New Clergy for London’s churches

The 34 newly ordained deacons

34 candidates ordained in the Diocese of London

30/06/08

The Bishop of London presided over a packed ordination service in St Paul's Cathedral this weekend. The number of men and women offering themselves for ordination across the 43 dioceses nationwide has been growing over recent years with the Diocese of London providing over 10% of them.

At this annual event, 34 candidates, of whom 9 were women, were ordained to the office of deacon. They will actively serve their local communities across the capital.

Deacons assist the priest of the parish in which they serve, undertaking liturgical, teaching and pastoral work. The ordination to the diaconate is usually the first step towards priesthood, and 42 of last year’s record number of 45 are being ordained to the priesthood in local services across the capital.

The new deacons’ ages range from 25 to 72 years old, with more than half of them aged 35 or under and all with a diverse range of backgrounds and interests. Some have lived across the globe from Africa to Switzerland, the United States to Brussels and have had a variety of occupations including a solicitor, a midwife and even a stand-up comedian.

The Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres said:

"I never cease to be amazed as deacons of all ages and backgrounds offer themselves to the service of Christ and his church. They bring enormous commitment and a wealth of experience as they join nearly one thousand of their colleagues serving, not just Christians in churches, but everyone who lives in this great world city."

To see the complete list of people ordained deacon, and to see where they will be serving in the Diocese, visit www.london.anglican.org/Ordinands. The text of the Bishop's sermon is available online.