Ten candidates were ordained in Worcester Cathedral yesterday to serve in parishes across the diocese. Six candidates will be ordained deacon and will enter their first year of training as a curate. A further four candidates have completed their first year and will be ordained priest, after which they will be able to preside at the Holy Communion.

The Revd Steve Martin was ordained in Pioneer Ministry, an emerging element of the Church of England, which seeks to step outside the normal boundaries of ministry to bring people to the gospel in innovative ways, such as in Café Churches and community centres.

The Bishop of Worcester presided at the ordination, assisted by the Bishop of Dudley, the Archdeacon of Dudley, and the Very Revd Peter Atkinson.  The sermon was preached by Revd Dr Sam Wells, Dean of Duke University Chapel, North Carolina.  The candidates came from a variety of different backgrounds (see below for biographies) and will be serving their curacies in parishes throughout the diocese:

Ordained deacon:

• Daniel Jones, who will work in the Benefice of St Stephen’s, Worcester.
• Steve Martin who will work as a Pioneer Minister in the Benefice of St. Andrew’s Malvern.
• Katherine Green who will work in the Kidderminster Parish Church (St Mary’s) Team Ministry.
• Joe Heaton who will work in the Benefice of Ribbesford with Bewdley and Dowles.
• Julie Humphries who will work in Redditch Holy Trinity Team Ministry.
• Katryn Leclézio who will work in the Halas Team Ministry.

Ordained priest:

• Mike Rutter, who will continue his work in the parish of St. John, Dudley Wood
• Bruce Thompson, who will continue his work in the benefice of Martley and Wichenford and the Lower Teme Valley
• Richard Harding, who will continue his work in the benefice of Broadway with Wickhamford.
• Christine Holzapfel who will continue her work in the Worcester South Team Ministry.

The Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Revd Dr John Inge, commented: “Yesterday was a joyful celebration of God’s call and response and I was delighted to be able to ordain these people to their new ministry and commission them in it.”

The ordination service took place at 10.30 am on Sunday 29 June (St Peter’s Day) in Worcester Cathedral.

Biographies:

Ordained Deacon

Archdeaconry of Worcester

Daniel Jones comes originally from Leicestershire and was educated at Loughborough Grammar School before reading Theology at the University of St Andrews.  He and his wife, Jo, met while at University and they have one daughter, Keziah, who is a year old.  Daniel teaches religious studies at the King's School and in his spare time enjoys fencing and playing the organ.  He will serve his Title as a Non Stipendiary Curate in the Benefice of St Stephen’s, Worcester.

Steve Martin was born in 1950, left school in 1965 and began an apprenticeship as a gas fitter.  He remained at the Gas Board until 1972, when he was called into full time training.  This began at Cliff Cottage, went on at the Scargill Community and then into Church Army Training.  He was commissioned in 1977 and has worked as an evangelist in a variety of settings, most recently as Diocesan Youth Officer in Worcester.  He is married to Sue and has two adult sons, Richard and Peter. He will serve his Title as a Pioneer Minister in the Benefice of St Andrew’s Malvern and Malvern Wells and Wyche.

Archdeaconry of Dudley

Katherine Green was born in London and went to Bristol University, where she obtained a BA in Theology and Religious Studies.  She then worked for a couple of years as a Chaplaincy Assistant (in Plymouth and London), before working for a year as a Pastoral Assistant in Camden Town.  She has just finished three very enjoyable years at Cranmer Hall, Durham, working towards an MA in Theology and Ministry.  In her spare time she enjoys dancing, singing, playing football, reading, drinking coffee and spending time with friends. She will serve her Title in the Kidderminster Parish Church (St Mary’s) Team Ministry.

Joe Heaton spent his formative years growing up in Pudsey, West Yorkshire and later obtained a Physics degree at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1991. He went onto research a novel technique for imaging the upper atmosphere and was awarded a PhD at the same University in 1995. He then worked at QinetiQ (formerly DERA) in Malvern where he undertook research and analysis into the effects of propagation upon a variety of radio systems. For the last two years, Joe has been studying Theology and Ministry at Cranmer Hall in Durham. He is married to Wendy and they have three sons: Joshua, Daniel and Isaac. He will serve his Title in the Benefice of Ribbesford with Bewdley and Dowles.

