Six candidates were licensed for lay ministry at the annual service for Licensed Lay Ministers at Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday.
Alongside the newly admitted ministers were licensed lay ministers (LLMs) from around the diocese who joined the candidates in dedicating themselves afresh to their ministry, during the service which was led by Bishop Gavin.
The candidates presented were Eve Hitchens, Linda Hobbs, Rachel Moss, Mike Murray, Joe O’Neill and Karen Broadbent.
The preacher was the Revd Andrew Blyth, Director of Mission and Ministry at the diocese. During his sermon he celebrated the candidates as they begin a new chapter of their story. Evoking the imagery of The Archers and The Traitors (!) Andrew described us all as living our own story.
He said: “God writes the story in us and with us. Let him, I pray. A story of hope and goodness fill each one of us with this hope in Jesus’ name.”
During the service each of the candidates were asked to publicly to profess their faith with the congregation as their witness. Bishop Gavin then admitted each of them in turn, presented them with a Bible and prayed for them.
Following this prayer the LLMs’ sponsoring training incumbent or archdeaconry advisor then put the blue scarves on them. At the end of the service, all of those licensed or authorised to preach stood, and holding their Bibles aloft were blessed in their ministry.
Eve Hitchens will serve at St Michael in the Northgate, Oxford.
Linda Hobbs will serve at St Helen’s in Abingdon.
Rachel Moss will serve at St Michael and St Mary Magdalene, Easthampstead.
Mike Murray will serve at St Michael’s Steventon.
Joe O’Neill will serve at St Mary’s Church, Aylesbury.
and Karen Broadbent will serve at Christ the King, Sonning Common.
See more photos from the service in our Facebook gallery.