled-out this year include Growing Faith Leader for Children and Families, Growing Faith Leader for Youth, Anna Chaplains, and Pioneer Leaders.
Sunday’s service, Archdeacon Verena Breed also commissioned Rev’d Scott Angell from the Honiton Mission Community, and Rev’d Ruth Frampton, from the Teign Valley and Haldon Mission Community, as Anna Chaplains, which is a specialist ministry working with older people.
Rev’d Scott Angell and Rev’d Ruth Frampton were commissioned as Anna Chaplains
At Afterwards Scott said “It’s great to be commissioned as an Anna Chaplain. I can see a real sense of call for older people’s ministry.
“Where I am I have six care homes, and no team, so it’s great to have a role where I can train people to be Anna Friends and go into care homes and be with people who are on their own or in their retirement years.”
The Bishop of Exeter who was at the commissioning service, said “It’s been a brilliant service, and great to see so many here to support and affirm these ministries, and every blessing to those ministries as they go forward.”
Rev’d Jeremy Putnam, the diocese Mission Enabler, said he hoped lots of people would consider training for a commissioned role: “I’m really excited about these new roles. In so many ways they reflect the many ways the Holy Spirit is at work in and through our churches as well as supporting people making that step from personal discipleship into leadership in the church.”
Debbie said that now she is a commissioned Growing Faith leader she hopes to expand the Lifepath school’s project in Tiverton and to build connections with older children and young people and help them to know they have a role in the church.
You can find out more about Commissioned roles in the Diocese of Exeter here.
