...And meet our new Deacons
On Sunday, Bishop Nicholas ordained our 8 new Deacons and this week they begin their first year of ministry as Assistant Curates in the Diocese of Salisbury.
Photo by Ash Mills
Click here for online photos from the service,
Read Archdeacon Sue's Sermon here.
They include a project worker for Dorset Youth Association, a microbiologist, a former head teacher who had lunch with the Queen, a frequent visitor to Kenya, a trumpetter who played with Roy Castle, and the chef from two of our local Dorset retreat communities.
Their hobbies also include circus acrobatics and extreme picnicking.
So how does all this fit into their new lives as Assistant Curates?
Last week we met the eldest - the Revd Joy Albone who is joining the Canalside Benefice, in Wiltshire and the youngest - the Revd Lyndon Webb, who will be serving as the new Assistant Curate at St John Broadstone in Poole.
This week, we meet the rest. [and click here for our Priests]
The Revd Matthew Renyard - Assistant Curate at Radipole and Melcombe Regis, Weymouth
Matt, who joins the Team at Radipole and Melcombe Regis, worked in the Salisbury NHS for nearly twenty years:
"I started as a nursing auxiliary at 17½ years old and worked my way through training to end my days working and helping to run the Day Surgery Dept. caring for all ages and stages of life.
"My specialism was in anaesthetics and orthopaedics."
Matt, who is 40 hopes the skills of "organising my time" and "relating to people quickly" will prove useful in his new role.
Along with wife Nikki and their children Millie (9) and Jessica (6), Matt is moving to his new Parish with his two cats Ben and Jerry, and "a dog to follow."
Matt, who hopes to focus on "all aspects of community life" during his curacy trained for ordination at Trinity College, Bristol.
Before training Matt, worshipped at St Francis Church, Salisbury and once played the trumpet with Roy Castle at Spring Harvest. He is looking forward to living and working in a community. Walking beside people through the day to day.
The Revd Fiona Beale - Beaminster Team, Dorset
A youth worker with a love of the great outdoors Fiona was greeted after her ordination by a whole bus load of of parishioners and clergy from the Beaminster Team, who had been driven to the Cathedral by the Rector, the Revd David Baldwin.
48-year-old Fiona, who was an Associate Minister from Winchester Diocese, feels she is definitely called to Rural Ministry "serving all ages." A frequent visitor to Kenya, where her parents live, Fiona wants to focus her future stipendary ministry on "serving the farming community."
She will be joining 14 parishes and 12 PCCs, and her greatest concern is getting to know the geography:
"I am least looking forward to getting lost in the parishes and turning up to the wrong church!" she said.
A former Outdoor Education Instructor, who studied at Wycliffe Hall Oxford, where she wrote a thesis on Carmelite Spirituality, Fiona feels some of the skills she used in her previous jobs will be of use to her in ministry:
"So many skills are transferable, speaking to groups, leadership, pastoral skills, listening, teaching etc."
Fiona, whose hobbies include kayaking, canoeing, mountain walking, reading and watching films, is planning on getting a dog for company and for far more gentler walks around the Dorset countryside.
And what is she most looking forward to about her curacy?
"Getting to know the different people in all the churches."
The Revd Roger Leake - the new Assistant Curate in the Chalke Valley Benefice
With an ambition to "build community in rural settings," Roger is a former Head Teacher.
Roger, who says that he "once had lunch with the Queen", brings with him nearly 40 years’ experience in education, 3 of those as a school inspector.
As someone who has "lived most of my life in schools", Roger says the skills he used in teaching will be useful to him as a curate and hopefully throughout his self-supporting ministry in the future:
"The management of people, meeting people and listening to their problems and providing a pastoral and spiritual lead as I did in my schools."
Roger, who will be moving to a Benefice of 14 parishes near Salisbury, with his wife Gill says he is really looking forward to "meeting and engaging with the people of the Chalke Valley."
Retiring during his training, Roger says Sarum College Salisbury proved to be ideal for his changing circumstances as for the first two years he went part time whilst working full time and for the third year he could attend full time "as I was retired."
A keen gardener, cycler and DIY doer, Roger also enjoys sailing and kayaking and once "solo kayaked the big lakes of the West of Ireland."
But despite this, the one thing he isn’t looking forward to in his curacy is: "travelling around the narrow roads!"
The Revd Lorna Johnson - Assistant Curate at St Swithun’s Allington, The Bridport Team
An "extreme picnicker" who works as a project worker for the Dorset Youth Association, Lorna is delighted to be Assistant Curate in the Bridport Team.
