Ordination services for Deacons and Priests are taking place in Canterbury Cathedral on 28 June 2025.
These services are a celebration of the work that has been undertaken by our ordinands, who have been training for between one and three years. Before entering training, candidates go through a discernment process to explore their calling. The ordination training involves deepening their understanding of the Christian faith, and learning the skills needed to be a minister.
Once this training is complete, they are ordained as a Deacon in the Church of England. They will then begin a curacy lasting three years. This year's deacons will be ordained Priest in 12 months' time.
All are invited to watch the ordination services, which will be live-streamed by Canterbury Cathedral.
If you feel that you are being called to serve as an ordained minister or in any role within the church, head to our Vocations page.
Please pray for all of our ordinands as they take this next step in their ministry, and find out what they have to say in advance of the service.
Nicholas Tomaszewski
(The Parish of Upper Deal and Great Mongeham)
"I was born within sight and sound of Bell Harry Tower many years ago. Married to Muriel forever, we have four children, eleven grandchildren and three great grandchildren. I resisted the call to ordination for many years, however, God never gave up on me.
"After 27 years of a solid foundation of lay readership, I gave in and accepted that God had won. My love for family, my parish family at Upper Deal and Great Mongeham and the fine community of Deal underpins all that I do. I first entered the church of St Leonard, Upper Deal, in 1972 and the love for that place, especially when it is full, remains with me.
"The day has not arrived when I cannot thank God for the blessings He has poured upon me. God's call to me for ordination greatly humbles me, enabling me to further serve my parish and community.
"My discernment and time at St Augustine's College further recognises and validates my call to the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, with a willingness to learn and grow."
Jim Barber
(The Parish of Birchington with Acol and Minnis Bay)
"Hello, my name is Jim Barber and I'm going to be the curate for the parish of Birchington with Acol and Minnis Bay which is on the isle of Thanet. Anyone who knows me is aware of my passion for community, and particularly the rural communities. I've lived in the area for nearly 50 years, and for 25 of those years I've been an active reader and minister within the parish.
I’ve felt the call of God to ordained ministry for many years now, and I'm so inspired and humbled by the support that I've received from my church family and my own family as I move into my new role. With God's help, I look forward to a future of service. Thank you."
Ripeka Bijl
(The Whitstable Team Ministry, based at St Alphege & St Peter)
"Tēnā koutou katoa, greetings all! My name is Rev Ripeka Bijl (Ngāti Mutunga, Te Atiawa, Ngāti Kahungunu) and I have recently emigrated from Auckland in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and the Māori diocese of Te Tai Tokerau, to begin a joint curacy in The Diocese of Canterbury alongside my husband, Rev Eddie Bijl. I am a deacon in both New Zealand and the UK, and I’ve had the joy of living in both – as well as Germany for a time too!
“It has been a remarkable journey that has led us to Whitstable – with doors opening in amazing ways and an encouraging and deeply peaceful invitation that I received on Whitstable beach. My whānau (family) and I are thrilled to be sharing the Good News in the Diocese of Canterbury and joining in with the missional work here.
“I trained as an actor and love Shakespeare, I enjoy reading, I love animals, and I am passionate about children and the marginalised and oppressed being at the heart of the church. In a time full of conflict, fear and anxiety, it is easy to feel lost and downhearted, but there is some (VERY) Good News; Jesus is with you and will never leave you, and you are loved by Jesus who brings hope, peace, and abounding joy!
“Haere Mai, e te Wairua Tapu – Come, Holy Spirit! I look forward to serving with you and walking this exciting adventure of faith together."
Sally Willins
(The Wantsum Group)
"I have served as a Reader since November 2000 in the village parishes of the Wantsum Benefice. My husband, Paul, and I have lived in the village of Minster in Thanet for over 43 years.
"Following a personally fruitful two year Vacancy period, I was invited to consider taking The Dover Pathway to ordination. A call to ordination was not something I had explored before: I felt Reader ministry was where my gifts were best utilised.
"The last 18 months have been full of surprises and the occasional challenge, but, by God's grace, and with support and affirmation, here I am! I feel ready and eager to serve our benefice communities in different and exciting ways and am looking forward to my ordination as Deacon on 28th June."
