TWENTY-FIVE new Deacons were ordained by the Right Reverend Peter Hill, the Acting Bishop of Chelmsford and the Bishop of Barking, the Right Reverend John Perumbalath, the Bishop of Bradwell and the Right Reverend Roger Morris, the Bishop of Colchester at socially distanced services held at Chelmsford Cathedral on  Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions attendance at each service was strictly limited. However, this year, for the first time, each service was live streamed and hundreds of people watched the ordinations online over the weekend.

The ordination services were also the first for Revd Tim Goodbody in his new role as Diocesan Director of Ordinands (DDO), Tim said:

“These ordinations were historic; nothing like this has ever happened before, and it is a tribute to the Bishops and the Cathedral staff that they were able to go ahead under the restrictions of the pandemic.

It was such a joy for me to be able to join the 25 deacons as they began their ordained ministry, to be able to congratulate them and to share in the celebrations of their families and friends, even those watching online.

“It is my prayer that we will learn and grow from the experience of ordinations under lockdown, which have given us a real opportunity to consider.

Our New Deacons

Deacons serving in the Barking Archdeaconry
Marianne Hayward – St Nicholas, Elm Park

Urbain Yombe – Barking Riverside

Tim Broadbent – St Mary, Becontree

Andrew Bellis Harold Wood, St Peter

Penny Brooks – All Saints, Cranham

Geoff Clarke – Collier Row, St James & Havering-atte-Bower St John the Evangelist

Deacons serving in the West Ham Archdeaconry
Janetta Brathwaite – Forest Gate St Saviour & St James

David Baker – All Saints with Saint Andrew’s, Woodford Wells

Olive Thursby – St. Mary with Christ Church, Wanstead

Dave Edmondson – Walthamstow St Mary the Virgin, St Gabriel and St Luke

Deacons serving in the Harlow Archdeaconry
Jaimée Summers – Epping Team Ministry

Jessica Bostock – Epping Team Ministry

Deacons serving in the Chelmsford Archdeaconry
Julia Lacey – Chelmsford The Ascension w All Saints

Sally Croft – Ingatestone St Edmund & St Mary

Matthew Austen – Brentwood St Thomas of Canterbury

Deacons serving in the Southend Archdeaconry
Hannah Robinson – South Shoebury St Andrew w St Peter

Trudy Arnold – Southchurch, Holy Trinity

Steve Finch – Hawkwell St Mary & Emmanuel

Carol Cockcroft – Grays Thurrock Team Ministry

Deacons serving in the Stansted Archdeaconry
Catherine Towner – St Mary and Panfield St Mary & St Christopher

Elsie Bouffler – Great Dunmow & Barnston

Sharon Quilter – Halstead Area Team Ministry

Deacons serving in the Colchester Archdeaconry
Elisabeth Ring – Wivenhoe, St Mary the Virgin

Louise Oliver – Clacton St James

Chris Willis – Stanway, St Albright