Alison is to be ordained as a deacon on Sunday 2 July and will serve his her curacy in the benefice of Tettenhall Wood and Perton
Alison has lived with her husband Jon in Wolverhampton since they got married in August 1981; they have three adult children, one living in Italy, one in Brussels and one locally in Sutton Coldfield. Aside from the various forms of wildlife inhabiting the pond and garden, Alison and Jon have a Staffie called Axis and two cats called Thelma and Louise.
Alison’s call to ministry came as she was looking ahead to retirement after 13 years as a Head Teacher in a girls’ grammar school. She felt particularly drawn to serve in supporting the bereaved through funeral ministry and has already been licensed as a Lay Funeral Minister. Helping families as they face a really challenging time in their lives is a real privilege and bringing the touch of God to those who are grieving is a wonderful opportunity.
When Alison first investigated the possibility of ordination she thought that she was going to be too old to be useful; as it turns out the skills learnt during over 40 years as a teacher and leader in secondary education will be of great benefit in her new role.
For those who might be exploring what God is calling them to do Alison would say that what you bring with you from your previous life will be of immense value in serving God in ministry; you are never too old to embark on something new and exciting for God. The studying can be a challenge, but it certainly makes you think and enables you to really get to grips with what you believe and why you believe it.