St Michael's Highgate welcomes new curate

Stephen Pickard, Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Adelaide, Ben Woodd, newly ordained Deacon, The Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres, Thomas Renz, new Curate at St Michael’s and The Bishop of Edmonton, The Rt Revd Peter Wheatley

Bishop of London presides over double ordination

17/12/09

The Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres, ordained Dr Thomas Renz as the new curate of St Michael's Highgate on Sunday.

As curate, and assistant to Revd Dr Jonathan Trigg, Thomas will undertake the normal round of preaching and leading services in the church as well as working to promote the growth of the church.

Born in Germany, Thomas has been in the UK since 1993 when he came to study for his PhD. For the past 12 years he has been training future clergy at Oak Hill College in North London. Thomas moved to Highgate in the summer, he is married to Gabi and they have two children, Leah, 10 and Amos, 8.

Thomas said, "I am very much looking forward to be of service in Highgate and to discover how Christ is at work in that community."

At St Michael's there is a team of four clergy: one Londoner, one American, one Yorkshire-woman, and now, with the arrival of Thomas, one German. This international flavour is entirely appropriate; the congregation has representation from every continent (save, so far as we know, Antarctica). Since September the clergy team have also been serving the neighbouring parish of All Saints, Highgate.

Welcoming Thomas to the St Michael's Highgate, Dr Trigg said:

"We are delighted to welcome Thomas to Highgate. He will bring a great deal in terms of biblical scholarship, pastoral sensitivity and wisdom to our parish. We can't promise him a peaceful and stress-free time, but we can promise that it won't be dull. We are equally delighted to welcome his wife Gabi, and Leah and Amos. I have a special reason to be glad that they have come here in that they come to us from St Thomas's Oakwood, where I served as Vicar 1987-96. We hope that they will all be very happy here."

On the same day, Ben Woodd was also ordained as a deacon at St Michael's by the Bishop of London on behalf of the Bishop of Adelaide. Ben was trained within the Diocese of London, at Oak Hill College where Thomas Renz taught, but is moving with his wife Corinne and two children Moya, 4 and Darcy, 1 to work in a church on the other side of the world. He will be working as the Associate Minister at St Matthew's church in Adelaide, Australia which is part of a team ministry in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide where he will have primary responsibility for the evening congregation of youth and young adults.

Ben said, "We look forward with great excitement to all that God has in store for us as we serve his people and proclaim his gospel in Australia."