4 September 2024
In following God’s call, June Oldacre discovered the ministry of distinctive deacons – those who once ordained remain deacons throughout their ministry.
June writes about her ordination journey:
“I came to faith in my teens and quickly became involved in church life, particularly leading sung worship. I started work in the Care Sector when I was 18 rather than going to university. My career has always related to helping professions, such as care, teaching, training, management of care services and charities. I was excited when having wanted to train as a counsellor for many years, God provided an opportunity for me to train and qualify. I currently work as a counsellor in an acute hospital setting three days a week.
“When my Incumbent at the time spoke with me about ordained ministry, I began to pray about vocation more seriously. I wanted to be obedient to God’s call but didn’t feel excited by my then limited perception of ordained ministry. I came across the Church of England Vocations page, which mentioned Distinctive Deacons, and described the Diaconate as bridge building between the local church and local community. I also like the idea of the Deacon being a portable door to the church wherever they are. It became apparent that this was the kind of ministry God had already been preparing me for.
“I am particularly interested in looking out for the marginalised and oppressed, reaching into the forgotten corners of the world so that God’s love is known. I am struck by God’s great compassion for the oppressed, and his desire for justice in Scripture. I am interested in mental health and wellbeing, and gender-based violence.
“I find preaching very rewarding and love finding creative ways to communicate the gospel. I believe my preaching has a diaconal flavour to it. Following ordination, I will serve my curacy part-time at St John’s, Southend and continue in my paid employment as a counsellor. I’m excited to see what God will do!”
Find out more
Inspired by this story?
To find out more about Ministry in the Church of England visit chelmsford.anglican.org/exploring-vocations.
Our new Deacons
Read more about our new Deacons here.
We Pray
This article has been taken from the latest edition of WePray, our quarterly prayer diary which brings together our Cycle of Prayer and stories from across our Diocese.
