Worcester Cathedral is to be the scene of a record number of people being ordained in a year. This Sunday at 10:30am on the 2nd July the annual Ordination service will see a record 19 people being ordained into Ministry. Clergy and Parishioners from all over the diocese will gather for the service.

|PIC1|Ten priests and nine deacons are to be ordained to serve in parishes across Worcestershire and the West Midlands. The Right Reverend Dr Peter Selby, the Bishop of Worcester said: “We all give thanks that God is calling so many people forward to be deacons and priests. I am looking forward to the ordination service and to celebrating the gifts we are receiving through those being ordained.”

Those being ordained will prepare for the event during a retreat at Holland House lead by the Reverend Chris Pullin, vicar of St John-in-Bedwardine, Worcester. Reverend Pullin will also preach the sermon at the Ordination service.

To be ordained Priest:

Ashley Collishaw is a curate in the Worcester City Parish. He was born and brought up in Nottingham and attended the Scottish Academy for Acting. After graduating in 1991, Ashley worked as an actor mostly in theatre around Scotland and the Borders, before ending up in London in 1995 and working for a church. From that came the journey that took him to train for the ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. His interests are Theatre, Film, The Emerging Church, Post Modernism, Cricket, Golf, Football and the sad demise of Nottingham Forest. He will continue to live in Worcester with his wife, Alex and their two children (and one on the way, the very last one!).

The Revd Mary Nobles is serving as a non-stipendiary curate in the St Matthias and Malvern Link Team Ministry. She was born and brought up in Worcester and after attending Worcester Girls Grammar School trained as a nurse at the Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. Mary has practised as a nurse in the West Midlands, New Zealand, Australia, Essex and Wales where she became a Chief Administrative Nursing Officer and, following reorganisation, an Executive Director of West Glamorgan Health Authority. Mary is a widow, a stepmother to Fiona and Michael and step grandmother to Natasha. She trained at WEMTEC.

The Revd Susan Oliver is curate at Fladbury with Wyre Piddle and Moor and Cropthorne with Charlton. She was born in rural Warwickshire and spent her childhood there, as well as in industrial Yorkshire and suburban Stourbridge. After graduating in Law from University College, London, she trained as a social worker in Birmingham where she subsequently worked in Sandwell and was a senior probation officer in the West Midlands Probation Service. Married since 1983 to Bob, they have two children; Bob also has two daughters. She reads avidly, cares deeply about social justice issues, likes sewing, cooking and the Lake District; and loved studying for her BA in Applied Theology at Queens as ministerial training.

The Revd Ian Spencer is curate at Great Malvern Priory. He was born in Selly Oak, Birmingham and after leaving school joined the Royal Navy, serving in the Gulf, the Falklands and Northern Ireland. On leaving the Navy he spent seventeen years managing IT services across the UK and Europe. He enjoys cooking, gardening, golf and being outdoors. He trained for the ministry at Queen’s College, Birmingham and he and his wife, Karen and their three daughters will live in Malvern.

|AD|The Revd Olwen Woolcock is serving her curacy at Claines, Worcester. She was born in Birmingham though brought up in Wales and Yorkshire. She took her degree in medieval and modern history at Birmingham University. Work experience includes a variety of administrative posts, teaching adult education, and most recently developing an Age Concern project to set up day-centres for the rural elderly. Olwen enjoys photography, creative sewing, walking the dog and being out in remote and open places. She is married to Ray and they have three daughters. Olwen trained for the ministry at WEMTEC.

The Revd Theresa Jones is serving as a non-stipendiary curate at Bromsgrove, St John but was born in Newry, Co. Down. She is married to David and they have two sons. She trained as a teacher at Westhill College, Birmingham, and studied Theology at Birmingham University. She taught Religious Studies and English in secondary schools in the Midlands for twenty-four years before training for the ordained ministry at Queen’s College, Birmingham. Her interests include art, literature and poetry writing. During the Holy Year, 2004, she and David completed a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

The Revd Frances Mant is serving her curacy at Bromsgrove, All Saints. Frances was brought up in the Midlands and has returned after education and work experience in Cambridge, London, Exeter and Oxford. Her specialist subjects are medicine, social work and motherhood. She is married to Jonathan and they have a son and a daughter. Frances trained for the non-stipendiary ministry at Queen’s College, Birmingham.

The Revd Sarah Mitchell is curate at St Luke’s, Cradley Heath. She was brought up in Bretforton near Evesham and went to school in Worcester. She obtained a degree in Geography from Birmingham University and after she graduated she worked for eighteen months in admin and logistics. She then travelled in Australia and New Zealand for nearly six months before beginning her training at Westcott House, Cambridge.

The Revd Neil Popham is serving his curacy at Quarry Bank, Kingswinford. Neil was born and brought up in Bristol. He went to Trinity College, Oxford in 1987 to study Chemistry and left eight years later having acquired a doctorate, his wife, Sophia, and his Christian faith! He and Sophia then went to Germany for eighteen months where Neil was a research chemist for GASF. He then worked for six years for Albright and Wilson in Oldbury before beginning his training for the ordained ministry at Cranmer Hall in Durham. He enjoys bird watching, cooking and maintaining his West Country roots by drinking real cider and following the fortunes of Bristol City Football Club.

