The Rt Revd Vivienne Faull, Bishop of Bristol and the Rt Revd Neil Warwick, Bishop of Swindon are delighted to announce that the Revd Canon Rebecca Stevens has been appointed as the next Adviser for Ordinands and Vocations, fulfilling the role of the Diocesan Director of Ordinands (DDO).
Bishop Neil said:
“It’s good news that Becca is going to join us in Bristol Diocese as Adviser for Ordinands and Vocations. Becca has a passion for spotting and encouraging people’s call to serve in the church. This, combined with experience of parish and wider ministry and of nurturing younger people in their calling makes this an exciting appointment. Further, in interview we were impressed with the creativity Becca showed in how she might get the word out to people sensing that God is calling them.”
Prior to ordination, Rebecca completed a law degree at Leeds University. She came to Wales in 2010 as a youth worker through Careforce, working in Aberbargoed and New Tredegar (in the Welsh Valleys). Rebecca was ordained in Monmouth Diocese in 2014 and, for the last seven years, she has been a Ministry Area Leader in Newport. She was appointed as Director of Vocations for Monmouth Diocese in 2020 after serving as Young Vocations Champion and then as Assistant DDO. Rebecca was made an honorary canon of Newport Cathedral in 2022. She has published articles on dementia, loneliness, and othering, and has a heart for those on the margins.
Becca said:
“I am so pleased to have been appointed as Adviser for Ordinands and Vocations. Vocations arise in a church that is imaginatively responding to the vision of God for the world, and Bristol feels like a diocese that is doing just that.
Recognising the complex needs of the church and society in the modern world is of vital significance for those who are exploring vocation, and shaping this kind of ministry as Adviser for Ordinands and Vocations fills me with joy and hope. I look forward to praying with and walking alongside all those exploring, discerning, and following God’s call. Please do pray for me as I take up this role in January.”
Becca will be welcomed to Bristol Diocese in January 2025.