CHURCHES across the area have been congratulating their new priests and deacons following ordinations at Salisbury Cathedral.

The new clergy were among around 1,000 being ordained across the Church of England this summer.

The Bishop of Salisbury, the Rt Rev Nicholas Holtam; the Bishop of Ramsbury, the Rt Rev Ed Condry; and the Dean of Salisbury, the Very Rev June Osborne, were all present at both ordination services.

Among the new deacons is Kevin Rogers, a former social worker who worked in family support and child protection. Married with three children, one still in education, he will serve at St Luke’s in Parkstone.

He said: “I think I had a call to ministry for ages, but it took me a long time to accept it.

“I’m really looking forward to being in a role where people expect me to talk about Christianity, and the opportunities for conversation and prayer that come with that.

“I also want to help people in the Church to live as followers of Jesus Christ in their daily lives, especially at work.

“I know there will be challenges as well as opportunities in being such a public Christian – sometimes speaking up for the right thing isn’t popular with everyone.”

Ordinations of priests and deacons are annual events marking the culmination of years of training.

The priests ordained by the Bishop of Salisbury last Saturday are: Sally Bedborough, assistant curate of St Peter’s, Parkstone; Linda Carter, assistant curate of Broadstone; Tess Fuhri, assistant curate of Heatherlands St John in Parkstone; Chris Harwood, assistant curate of Poole St James with St Paul and Poole Missional Community; Mark Hay, assistant curate of Longfleet, Poole; Daniel Ingles, assistant curate of Beaminster; Ronald Whiting, assistant curate of Sherborne; Alison Whiting, assistant curate of Dorchester; Dr Janneke Blokland, assistant curate of Marlborough; Ali Bridewell, assistant curate of Bemerton; Margaret Collins, assistant curate of Warminster Christchurch; Maatt Earwicker, assistant curate of Salisbury St Mark and Laverstock St Andrew; and the Rev Anne Claar Thomasson-Rosingh, licensed to Sarum College.

Those ordained as deacons last Sunday were: Lynn Bowerman, assistant curate of Branksome St Clements; Carolyn Cousins, assistant curate of Lilliput; Asa Humphreys, assistant curate of Talbot Village; Marcus Mak, assistant curate of the North Poole Ecumenical Team; Kevin Rogers, assistant curate of Parkstone St Luke; Mo Willis, assistant curate of Branksome St Clement; Jo Haine, assistant curate of Dorchester; Heather Leppard,

Harnham St George and All Saints; and Dominic Thornton, assistant curate of Salisbury St Thomas and St Edmund.