The Right Revd Vivienne Faull, Bishop of Bristol, licensed ten ordinands as Lay Workers on Sunday 5 July. They can now begin work in their churches and communities ahead of their ordinations, which have been postponed until October due to Covid-19.
Sunday was a day of celebration 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, joined the service from home, along with family, friends and one or two pets. They each affirmed that it is God’s will that they should fulfil the ministry of Lay Worker.
The Right Revd Vivienne Faull, Bishop of Bristol, said: “Today is another day of you putting on Christ’s uniform of ministry. A process of being clothed, which began at your baptism when you began in ministry.”
Bishop Viv also addressed how she herself began her ministry as a Lay Worker, which was the only option for women at the time. She described feeling a sense of gratitude for the experience of being a Lay Worker, which provided some perspective on the church and the world: “I learnt more deeply what it meant to be part of the laity”.
Video of the licensing of ordinands in the Bristol Archdeaconry:
Video of the licensing of ordinands in the Malmesbury Archdeaconry: