The Diocese of Bristol is delighted to announce the ordination of eight new Deacons on Sunday 6th July 2025. These individuals come from diverse backgrounds and bring with them a rich tapestry of experiences, gifts, and callings. Each has responded to God’s invitation to serve, and we give thanks for their faithfulness and courage. As they prepare to begin their ordained ministry, we invite you to join us in prayer and celebration.
Meet the 2025 Deacon Ordination Candidates
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Andy Bissex The Benefice of Highworth with Sevenhampton and Inglesham and Hannington, and the Benefice of Broad Blunsdon “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19) “As a child I distinctly remember my lovely mum telling me that they called me Andrew in the hope that I would lead others to Jesus. Well, little did I know that it would take 60+ years for that hope to be realised. Following the call of Christ has had it’s up and downs with times of joy and times of sorrow. Times when the call to follow was suppressed, ignored and often blatantly refused. Yet in 2020, what had been become a nagging whisper that would not go away, became a shout along with a push! Today, I find myself thankful to my patient and long-suffering Lord and deeply grateful for the support of all those who have walked the path with me, encouraging me to go forward and to keep on following.” |
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Paul Harrod The Benefice of St Chad, Patchway “My father is a Methodist minister, and my grandmother and grandfather were both lay preachers. Yet I was adamant I would never follow into their footsteps! The early part of my career was focused on setting up new charities creating jobs for homeless people and ex-offenders. This was rewarding work, but I felt, increasingly, that there was something missing – both for myself, and more importantly for those I was seeking to serve. I was encouraged by Philip Rowe to train for lay ministry, and that was a great formative experience. Yet the repeated refrain – ‘when are you going to get ordained?’ – led me to see that God was calling into parish ministry on a full-time basis. I am excited to be starting a curacy in Patchway, and hope to support my Incumbent as he develops a model of intergenerational worship, and a new worshipping community in the primary school.” |
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Martina Lewis The Benefice of St Andrew, North Swindon “I have had a strong faith from infancy, having grown up in Germany in a Catholic household. I can remember playing "church" with my friends as a child, and I was always the minister - conducting weddings for my young friends and blessing the wafers which came out from my aunt's kitchen. Over my life, many times I have sensed God calling me, and I have tried to follow his call and serve him. My journey to this point has not been plain sailing, but God has always protected and guided me, and brought me to this point of ordination today. I am looking forward to the new challenges and opportunities the future will bring. The words of John 15:16 are very true in my life today: "You did not choose me but I chose you and I appointed you to go out and bear fruit, fruit that shall last." |
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Tatjana Ljujić Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity “I wasn’t raised a Christian; I came to faith later in life. As deeply drawn as I was to the Gospel and what it revealed about the nature of God—through Jesus’s self-giving way of being in the world, his zeal for justice and peace, and his commitment to uplifting the overlooked and oppressed—I was equally disheartened by many expressions of the Church I encountered: in the former Yugoslavia, the Netherlands, and the UK. This changed in 2018 when I met the Revd Tim Yeager, then Vicar of St George’s, Westcombe Park, who supported me through the bereavement following my father’s death. That encounter would prove to be not only faith-transforming, but also life-transforming, as my vocational journey since then testifies. The Revd Tim is no longer with us, but I hope my ministry will reflect something of the courage and generosity with which he so faithfully lived.” |
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Simon Rotheram The Benefice of Bristol Harbourside Churches "Since becoming a Christian aged 15, I have felt called to ministry in the Church. The best way I have found to articulate that feeling is a desire to “share the story of God’s love”, as the Ordinal says. Following Christ’s call has been the adventure that has shaped my life. It has led me to all sorts of amazing people and places, to work in schools, various communities, several churches, and now to ordination. Today feels like a significant and exciting step on the journey. I am thrilled to be serving my curacy in the Bristol Harbourside Churches, and look forward to joining in with all that God is doing in and through the churches of Holy Trinity and St Stephen’s." |
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Nitin Madan Shinde The Benefice of Christ Church Swindon “My story begins in India, shaped by my father's ministry and my work as a social worker. Even then, God was whispering a call, a call I now recognise more clearly. When I moved to the UK, that whisper became a nudge, then a conviction. In serving families facing deep challenges, I’ve seen Christ at work — quiet, present, and faithful. Though I cannot always speak His name aloud, I try to live His love. “My sheep will listen to my voice” (John 10:16). I’ve heard that voice — steady through struggle, tender in weakness — and I am responding. I began training for Ordained ministry at Sarum College in September 2023. Today, as I am ordained as a Deacon in the Church of England, I give thanks for the support of my family and friends. Ordination is not a new beginning but a deeper ‘yes’ to a life I’ve already been living: a servant’s path, shaped by grace, offered back to the One who called me.” |
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Isaac Watson The Benefice of St Philip and St Jacob with Emmanuel Bristol “I began a relationship with Jesus in my late teens, and have been gently discerning an ever-growing sense of call to ordination ever since. I’ve been blessed to learn from some very wise mentors, leaders, friends and family who have inspired me on various stages of the journey here - thank you to all of you! I’m so excited to join in with what God is doing in the centre of Bristol and trust that He will equip me with everything I need for this next season. "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24) |
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Madeline Watson To serve in the Bishops Mission Order of St Nicholas, Bristol “Whilst I have known the love of God all my life, the choice to openly follow Jesus and pursue an outward Christian faith happened for me at the age of eighteen. Since then, I have found myself in positions of leadership and studying theology. It is here where I realised my heart for studying God and His scriptures was not just for my enjoyment, but to equip me to tell others about it. Alongside kind friends and strong women, the call to ordained ministry was encouraged upon me, and I have since slowly, but faithfully, taken a step at a time. I am looking forward to taking this next step as a deacon, to join in with the mission God has for the city of Bristol and to shout even louder about the good things he has done in my life." |
As these candidates step into ordained ministry, we celebrate their journeys and the unique ways God has called each of them. Their stories are a testament to the power of grace, perseverance, and community. Please continue to hold them in your prayers as they begin their curacies and serve the Church with humility, courage, and joy. May their ministries bear lasting fruit and inspire others to listen for God’s call in their own lives.