Meet the ordinands who will be ordained into the diaconate at two services at Christ Church Cathedral on 29 June.
Watch the ordination services live on Saturday 29 June as we broadcast from the Cathedral.
The ordinands are:
Andy Medlicott
After 25 years of various church leadership roles, Andy Medlicott felt the calling to ordained ministry through the Eucharist while he was giving communion by extension at St Andrew’s in Bracknell. He came to Christ aged 14, and at 17, through a vision from God, he knew he was going to take action for God. Moving to Bracknell he got involved in Warfield Church, including spending some years working as a missionary in East Africa and being involved in a number of church plants. He will serve a part-time curacy at St Michael’s in Bray while also working as a software engineer.
Frances Caroe
Frances will follow in his mother's and grandfather's footsteps when he is ordained. He came back to his faith, after some time away, in the Anglican Church in Japan while studying in Tokyo. After completing his studies, he took part in a ministry experience scheme that was cut short by the pandemic, then worked as a gardener before training at Ripon College Cuddesdon. He will take up his curacy in the parish of Wantage.
Beth Quainton
Beth Quainton came to faith in her early teens, having grown up in a Christian home. After university she settled into a career in HR and had two children, before God began to prompt her into considering ordination. She admits she resisted for some time, but having been nudged for the third time with a clear vision of a sparkly dog collar, showing her this path was for her too, she decided to begin training. Beth has trained in her home village of Finchampstead and will serve her curacy in the parish of Bracknell.
Alison Drury
A background in ecumenical volunteer roles will stand Alison Drury in good stead as she prepares to take on her curacy at the Walton Churches Partnership in Milton Keynes. Throughout her life, Alison, who has lived in the city for many years, has been involved in supporting a variety of church activities including chairing the Milton Keynes Mission Partnership charity as well as church planting, children’s church and Messy Church.
Jo Wigley
Jo Wigley will become the second of three generations of ordained ministers when she becomes curate at Buckingham Parish Church. She has trained while working full-time as Associate Minister for Pastoral Care at Buckingham and will continue this role in her curacy. She says people are her passion and she loves working in the community reaching out to people.
Josh Stenner
Josh Stenner felt a call to serve God and his people when he decided to become ordained. That calling has also led him to study to become a psychotherapist, to support people in a more therapeutic way. Josh studied theology at university and became a police officer and project manager before he felt compelled to undertake a ministry experience course in Fulham. Now, having completed three years’ study at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford, he’s preparing to take up his curacy in the parish of St Mary and St Nicholas in Littlemore.
Dov Whittle
Dov came to faith in his late teens. His path to ministry developed over the years while working in various jobs and led to him becoming more involved with his local church. Dov studied full-time at Cuddesdon having moved there with his wife and two sons. He will serve his curacy in the Damascus Parish in Oxfordshire.
Reema Shinhmar
Reema Shinhmar’s father was not surprised when she told him she was planning to train for ordination – he had seen her step into leading worship in a dream he’d had before she was born. He had kept that secret for more than 20 years to ‘allow God’s plan to unfold in her life. Eight years on from that conversation, Reema is preparing for her ordination at Christ Church Cathedral following three years of training at St Mellitus Collage in London.
Lydia Lee
Having grown up in a Christian family, Lydia’s faith has always been central to her life. Indeed, long before she felt called to ordination, Lydia describes having a sense of calling to something she just wasn’t sure what God was asking of her. She worked as a teacher for five years before taking a ‘leap of faith’ and leaving her job, and within a few years began to explore ordination. She trained at St Mellitus College in London and will serve her curacy at St Andrew’s in High Wycombe.
Alison Dean
After becoming a Christian as a young teenager, faith has been a thread throughout Alison’s life. She has explored different church traditions, worked at a church project in supported housing for men with addictions, and then trained as a counsellor before being called to ordination. Alison says her work as a therapist and now as a curate will fulfil her desire to see people flourish and grow, as God created them to be. Alison studied at Cuddesdon, and will become a curate at Walbury Beacon benefice in West Berkshire.
Emma Firth
A lifelong Christian, Emma had always served her church in whatever way she could. Be that as a PCC member, volunteering at children’s church or setting up a youth group. The call to ordination had been a nudge Emma put to one side several times, before three separate ministers mentioned it to her and she realised God was calling her into service. Prior to training, Emma was a chartered accountant with an HR qualification, working most recently for NGOs in the international development sector. Emma trained at Cuddesdon while working part-time for the diocese. She will serve her curacy as part of the Dorchester Abbey team.
Paul Charles
From an upbringing within the Baptist Church, Paul had his faith at the centre of his life. After school he joined Youth for Christ first on a gap year and then as a full-time youth worker. The study of theology has been a thread throughout his adult life, first in the US and then in Oxford, where he began the discernment process for ordination. A lifelong love of learning has led to a passion for discipleship, and fostering that through encouragement and teaching. Paul will serve his curacy in the benefice of Kidlington with Hampton Poyle.
Martyn Thorne
Martyn is no stranger to a life of service, having spent the last 25 years before he retired as a minister in the Baptist church. He had thought his days of serving God were limited to his local church until he felt a calling to return to the priesthood. Although surprised to find himself called to ministry again, Martyn is keen to use his gifts to support the minister in his benefice of Cholsey and Moulsford.
Leanne Fowler
Throughout her life Leanne has felt the love of God wrapped around her. Devastated at the loss of a second child who was stillborn, Leanne felt abandoned. She went to church and experienced God’s healing and a message that she was going to be alright. Some years later, when she had returned to regularly attending church, she had a vision of God wrapping a robe around her shoulders and felt he was calling her to ordination, so beginning the discernment process. Her work as a school pastoral support assistant is a passion she hopes to carry into her curacy at South Newbury benefice.
Jess Wyatt
Jess Wyatt is following her father’s footsteps when she’s ordained later this month. Having grown up in a Christian home, she became a Christian for herself in her teenage years. Her career in public affairs led her to work for the Archbishop of Canterbury dealing with refugee resettlement where she began to feel a calling to ordination. Jess completed her training at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford and will serve her curacy at St Andrew’s in Summertown part-time while she completes a PhD in Christian ethics.