Twenty five new Deacons are to be ordained at two services in Lichfield Cathedral.
The ordinations this weekend follow a series of services across the diocese since last Saturday, at which 24 new priests were ordained.
There are three levels of ordained ministry in the Church of England – Deacons, Priests and Bishop. Clergy are ordained first as Deacons and usually follow this with ordination as Priest a year later.
New full time stipendiary (paid) clergy will serve a curacy for their first three or four years – a continuation of their training. Non-stipendiary (unpaid) clergy will work in a variety of roles, dependent upon the needs of the parish to which they will serve.
The Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Jonathan Gledhill, said he was delighted with the number of new clergy being ordained. He said:
“The ordination of a new Deacon or Priest is always a very special moment – not just for the Ordinand, but also for their families and the whole church. There are thousands of clergy who serve the Church of England in villages, towns and cities all across this country and overseas; and they all have a major part to play in making the Good News of Jesus known to the communities they serve.
“Who knows where God is leading these new clergy? Who knows what comfort they will be called to bring at times of tragedy? Who knows what joy they will be able to join with in local celebrations? Who knows how many people they will lead to a new life in Christ through God’s transforming grace? Who knows whether any of these may be called in the years to come to serve the church as a bishop or an archdeacon?
“The Diocese of Lichfield is a great place for ministry to flourish and I’m very excited that we have so many new clergy about to join the ranks of our existing front-line ministers.”
