The Right Revd Vivienne Faull, Bishop of Bristol, will license ten ordinands this Sunday 5 July. The soon-to-be-vicars will be licensed as Lay Workers, via zoom, so they can begin work ahead of their ordinations, which have been postponed until October due to Covid-19.
This is an important moment for the ordinands who have completed their studies at theological college and will now begin their curacies, working alongside experienced priests as they develop into leaders of the future. They will be formally ordained as Deacons at a service in October.
The ordinands, from across the diocese will each join the service from home, as will the Bishop. There will be two services, one for ordinands working in the Malmesbury area and one for the Bristol area.
The Bishop will also be re-licensing Assistant Curates who were due to be ordained as Priests. Their formal ordinations will take place in October.
The Right Revd Vivienne Faull, Bishop of Bristol, said:
“My thoughts and prayers are with these ten talented individuals who have responded to God’s call on their lives. While their licensing as Lay Workers on Sunday is not what any of us had imagined, this is still a significant moment in their journey of answering God’s call. I pray that as they start work in their communities in extraordinary and testing times, they will know God’s prompting and God’s leading as they look ahead to their ordinations, all being well, in October. I am thrilled to welcome our Lay Workers amongst us!”
Ordinands in Bristol area:
Chris Brown – Christ Church, Clifton
Gaby Doherty – St Matthew and St Nathanael’s, Kingsdown
Kandis Douglas – St Peter’s Henleaze
Cheryl Hawkins – Holy Trinity, Westbury on Trym
Jo Morris – St Mary Magdalene, Stoke Bishop
Ordinands in Malmesbury area:
Mark Nam – St Annes’ and United Church, Longwell Green
Vicky Wicks – St Michael’s Stoke Gifford
Anjali Kanagaratnam - Bybrook Team Ministry, North Wiltshire
Thomas Morgan - Pattern Church, Swindon
Rob Stewart - St Bartholomew's, Wick