Anderson Yan
(The Parish of St Leonard's, Hythe)
"I am Andy. My parents moved from Taiwan to Brazil with my two siblings and I was born and raised in São Paulo. I worked in the hospitality industry before serving in the Chinese Presbyterian Church in Brazil.
"I came to Britain for further studies nearly 19 years ago, but after marrying Becky ended up staying. We have two cats, Bella and Smokey.
"Why do I feel called to be ordained?
"This was a gradual process. There has always been a sense of fulfilment and enjoyment within me when I had the opportunity to serve with my gifts, but it has also been equally important to have this sense confirmed by the church.
"As mentioned earlier, I was already ordained in the Chinese Presbyterian Church in Brazil. I started serving voluntarily as a youth worker, and when I realised I was already deeply involved. Something similar happened when I was studying in London – I was invited to preach and lead weekly Bible studies in the Baptist church, and was invited to be an associate pastor there.
"When I moved to Kent, my wife and I were looking for a church and we felt at home in the Church of England. Although my discernment process for ordination in the CofE started over 10 years ago, I had to interrupt it because I was a research student and a full-time carer. As things started falling into place in our lives, this seemed the right timing for ordination, and I am extremely excited to share my gifts with my new parish and be mutually edified (Rom 1:11-12)."
Phil Trainer
(The Parish of St Luke's, Maidstone)
"Hi there everyone, my name is Phil Trainer – I'm going to be serving as curate at St Luke's Church in Maidstone. My wife and I have two children, Boaz and Phoebe, who are 11 and 9, and three years ago we felt called as a family to move to Kent to serve the Lord in Maidstone – my wife as the Worship and Creative Pastor at St Luke’s, and myself discerning and then entering ordination training.
I've been training at St Mellitus College in London, which has been a fantastic experience, but I'm now really looking forward to being able to get involved full time in all that God is doing in the churches in Maidstone and across the Diocese. I've been serving God in full time ministry in a variety of churches for many years, and now I'm excited to embrace ordained ministry and all that that entails.
I'm particularly passionate about helping people grow in confidence as they read the scriptures, encountering Jesus in worship and in their day to day lives, discovering and growing in the gifts and the calling that he's leading them in and being transformed by the work of The Holy Spirit in them."
John Wakeman
(The Parish of Upper Deal and Great Mongeham)
"Hello. My name is John Wakeman, husband to one wife; father to three grown-up children; grandfather to three granddaughters; retired and now entering retirement age, and I will have my coffee - in this room or the next!
"I am also just about to be ordained as deacon in the Church of England.
"Those are the headlines, but underneath that is a man who almost walked away from faith after a series of unfortunate events and a tumultuous decade of what some have labelled deconstruction, but which I usually term a faith shift.
"Today, a couple of metaphors come to mind. The first concerns a friend who divorced and remarried the same spouse. I think there is something of that in my experience: I know that I am loved and that I love and want to be in this human/divine relationship and that – on a good day - I don’t want to be anywhere else.
"The second metaphor is an old tree I saw earlier this week. It was growing in a disused quarry; it was not pretty, and it had clearly lost some significant branches. It was oddly shaped and scarred, but it was firmly rooted and still growing toward the light, albeit in different directions from how it started out.
"Today, two sets of words come to mind. The first are words of Jesus from Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 11:28-30), as beautifully rendered in The Message:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
"The second set of words are from the song ‘Invisible’ by U2.
There is no them
There is no them
There’s only us
There’s only us
There’s only you
And there’s only me
"Today, that’s how I want to live and what I want to advocate as I move into this new chapter."
Edward Bijl
(The Whitstable Team Ministry, based at St Alphege & St Peter)
"Tēnā koutou katoa! (Greetings!) I’m Reverend Eddie Bijl. My family and I have recently moved from Aotearoa (New Zealand) and I am delighted to be in Whitstable as I begin a joint curacy.
Before studying theology I trained and worked as an actor and director specializing in making Shakespeare. I love hearing and sharing stories and in 2019 it was put on my heart to take these skills to share the good news of the Gospel.
I’ve been serving at Hemi Tapu (St James) Māngere Bridge in Auckland for the last three years and was ordained as a deacon in 2024. I love spending time with my family, singing in choirs, playing squash, and bridge.
