On Saturday 26 September, 20 new priests will be ordained at five services across Essex and East London.
On this page
Services and our new priests
Details of the ordination services and our new priests can be found below:
We will be introducing our new Priests on our social media channels in the run up to the ordination services. Search @chelmsdio on Facebook, Instagram and BlueSky with the hashtag #ChelmsdioNewPriests.
Barking Area:
Those serving in the Barking Area will be ordained to the priesthood by the Rt Revd Lynne Cullens, the Bishop of Barking at two services:
St Chad’s, Chadwell Heath at 10am
- The Revd Deji Adesida serving at St Chad’s, Chadwell Heath (Barking and Dagenham Deanery)
- The Revd Carly Lucas serving the Benefice of Rainham with Wennington (Havering Deanery)
- The Revd Jacob Farley serving at All Saints' Woodford Wells (Redbridge Deanery)
- The Revd Marcel Firth serving at St Mary’s, Great Ilford (Redbridge Deanery)
St Saviour's, Walthamstow at 2pm
- The Revd Neil Houghton serving at Walthamstow, St Saviour's (Waltham Forest Deanery)
- The Revd Sharon Yates serving at St Mark’s, Forest Gate (Newham Deanery)
- The Revd Amy Taylor serving at St Gabriel’s, Aldersbrook (Redbridge Deanery)
- The Revd Michelle Steptoe serving at serving at Holy Trinity, Barkingside (Redbridge Deanery)
Bradwell Area:
St Michael and All Angels, Westcliff at 10:30am
Those serving in the Bradwell Area will be ordained to the priesthood by the Rt Revd Adam Atkinson, the Bishop of Bradwell:
- The Revd Linda Saville serving at St Andrew’s, Westcliff (Southend Deanery)
- The Revd Mary Namubiru serving at LifeStreams Church (Southend Deanery)
- The Revd Mike Simmonds serving at Westcliff-on-Sea, St Saviour's (Southend Deanery)
- The Revd Nik Wright serving the Parish of Wickford and Runwell (Basildon Deanery)
- The Revd Karen Eyles serving at St Mary’s, Burnham-on-Crouch, Holy Trinity, North Fambridge and St Andrew’s, Althorne (Maldon & Dengie Deanery)
- The Revd Jan Kersey serving the BTH Group of churches - Benfleet, Thundersley, and Hadleigh (Hadleigh Deanery)
- The Revd Liz Gloyn serving within the Epping Team Ministry (Epping Forest and Ongar Deanery)
Colchester Area:
St Botolph’s, Colchester at 10am
Those serving in the Colchester Area will be ordained to the priesthood by the Rt Revd Roger Morris, the Bishop of Colchester:
- The Revd Beccy Gregerson serving in the West Mersea Benefice (Witham Deanery)
- The Revd Jo Jeffery serving at Christ Church, Colchester and St Botolph’s, Colchester (Colchester Deanery)
- The Revd Stef Jones serving at St Mark’s & St Luke’s, Colchester (Colchester Deanery)
St Mary the Virgin, Henham at 6pm
(images to be added shortly)
The Revd Samuel Topping and The Revd Peter Tibbott will be ordained to the priesthood by the Rt Revd Rob Munro, Bishop of Ebbsfleet.
St George's, Becontree, where Samuel serves, and the churches of Henham, Elsenham and Ugley, where Peter serves, receive extended episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Ebbsfleet in accordance with the Church of England’s five guiding principles, which provide provision for those within the Church of England who, on grounds of theological conviction, do not receive the ministry of female bishops or priests.
Priesthood
Those who will be ordained on Saturday 26 September, have served as Deacons for a year. Whilst some deacons are called to a vocation as a distinctive deacon, most deacons go on to be ordained as priests. The ministry of a priest is one of leadership and mission, helping all Christians to realise their potential as they witness to Christ. They help to build up the Church, through:
- the celebration of the sacraments (including baptism and holy communion)
- teaching
- preaching
- pastoral care
Ordained Ministry in our Diocese
If you feel that God is calling you to a role in the Church, there are many different opportunities. A good first step is to talk to your local clergy. You can find out more about Ministry in the Church of England, including ordained ministry by visiting the 'Exploring Vocations' page of our website.
Vocations Resources for your Church Community
Ordination season is a time when people often reflect on their own calling. A range of resources have been produced to help church communities encourage and support people as they discern their vocation.
View the resources on the link below.
Follow @ChelmsDioVocations on Instagram
Follow Chelmsford Diocese Vocations (@ChelmsDioVocations) Instagram page which will be used to share news, resources, information and stories about Vocations in Chelmsford Diocese. Share this page with your networks and anyone interested in exploring their vocation in our diocese.
Photos
We’d love to share photos from the priest ordination services on our social media pages. If you are attending one of the services, share your photos with us on Facebook, X, Instagram and BlueSky - tag us in using @chelmsdio and use the hashtag #ChelmsdioNewPriests. If you are using Instagram, you can also share photos on our Chelmsford Diocese Vocations Instagram page - @ChelmsDioVocations.
