24/06/2025
Cathedrals and larger churches this month will host around 100 ordination services for deacons and priests from diverse backgrounds who have responded to God’s call in their lives. They will join nearly 20,000 other clergy who are actively serving communities across England.
Stories of individuals who will be ordained this summer will be shared on the Church of England’s national social media channels as part of a #NewRevs campaign.
Reflecting recent research by the Bible Society on the growth in church attendance by young people, Sam Watkins-Smith who is serving his curacy at Trinity Church, Nottingham, with a particular focus as a student pastor to the city’s university students, said: "I’ve had an amazing first year as a deacon. We’ve seen a bunch of students coming to faith this year for the first time or recommitting to Jesus for the first time in a long time.” Sam will be ordained priest this summer.
Alex Sains always felt the presence of God in her life but only came back to church in the last decade. Following a career working with people with intellectual disabilities, Alex will be ordained deacon at Winchester Cathedral this summer. She recommends that anyone considering if God is calling them to ministry, should “be open to the possibility of an alternate future.”
Some of those who support people along the road to ordination will also recall their own early vocations journeys.
Bishop of Hertford, Jane Mainwaring, and Chair of the Ministry Development Board’s Discernment Team Advisory Group, recalls how she felt on her ordination day 25 years ago: “On that day it felt like coming home; that I’d finally discovered what God wanted me to do for the rest of my life.”
This is echoed by the Bishop of Loughborough Saju Muthulaly, who has been preparing a diocesan retreat for ordinands on the theme of ordination as homecoming: “What does it mean to come home to God, to live into the purposes to which He has called us to?”.
This year, Bishop Jane will be ordaining deacons in St Albans Cathedral: “It’s one of the greatest privileges of being a bishop to journey with people through their vocation, through their discernment of that vocation and as we ordain our deacons this year it will be the culmination of that discernment journey.”
The Rev Anne Beverley, who is Director of Ministry at Blackburn Diocese and has more than 120,000 followers on TikTok, will share a short explainer video on what happens at an ordination service as part of the #NewRevs campaign.
Each of the new revs featured in the campaign will share their advice for those exploring God’s call on their lives.
Sara Head and her Hearing Dog Tandy joined the community of St Mary’s, North Mymms in Hertfordshire as a curate in 2024. Sara is also assistant head at a school that provides education for deaf children and young people. Sara says: “If you feel God is calling you, the best thing for you to do is to pray, ask other people, push some doors and see where God’s leading.” Sara will be ordained priest this summer.
Sara and others share that they did not see the call to ministry for themselves at first. Bishop Saju, said: “As a young person I didn’t see God’s call upon myself. Somebody asked me a simple question, ‘might God be calling you towards ordination?’”
Referencing theologian Frederick Buechner, Bishop Saju offers a vision of how to consider a calling to ministry, inviting us to say yes to Jesus: “What can we do that will make us gladdest?”
The Church of England recently announced major investments to support clergy wellbeing including for training for ordination, stipends, and pensions.
Ordinations take place traditionally at Petertide which is the weekend nearest to St Peter’s Day on 29th June and at Michaelmas which is in September.
A Rev or Reverend is someone who is an ordained minister. These people have:
- responded to God's call by getting in touch with their local church leader or diocese;
- with support from a vocations adviser, spent time discerning the type of ministry and particular way of life to which they are called;
- completed a period of training and formation;
- been ordained by a bishop in a special church service.
The Church of England recognises three orders of ordained ministry: bishop, priest and deacon. All clergy are ordained as a deacon first and remain deacons throughout their ministry. Those called to be priest have a second ordination, usually a year later. Those who remain deacons are known as Distinctive Deacons.
More information about vocations can be found here.