Kia ora!"
Tracy Williams
(The Parish of Murston, Bapchild and Tonge)
"Many years ago I read that God loves the Sparrow, the tiny, drab, scrappy birds that we find everywhere – the birds that we take for granted. I realised that if God loves each and every one of them, then God loves me too.
"If I am loved then I also in my turn should love, and this walks hand in hand with serving and listening and being there for others.
"My husband and grown-up daughters and cats have supported me in this journey all the way, even when I announced that I was going back to college to follow the kick in the ribs from God that moved me from Reader to Ordinand.
"So now I look forward to how this journey will continue, being grateful that I can remain in the Sittingbourne Deanery, and bringing 34 years of skills gained whilst working originally as a tax officer and in recent decades, up until last year, for the Universities at Medway."
David Mulcock
(St Paul's, Cliftonville)
"My name is Dave Mulcock and I’m excited to be starting a self-supporting curacy at St Paul’s, Cliftonville alongside being a Geography teacher. I feel called to love and serve the people of Thanet and am excited for taking part in all that God is doing already.
"Some of my passions include a variety of sports (football, NFL and rugby being the main ones); listening to a wide range of music; and playing board games with friends. Moving to the area means I’m also excited for being able to do many more coastal walks and pointing out geographical features."
Ben de Garis
(Holy Trinity, Margate)
"My name is Ben, I’m 28 and originally from Dorset, so I’m very excited that the Lord is bringing me back to the coast, this time to Margate to join Holy Trinity (Margate Church).
"I’ve been married to Hannah for two years. We’re both passionate about following Jesus and excited to be part of what God is doing in Thanet.
"Since I was a teenager, I felt Jesus showed me that following Him is a real adventure. Ordination is part of that adventure He’s taking me on. I believe Jesus is the hope for every human heart, and I can’t wait to continue sharing that hope by being ordained deacon this summer."
Graham Snellin
(The Dover Town Team Ministry)
"I am Graham Snellin, a Lay Reader, and I serve the churches in the Dover Town Benefice. I was licensed as a Lay Reader in September 2020 on Zoom due to the COVID pandemic restrictions, but then affirmed the following year in the Cathedral, which was a joyful and blessed Service.
"Since becoming a Lay Reader, I have prayed for direction and guidance for the next step along the ministerial development formation pathway.
"In 2023, whilst in conversation with a member of a church in the Dover Town Benefice, the Dover pathway to the local ordained ministry was mentioned and I was asked if I am considering the ordained ministry and should prayerfully discern this pathway to ordination, so I offered myself for ordination under the Dover Pathway Plus local ordination ministry scheme.
"Once ordained I will serve as an Assistant Curate in the Dover Town Team Ministry."
Tim Gosden
(The Parish of St John the Baptist, Folkestone)
"I'm Tim and I’m really excited to be joining the diocese as a curate at St John’s Church in Folkestone. I’m married to Nichola; we have three boys and two dogs.
"Prior to studying I worked in the NHS, predominately in the Ambulance Service or Emergency Department.
"My discernment for ministry began some 15 years ago, and God has been wonderfully gracious in leading me to this point, slowly and surely growing my passion for the local church and loving the community we will be living in.
"I am really looking forward to being able to share Jesus with those I come into contact with, whether walking the dogs or through the activity of the local church. Being able to serve Him daily is a joy and privilege."
Margaret Bowers
(St Paul & St Peter, River)
"I am Margaret Bowers and I am a Lay Minister and Pastoral Worker based at St. Peter & St. Paul Church River, near Dover.
"Over time, through prayer and reflection, I began to sense a strong and undeniable call from God to serve more deeply. It wasn’t dramatic, but it was persistent, and eventually became something I could no longer ignore.
"God has led me this far to Ordination and I know He will continue to guide me on this exciting journey I walk with Him."
Also being ordained
Also being ordained are Lesley Brookes (The Benefice of Shepherds Lees), Henry Setright (The Benefice of Tenterden, Rother and Oxney), Anne Talbert (The Canonry Benefice) and Penny Lowe (The Romney Marsh Benefice).