A joyous evening of celebration has been held to mark the completion of academic achievements for people on the Diocese of Winchester’s BPP, LLM and Ordinand training programmes.
Thanks were given for their journeys and faithfulness over the months and years of training. Graduates were supported by family members, church friends, tutors, and students past and present at the special service of Holy Communion at St Paul’s Church in Winchester.
Their certificates were presented by Bishop Philip and the sermon was given by Bishop Kelly.
Twelve people received certificates and awards in Theology, Ministry and Mission from Durham. Five people had completed the Bishop’s Commission for Mission and another two were awarded the Bishop’s Permission to Preach.
Licensed Ministry Training Tutor Will Howard said, “Today is about celebrating all these people who have made a tremendous sacrifice in time and effort over several years, and many of them have had to do some serious academic work as part of their training. What’s lovely about this evening is that we’ve got lots of families here as well, because one person might be training, but there are lots of people around that person who are making that feasible. It’s wonderful that they can be here with us this evening. It’s a great occasion and a wonderful moment to celebrate all that’s been going on, and how gracious God has been in bringing all these people to this moment, acknowledging what they’ve done, and then sending them on their way as they continue in their ministries.”
Some of those being awarded gave inspiring testimonies at the service.
Steve Fice, Lay Minister in the benefice of Bentley, Binstead and Froyle. He’s starting a third year of study towards a diploma.
“This has been a journey for me over the last almost ten years, of reaching out through illness, through cancer treatments, feeling the Lord say to me, ‘go and do something better’. That culminated three years ago, when my new incumbent said to me, ‘I see a minister in you.’ He was the third person to have said that to me, so I thought maybe I should go to one of the exploring days. There was a talk about being a lay minister, and I hadn’t really given much thought to it. Suddenly, I felt my inner being saying, ‘this is what you’re looking for.’ I’ve got so much from the training. Will and Helen and Amy have always been there for us and have guided and helped us. Being a lay minister, one of the key things I’ve learnt is that you’re on a lifelong journey of learning. I saw a document from the Diocese of Truro recently, which says that lay ministers are ‘community theologians who teach, preach, and enable everyday faith’. That sums up what I feel I’ve been called to do.”
Katie Gilbert, received the Bishop’s Commission for Mission and is now training to become an LLM.
“This time last year I was finishing my BCM course, following a growing awareness that involvement with music in worship had been a thread through my whole life in many ways. I felt a thirst for expanding my knowledge and involvement in what it is to lead worship and help people into God’s presence.
“The BCM Worship was a wonderful way to widen my horizons of what worship could be, and it’s historical and biblical roots. It also prompts deep thinking about what exactly we are doing in worship, and why. The practical exercise of planning a Service of the Word in a pair or three stretched me to consider other perspectives and tastes. I could express my musical and liturgical joy – both in the planning and execution. I felt a sense of the Holy Spirit being with all of us as we worshipped together with each other’s services, and I came out wanting to do a lot more. Last September I began training as an LLM. This has been a blessing to my life, exploring ideas and fruitful conversations with people from many different traditions and experiences. It is also humbling to consider where this may lead. While I anticipate mainly being involved with music, liturgy and worship, there is that open call of the Spirit to unexpected directions of service, something both exciting and a little unnerving!”
Revd Claire Bentham is a curate in the Dever Benefice and received the Durham Diploma of Higher Education in Theology, Ministry and Mission.
“My reflection is around how we’re called to trust in God. We don’t always know where we’re headed or how things are going to work out, but from that unsettling uncertainty, how much deeper a relationship we’ve got.
“I grew up in London. My husband and I moved to rural Hampshire 20 years ago. That was not my choice. He needed green fields. I would have stayed in London.
“Going on many years, and I found myself exploring ordained ministry and I still felt a deep pull to the urban. I had a group of friends who were committed to praying for me, and one evening, one of them mentioned my call to rural ministry. I quickly put that right. Yes, I live in a village but my call to ministry had nothing to do with rural. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to live rurally, but minister urbanely but I placed it all in God’s hands.
“I started to feel guilty about driving out of my village, with a small church, to go to a large Winchester church. So, after some soul-searching and prayer, I offered to give one Sunday a month to the village. I got to know the people there. I found deep faith. I found a deep connection to place. I found something richer and deeper than I had ever imagined could exist in a sleepy Hampshire village.
“I had expected God to change everything and everyone else, but actually the biggest change was in me. I’m grateful for my training that was able to span both of those contexts and gave me the space to rebuild my sense of mission and ministry, drawing on the best bits of large and urban and the best bits of small and rural. My training gave me a great foundation for all that I’ve experienced in curacy so far, the whirlwind that it has been.
“My parting advice is this; when something really is from God, God will make a way. Don’t shut down avenues because you think it is impossible, and look for the riches in every place and every situation, and do be careful what you pray for.”
We pray for all those who received awards and for their journeys in faith and for the work of the Diocese of Winchester Mission and Ministry team.
