CAPTION: Bishop Jackie with the group before their ordination
Next Generation of Clergy Prepare for Ordination at Exeter Cathedral
A cross-channel swimmer, a gaming and sci-fi fan, a psychotherapist and a former solicitor are among 12 people who will be ordained as church ministers in Exeter this weekend.
They have spent the last few years doing ordination training at theological colleges in the Southwest and elsewhere.
Kate Jackson is a mother of four, who began her journey to ordination 15 years ago. She said “I was a stay-at-home mum living in Birmingham. I tried to escape the call – by moving to Devon and then being busy training for a channel swim alongside solo parenting for much of the time. But God always knew where to find me, and here I am now.
“I still enjoy sea and wild swimming, although my days of major challenges are over! I am excited to be heading towards ordination. I feel it’s a deep privilege to be accepted to work within the Church of England in this capacity.”
The new deacons-to-be shortly before their ordination retreat
Deborah Leighton-Plom, trained at St Mellitus College in Plymouth. She and her family were forced to move house when their home in Exeter was badly damaged by the detonation of an unexploded World War Two bomb two years ago.
She said “I have always been committed to social justice, and feel called to serve the marginalised and disempowered, something that is at the heart of the ministry of a deacon. My husband Ash is also ordained, and so has been an enormous support to me.”
Deborah said, in their spare time, she and Ash share a love of “science fiction and fantasy genres and other geeky pursuits.”
“I felt a growing whisper to ordination.” Shaun Tipton
Shaun Tipton is a former solicitor in the criminal justice system. He lives in Sidmouth but will be working as a Self-Supporting Minister in Exmouth once he is ordained. He said “I felt a growing whisper to ordination, originally with what I thought to be a focus on prison ministry.
“I trained with South West Ministry Training Course (SWMTC). I am very much looking forward to my new role, meeting and developing relationships with others, inside and outside the church community.”
The ordinations at Exeter Cathedral on Saturday will be carried out by the Rt. Rev’d Jackie Searle, the Acting Bishop of Exeter. She said “Ordaining is one of the greatest privileges of being a bishop.
“I feel very grateful to God for his call on my life and his call in the lives of others – the next generation. It’s hugely exciting and gives me so much hope.”
After the ordination service, the Deacons (newly ordained clergy) will be based in parishes across Devon which encompass a broad variety of church traditions and styles of worship.
On Friday, Bishop Jackie joined the group at Sheldon Retreat Centre, where they had spent several days in preparation, and gave them a pre-ordination message of encouragement, known as a ‘bishop’s charge’.
She concluded her message by talking about the rich diversity of the diocese: “In Devon, we are truly a broad church encompassing a range of traditions. We endeavour to enable the full range of views to be heard, to keep listening carefully and to discern the best way forward in a way that honours all God’s people. As bishops we are committed to supporting all clergy and church communities equally, and to ensuring the diocese is a safe, hospitable, and trustworthy place for all. We are united in our shared mission to grow in prayer, make new disciples and serve the people of Devon with joy.”
You can find out more about vocational opportunities in the Church of England here: https://exeter.anglican.org/ministry/vocations/
