Eight Deacons were ordained in Lichfield Diocese on 28th June, serving their curacies in Shropshire, Staffordshire and the Black Country.
How these new deacons responded to a call to ordained ministry is a common thread in their stories. Here are extracts of what they said:
Revd Laura Edwards recalls being able to recite all the liturgy, including the Vicar’s parts, from an early age. Later, people in church started asking her if she’d thought about ordained ministry.
Revd Imogen (Immy) Smith was adamant from a young age that she wasn’t going to become a priest. “God has quite the sense of humour, she says.” One of the biggest misconceptions she’s encountered is that people imagine that to prepare for ministry you have to become a new or different sort of person. “God calls us as we are,” she says, “and preparing for ministry is part of figuring out what that most true version of ourselves looks like – bringing your whole self to that is important!”
Revd David Latcham talks about his ‘wiggly route’ to ministry. He had to overcome his desire to remain in the background and serve God while working in graphic design. He felt truly called when he heard God inviting him to jump right in and get fully involved, like getting covered in earth when sowing seeds, not getting dirt just under his fingernails, but “all over because he had jumped right in.”
Revd Kate Delamere’s call began working with young people, a sense which has got broader and deeper in recent years. She spent a lot of time exploring different church denominations. She is very grateful for the journey God has taken her on, which has involved ups and downs but she can see God’s faithfulness throughout it all.
Revd James Butter offers this advice to those feeling nudged towards ordination: "Listen to the calling and discuss it with people who know you well.” Looking back he says: “I spent years twisting and turning trying to avoid the “call”. You can find a hundred excuses why not to answer God, pointless as that is because God is impossible to resist. When you accept the call, all those excuses melt away and whatever hoops are placed in front of you (there will be hoops) don’t be disheartened, you will jump them, because the peace of God awaits you.”
Revd Emma Hammond speaks of the vocation of everyone: “To anyone wanting to explore God’s call, all Emma can say is DO IT! You might think it’s not for you, you don’t fit, or you don’t have the right skills, but God calls everyone. When he calls you, he calls all of you in all your uniqueness.”
Revd Laura Macfarlane: Her advice to anyone exploring their calling from God is never to let anyone typecast you or make assumptions about who you are. God’s kingdom is full of diversity and surprises, and she would never have imagined a few years ago that she would be getting ordained in her twenties!
Revd Jules Smith: Jules ministered to children, staff and many families while working in primary education. She had a real heart for pastoral care and for talking about Jesus alongside her leadership with children and their families. She felt God calling her to a different kind of plan for the next season of her life, realising that her experience and skills would be very helpful in her future ministry.
Read the ordinands stories in full at: https://lichfield.anglican.org/about-us/vocations-and-training/ordained-ministry/ordinations-2025/ including two with videos.
Watch video of the ordination service