From publishing to pulpit
WHEN the Revd Becky Bevan left her job as publishing director at
Lion Books, she did not realise she was on a journey towards
ordination.
The married mother-of-two who is now Rector of Aldermaston and
Woolhampton (Oxford
Diocese), says the roots of her journey began when she was at
the height of her publishing career.
'The tipping point for me was when I was still at Lion. My
mother died and I think that was what made me realise that what we
have been given by God is precious. Life in this dimension can be
fairly short. I felt I didn't want to just stay going through the
motions, which is what I was doing work-wise.'
During an ordination service for someone else, Becky realised
God was calling her to be a priest. She says: 'It was one of those
moments when you have a feeling of destiny, but I still didn't do
anything about it. It was an incredibly slow and long journey. It
doesn't fall into place quickly for many people.'
After giving up work Becky, who is married to Phillip an
architect, had began writing a book about spirituality and prayer,
which gave her the opportunity to go deeper with God. 'That was an
incredibly transformational time for me,' she says. 'I offered
myself as a reader (licensed lay minister) and when I went to see
the rector he asked me if I was sure I wasn't being called to
ordination. I thought "I can't resist this any longer". It was what
I wanted as well as what God wanted. God calls you from your
heart's desire.'
She adds: 'The whole of life is this journey towards God's dream
for us. Ordination is the beginning of an expression of that and I
think the thing that's made me feel most affirmed in this ministry
has been being touched by other people's stories and there faith
and how they are seeking after God.'
*Becky was speaking at the Berkshire Vocations Fellowship;
sharing her story and advising people who were in the early
stages of discerning God's calling on their lives.
From shop floor to theological college
"Being eight months pregnant might not have been the
obvious time for my Vicar to want to talk to me about what he
thought God was calling me to! But it was a huge relief as I knew
God was calling me to something, but wasn't sure what it was,"
explains Anna Alls from Sutton-in-Ashfield .
"He thought it was ordination, but as I have only a
handful of GCSE's from school, I had to prove that I had the
quality of mind to deal with the academic side of training at a
theological college.
"All that was five years ago, but in the following year, while
working part-time at Woolworth's and looking after my two young
children, I started the Diocesan Certificate course. I learned all
sorts during my time on the course, about myself, my faith, as well
as what it means to belong to the Church of England. Shortly after
Woolworth's went into administration in 2008, I found out I had
been recommended to train for ordination.
"We now live in Nottingham while I attend St John's College
Nottingham. Soon we'll be wondering, where to next?"