|PIC1|The Diocese of Chelmsford celebrated the Church of England's cultural and ethnic diversity on Sunday with the ordination of 12 new curates.

The 12 men and women from the Barking episcopal area were ordained as deacon at Chelmsford Cathedral by the Rt Rev John Gladwin, Bishop of Chelmsford.

They will be appointed to serve across the extensive Barking area, which comprises the five east London Boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest, as well as Epping Forest, Harlow and Ongar in West Essex. The boroughs together make up one of the largest and most multi-cultural areas in England.

The Bishop of Barking, Rt Rev David Hawkins, praised the cultural mix of the new curates.

"This area is so rich in its mix of culture and traditions and I am delighted that this is beginning to be reflected in the backgrounds of these twelve new curates," he said.

"Within the group there is a good balance of gender, of theological tradition and of ethnicity that reflects the communities they will be living and working in.

"Equally importantly, this group reflects the whole spectrum of the Church of England and that is very healthy and exciting.

"It's a clear demonstration of the continuing relevance of the church and of Jesus Christ to people of all backgrounds and traditions."

The 12 Barking area candidates were ordained together with a further 12 people from the rest of Chelmsford Diocese.