This weekend 30 women and men celebrated their next steps as ordained ministers in the Church of England. We welcomed them as our newest deacons and priests to the diocese.
The ordination weekend is always a highlight in the Diocesan calendar. Friends, families and other well-wishers gather at Guildford Cathedral to cheer on those being ordained at services on Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday 29 June saw the ordination of 15 new priests. The five men and 10 women have been ordained as Anglican ministers for a year in the Diocese of Guildford. By being priested they are now licensed to preside over Holy Communion as well.
Then Sunday 30 June saw the turn of another group of 10 women and five men being welcomed as new deacons in the diocese. As deacons, they become brand-new reverends in the Church of England having completed their ordination training.
Choristers, vergers, stewards and fellow clergy, including the Diocese’s two bishops, were also at the Cathedral. It was the first season of ordination services since becoming Bishop in September 2023 for Rt Revd Paul Davies, the Bishop of Dorking.
“There is nothing that inspires me more than seeing God at work in people’s lives.” Says Bishop Paul. “There are two moments over this last weekend that stand out for me. The first was gathering around the font at the beginning of the ordination services. It was a reminder that the greatest privilege for all of us is being adopted, by baptism, as daughters and sons of the God who created, redeemed and sustains us - but also who calls each of us to follow him in so many different ways.
“The second standout moment was sharing with Bishop Andrew [the Bishop of Guildford] in ordaining our new deacons and priests - for the first time as a new bishop. Every job has its particular privileges - this must be one of the greatest for a bishop!
My heart is full of thankfulness for the God who has called and equipped each of these shiny new ministers - and full of pride for the courage and commitment of each of my special sisters and brothers!”
You can read some of the brief stories of the new deacons and priests here.
Visit our ordained ministry page if you’re interested in exploring a possible call to priesthood in the Church of England.
