Celebrations as Over 30 People are Commissioned for Lay Ministry at Winchester Cathedral

There were cheers and applause in Winchester Cathedral as more than 30 people from across the diocese were licensed as lay ministers last Saturday 11 October. The joyous service of family, friends and supporting clergy was led by the Bishop of Winchester, with people called to work in various roles including worship, pastoral care, and Licensed Lay Ministry. See all the wonderful photos here.

Some of those who were commissioned at Saturday’s service told us their stories:

Leonie Hicks from St Michael’s in North Stoneham completed the Bishop’s Commission for Mission Worship and is currently doing the Bishop’s Permission to Preach. She felt God calling her to the role during lockdown.

Leonie said, “I’d had a nagging feeling for a while but with the busyness of life and having a full-time job, I’d managed to ignore it. Then during Covid I had more time to think and realised I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I thought this was a way that I could use my professional skills as an educator to support our clergy and the parish and encourage others within the parish to use their talents to support and nurture people in the faith.

“It’s lovely to see everybody that I did the training with and the people that I’m doing the BPP with. It’s always nice to be in the cathedral and my partner and my parents are here as well to support me.”

Sheridan O’Shea from St Peter’s Church in West Tytherley received the BCM Worship.

She said, “We struggled during the pandemic to keep our church going and to communicate with people. Then, after the pandemic it got harder because we were stretched with clergy and people were needed to help with services such as matins, morning and evening prayer. As a church warden, I started to help but I felt like I wanted to get more background and understanding, particularly around the liturgy. I didn’t just want to stand up and lead because it’s about being a conduit to God.

“I’ve learned a lot about how to break down the scriptures, how to guide people and it’s given me more confidence. I think that we’ve been very successful in our church in West Tytherley, bringing in new ideas and ways to work so we’re in a good place now.”

Stephen Scott from Christ Church Fremantle received the BCM Worship.

He said, “All my life I’ve been struggling with my faith I suppose, and this is just one more example of the Lord giving me opportunities that I never thought I would have. It’s been a joy and delight getting here. I’ve shared wonderful moments with my priest and with the rest of the congregation who have been on the journey with me. I’ve felt supported and encouraged all the way through and it’s meant a lot to me.

“It’s symbolic to be here today and amazing to see other people who’ve been on a similar journey. I have thought for a long time that we need to empower people at parish level to be part of what I call the ‘gathering in’ process. We gather ourselves, people who are strong, people who are weak and people of all ages, and that ‘gathering in’ is part of the work of the Holy Spirit. You see it in lives being transformed and that’s what it’s all about for me.”

Stefan Wilmott gained a BCM pastoral certificate. He is part of the parish visitors scheme at St Paul’s Church in Winchester.

He commented, “I felt a need in my parish for more people to get alongside vulnerable people, people who were struggling to attend services on a regular basis, or people in the community who may or may not be regular church attenders but would appreciate support and companionship.

“It’s a real privilege to be alongside other people, to have them share something of their life with you. It might not solve their problems but it’s a small thing that the church can do to make them feel less isolated and less alone.”

During the service testimonies were heard from three people who told of their calling to the role and the confidence, knowledge and encouragement they had received during their learning. The service also saw the commissioning of Gillian Gray Knight as agricultural chaplain.

She also led the prayers giving thanks for the skills and understanding gained through the training, asking God for courage, humility and strength in seeking to sow the seeds of the Gospel.

Ian Clarke from St Francis in Valley Park was licensed as an LLM.

He said, “It’s been three years of training for me and a lifetime of preparation to get to this point. I thought it was going to be just a service where I got licensed but it was actually quite moving. It was lovely to be surrounded by people who I’ve spent three years training with and other people who were being licensed alongside us.

“It’s good to be that bridge between the ordained ministry and the laity and to have a foot in both camps. I’m a full-time school teacher in a secondary school and so it’s wonderful to be able to bring the hope of the gospel to both the school and the parish.”

Sally Russell is a new LLM at St Mark’s Church in Highcliffe.

She said, “Today is the culmination of two years of joy and difficulty and self-doubt and affirmation and fellowship with my fellow LLMs, as they are now today. It hasn’t been a smooth ride, but I think it’s good that it wasn’t because it’s part of the path of the Christian life, which is certainly not one which is pink and fluffy. It’s filled with joy but of course there are always difficulties and challenges.

“This role means everything to me now. I hope to be a great help in my church in St Mark’s. I will continue doing a lot of my current roles such as running services in care homes and taking reserved communion and, I hope, preaching and assisting in services. I’m also going to be a chaplain at Salisbury Cathedral which is something I’m very much looking forward to as well.”

After the service those licensed and commissioned gathered outside the front of the cathedral for photographs and hugs from family and supporters.

Diocese of Winchester Head of Mission and Ministry Amy Roche said, “Being part of the people of God means that everybody who’s a church member has got a particular gift to offer, whether it’s praying for people, whether it’s encouraging people, whether it’s making the coffee or whether it’s welcoming. The people that we’re celebrating today are people that have followed a course. BCM people have been training to be able to serve the church in pastoral care or leading worship, or people that are beyond the walls of the church. We’ve also got 7 new LLMs and there’s such a feeling of joy in this space today. Such a celebration.”

The names of all those licensed over the weekend can be found below. Do pray for them as they continue their journeys of faith and service:

Licensed Lay Ministers (LLMs)

Licensed Lay Ministers Transferring from Another Diocese

Deputy Warden of Lay Ministry

• Phillip Attwood

BCM Pastoral

BCM Worship

BCM Beyond Church Walls