The Revd Beryl Pritchett is serving as a non-stipendiary curate at St John’s, Brockmoor. She comes originally from Little Sampford in Essex, moved to Worcester to train as a teacher, and has remained in this area. She is married to David and they have two children and a grandchild. They have lived in Wordsley for thirty-one years and she was licensed as a Reader there in 1997. Beryl has taught in a local secondary school for twenty-one years and trained for the ordained ministry at WMMTC.

To be ordained Deacon:

Linda Bedford was born and brought up in Droitwich and has spent her life in the area of Worcestershire. At present she lives in Hanley Swan with her husband of 41 years, Tony. They have one son, John who is now 37 years old. Linda qualified as a nurse in 1965 and for the next 26 years followed that career before gaining a B.A. degree and entering into teaching. Shortly after moving to Hanley Swan in 1996 and joining the Christian community there, she began Reader Training. This was followed by a call to Ordination and following selection ministry training. Linda will serve as a non-stipendiary curate in the parish of Hanley Castle, Hanley Swan and Welland.

Geoffrey Moore was born in Dorset but moved to Gloucestershire and grew up in the Stroud Valleys. In taking an active part in church life during his teens, he felt called to do more but the time was not right. Married to Ellen they have two grown up children and two grandchildren. Geoffrey is employed in finance and worked for many years in a banking environment. After being made redundant he was employed as Finance Administrator of The Alpine Garden society at their headquarters in Pershore. It was not until about ten years ago he felt the call again to enter the ministry. Training took place at The West of England Ministerial Training Course and he will serve as a non-stipendiary curate in the Benefice of Upton-upon-Severn where he and Ellen now live in Ripple parish.

Sheila Rosenthal is here only because of God’s sense of humour and patience, she has a Lakeland Terrier and a Giant Schnauzer who between them keep Sheila and her husband, Andrew, half fit and totally amused. Her interests other than the above are Shakespeare and French wine, bread and cheese, murdering a trombone and sleeping. She tries to keep fit by rowing and hopes to see Worcester Warriors beating the Cherry Reds one day! Sheila will serve as a curate in the Worcester South East Team Ministry.

Christopher Stuart was born in Lancashire, a farmer’s son. He has an older sister and a younger brother. He worked as Deputy Library Manager at Solihull College, Birmingham prior to beginning ordination training at Cranmer Hall, Durham in September 2003. He is just completing an MA in Theological Research and is a keen bell ringer. His wife Sarah was born in Antrim, Northern Ireland. Sarah works as a teacher in secondary education, teaching history, R.S and English. Christopher will serve as a curate in the parish of Pershore with Pinvin, Wick and Birlingham.

Sue Barrett was born in Wokingham, Berkshire and after secondary school education, she trained as a teacher of Physical Education, gaining a Bachelor of Education Degree from the University of East Sussex. Her first teaching post brought her to Worcestershire where she met and married her husband James. They have three children, Adam and Rachel are both married and Thomas is preparing to go to college in September. After teaching Sue ran a small craft shop for a while and now continues to be Secretary to the family business. Sue trained for ministry on WMMTC at Queen’s College, Birmingham and will serve as a permanent non-stipendiary curate in the Bowbrook North group of parishes.

Ruth Mary Heeley was born in Hampshire during the Second World War but soon with her parents, went to live in Kenya where she learned to love the vast horizons and animals living free. At nineteen she returned to Cardiff to study optometry. Her first marriage took her to Canada where her two children, Steven and Helen were born. On their return to England, and after divorce, they settled in South Devon where they ‘discovered’ the Anglican Church. Ruth met Bob as they arrived in Kenya as volunteers with VSO. Two years later, in 1990, they were married in St. John’s, Halesowen, the Church from which she is called to ordained ministry and to which she gladly returns to serve as a non-stipendiary curate in the parish of Halas.

Keith Johnson was born in Leamington Spa, and spent the first 13 years of his life in the West Midlands. He met and married Rachel at St. James church, Tunbridge Wells in 1994, and they have two sons: Luke (10) and Samuel (7). Keith tried to evade the call to ordination, but God finally caught up with him, whilst worshipping with St. Helens, Hastings. Keith has trained at St. Johns, Nottingham and his career previous to that began in Barking, progressing into Christian publishing. The Johnson family are excited about their call to Redditch and all that God has in store for the future. Keith will serve his title in the parish of Ipsley.

Andrew Stand is moving to the Worcester diocese from Birmingham, the place of his birth and where he has lived for the vast majority of his life. He was educated at King Edward’s school in Birmingham, and studied to become a Software Engineer at East Warwickshire college. Prior to starting his training he worshipped at St. Faith and St. Laurence Church. As well as his ordination, he is really looking forward to getting married to Christine, whom he met while they were both at Cranmer Hall in Durham. Andrew will serve his title in the parish of St John’s Bromsgrove.

Society of St Francis

Br Nicholas Alan SSF was born in Sussex in 1965, and moved to Nottingham with his family as a teenager. After A-levels he went to Selwyn College, Cambridge to read theology. After graduation he spent two years engaged in interfaith work in Nottingham followed by an MA degree in Religious Studies at Bristol University. He was then sent by the Church Mission Society to Korea where he taught at the Anglican University in Seoul. Returning to England in 1995 Nicholas joined the Society of Saint Francis and is now living at Glasshampton Monastery in Worcestershire where he will serve as an ordained member of the community.