Lorna already worships at St Swithun's Allington, which is part of the West Dorset Team and will be beginning her ministry there, and across the Team.
Previously a Criminal Para-legal in inner city Bristol and a Media Co-ordinator for an international environmental charity and global media company, Lorna transferred her skills to the community sector, and says she is really looking forward to starting her Diaconate year:
"I am really looking forward to working in the parish with a diverse and fascinating team and set of congregations, to live and put into words our radical inclusive faith together, so more people can know about them."
52 year old Lorna is married to Peter Wilkinson who she says "is wonderfully supportive", and says she would like to focus during her curacy on "inclusive sensitive evangelism, discipleship and care for the environment."
And being in the environment features largely in Lorna’s hobbies too:
"I love walking in wild places, having a good conversation preferably with dogs in tow, or in silence soaking up the peace. I have a reputation as an extreme picnicker and brewing up tea and providing mini-feasts in all weathers and all places."
Her role with Dorset Youth Association, working with families in need as given her a raft of skills she feels she can now also use in her ministry:
"Working in partnership with people to discover their gifts and encouraging them to use them.
"Also telling stories that connect and helping others tell theirs and getting them out in the world."
Lorna trained locally at Sarum College on a course that fitted around her work.
And she says she will miss the community there: "The stimulation and discovery of new ideas and the buckets of kindness, humour and patience."
The Revd Dr Richard Saint - St James Southbroom, Devizes
The new Assistant Curate at Southbroom St James Devizes brings a great surname, a former career in Defence Science and Technology, and a love of cycling and a hamster with him to his new post.
Richard will move to his new post with his wife as well as the hamster "and probably with some guinea pigs soon" from Salisbury, where he attended St Paul’s Church, Fisherton Anger.
A Senior Research Microbiologist and Staff Officer, 33-year-old Richard recently cycled 100 miles to raise money for Hope for Justice:
"The charity exists to bring an end to modern slavery by preventing exploitation, rescuing victims, restoring lives and reforming society."
Richard, who trained at Wycliffe Hall, where he says he most enjoyed "The opportunity and time to study the Old Testament and to begin learning Biblical Hebrew" is excited about his curacy. So what is he is most looking forward to in the next year?
"Getting to know the people attending church and those living in the parish."
And he thinks his previous job will allow him to bring some good skills to his new calling: "Analytical thinking, teamwork, leadership and communication."
He also thinks his cycling hobby has added some more skillsets to that particular tool box: "Perseverance and determination!"
The Revd Solveig Sonet - Swanage and Studland
The new Curate in the Swanage and Studland team spent the first 2 years of her life on tour across France following her father who was a professional ballet dancer, and included circus acrobatics in her list of hobbies.
35-year-old Solveig, whose hobbies also include scuba-diving, hiking and growing her own food, says:
"Most of these hobbies connect me very strongly to nature, and God’s creation. It’s always been a great way to connect Christian faith and ecological issues together."
Solveig is no stranger to our Diocese, having been a Verger at Salisbury Cathedral before starting her training at Ripon College Cuddesdon.
Solveig, who has also been a verger at Winchester Cathedral and a Pastoral Assistant at St Barnabas Church Clapham Common in London, says she has had experience of a variety of liturgy and worship:
"I’m very familiar with 'different', from the high anglo-catholic to the praise-band charismatic."
And she says her formation training at Cuddesdon has opened her eyes to so much more as well:
"The diversity of the people who have made up the community over the years, has been a great blessing. The opportunities and free space for creativity, and all forms of art, have also been liberating and inspirational."
A former student of Winchester University and previously an Administrator at Local Surveyor Direct, Solveig says she is most looking forward to:
"Becoming part of the local community, connecting with parishioners, doing my first assembly ever (I didn’t go to school in the UK, so this is all a bit strange to me), and generally finding my feet in this new life."
But, as she is moving to the area on her own (although she hopes to be joined by a pet dog very soon), Solveig says she hopes to make lots of friends in the parishes:
"After living in community for 3 years, adjusting to a more solitary lifestyle is going to be hard, especially as a single person."
But knowing Swanage and Studland and its friendly community, she is unlikely to be lonely for long.
The full list of Deacons is:
Joy Albone Canalside Benefice, Wilts
Fiona Beale Beaminster Team, Sherborne
Lorna Johnson Bridport, Sherborne
Roger Leake Chalke Valley, Sarum
Matt Renyard Radipole and Melcombe Regis, Sherborne
Richard Saint Southbroom St James, Wilts
Solveig Sonet Swanage and Studland, Dorset
Lyndon Webb Broadstone, Dorset
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