Julie Humphries was born in Birmingham, and attended the local secondary school, George Dixon.  She started work at 16 as a bank clerk.  Julie is married and has four children.  She completed a degree in Theology at Birmingham University as a mature student, after which she briefly thought she might have a career in teaching, but unable to settle, went to work for the NHS before finally giving in to her calling to seek Ordination. She will serve her Title in the Redditch Holy Trinity Team Ministry.

Katryn Leclézio from not knowing whether God existed, had a startling revelation from God which has lead her an interesting trail up and down and now around to ordained ministry - with more ups and downs to come no doubt! Reading, walking, geocaching, eating, and relaxing in the sauna with friends are what keep her going.  She taught English for two years in Cape Town before joining Operation Mobilisation from her parish of St Stephens, Pinelands.  She has worked in training and pastoral care: first supporting teams church-planting among Mozambican refugees (from 1987); then in France (from 1990), supporting teams that worked with church-planters; then in the UK having fun doing more of the same (from 2001).  She has a BA Hons (Psychology), (Natal, RSA), a Teaching Diploma (UCT, Cape Town) and an MA in Aspects of Missiology (ANCC, Hertfordshire) among other bits and pieces.  She will serve her Title in the Halas Team Ministry.

Ordained Priest

Archdeaconry of Worcester

Richard Harding was educated at Solihull Boys’ School. He subsequently gained the Retail Jewellers’ Diploma and qualified as a Fellow of the Gemmologists’ Association. He was Deputy Manager of the Mappin and Webb jewellery salon in Birmingham and Manager of their Corporate Services Department. He served as a Reader in the Birmingham Diocese before undertaking his theological studies at Trinity College in Bristol. He is married to Wendy and they have recently adopted two rescue greyhounds, Josh and Jessie, from the Dogs Trust. He will continue to serve his Title in the benefice of Broadway with Wickhamford.

Christine Holzapfel was born in Southampton and grew up on the South Coast of Hampshire. She studied Theology and trained as a teacher at Exeter University. She moved to Worcester with her husband, Peter when he was ordained in 1986. They have three daughters and four grandchildren. After teaching for a time, she worked for several years as Co-ordinator of a Scheme supporting elderly people living at home, before ordination training at the Queen’s Foundation. Christine will continue to serve her Title in the Worcester South East Team Ministry.

Bruce Thompson is married to Margaret. They have two children, Ross and Abby. Bruce’s professional background was in the property world. More recently he served in the charity sector in overseas aid and development, first with Habitat for Humanity, as Community Development Director and then later, with World Vision, as their Church Relations Executive.  Bruce has three degrees, M.A in Cross-Cultural Studies, M.Th. in Theology, and an M.Litt, Masters of Letters. Before starting his curacy in the Worcester Diocese he completed a one year tailored course at Ripon College, Cuddesdon. He will continue to serve his Title in the benefice of Martley and Wichenford and The Lower Teme Valley.

Archdeaconry of Dudley

Mike Rutter before training for ordination worked as an engineer for Siemens Traffic Controls and then as a consultant engineer to the Highways Agency.  Mike trained for ordination at the College of the Resurrection in Mirfield and also at Trinity Theological College in Bristol.  Mike is married to Jessica and they have a daughter Lucy.  Mike Jess and Lucy have very much enjoyed their time in the Black Country and have settled in well.  They have even developed a taste for Groaty pud.  Mike will continue to serve his Title in the parish of St John the Evangelist, Dudley Wood.

ENDS

The Diocese of Worcester is one of 44 dioceses in the Church of England. It covers an area of 671 square miles and includes parishes in the County of Worcestershire, the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, and a few parishes in northern Gloucestershire, south east Wolverhampton and Sandwell.