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The Parish Church is Good News Says New Mission Community Development Minister
The Rev’d Canon Greg Bakker has been appointed as the Diocese of Exeter’s first Mission Community Development Minister. The grant-funded role is a key part of the diocese’s Pray Grow Serve 2035 ten-year plan to help churches in Devon flourish and grow and make new disciples. Greg, who will be one of three Mission Community Development Ministers, will be working across Totnes Archdeaconry covering South and Mid Devon. His role is to support mission communities…
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Team Vicar Completes 62-Mile Challenge to Support Rural Churches and Communities
Rev’d Jeremy Putnam has completed an extraordinary 62-mile fundraising challenge, walking across the Crediton area to visit all 27 churches in his benefice and raising thousands of pounds to support local mission and ministry. Over two days last weekend, Jeremy set out to ‘beat the bounds’ of the newly formed benefice, covering more than 100km on foot and visiting every village church across the 20 parishes he serves as Team Vicar. The challenge was about…
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Pioneering Parishes Book Launch Hosted by Diocese
A book launch for the new Into All the Parish book by the team behind Pioneering Parishes has taken place at the Diocese of Exeter’s Old Deanery offices. The authors Rev’d Greg Bakker and Rev’d Tina Hodgett said the short book was designed for church leaders, PCCs and others to read and ponder on how they could be and do church differently in a way that included as many people as possible and offered a…
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Serving with Joy: Three New Lay Leaders Commissioned
An Anna Chaplain, a Growing Faith Leader, and a Lay Pioneer have been commissioned to serve churches and communities across Devon with joy at a special service held in North Devon. The commissioning service was held at St Paul’s Church, Sticklepath, on Sunday 19 July 2026. The service saw Carole Norman, a churchwarden, commissioned as an Anna Chaplain serving the parish of St Paul’s Church Sticklepath with Roundswell; Jackie Skinner commissioned as a Growing Faith…
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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. This followed a smaller ordination service at the Bishop’s Palace Chapel in Exeter for one candidate on health grounds on Friday…
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Highest Number of New Clergy Being Ordained in Devon for a Number of Years
The number of new parish priests and church ministers being ordained at Exeter Cathedral this weekend is the highest for a number of years. 20 people are being ordained as deacons and 11 people are becoming priests after being ordained as deacons a year ago. It is also the first time in a number of years that the ordination services for deacons and priests will happen in the same place on the same day. In…
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