Ordination Weekend Highlights – 2026
It was a glorious, sunny weekend as friends, families and colleagues gathered at Southwell Minster to celebrate the ordination of eight Priests and twelve Deacons.
Ordination of Priests
The Ordination of Priests was a joyful service on Saturday that celebrated and welcomed Wendy, Jane, Olly, Luke, Jo, Liam and Lesley into this new phase of ministry. There was also a special service on Sunday evening at Worksop Priory as Robert Garnett was also ordained priest.
Revd James Halstead, Director of Discipleship & Ministry, delivered a powerful sermon on Saturday on how God works through his people, reminding us that those being ordained aren’t the ones changing the world, but God brings change through them.
With Isaiah 61 as his inspiration, James reflected on the words that Jesus used to to describe his own earthly ministry. It is Jesus, he said, who bandages broken hearts, preaches good news to the poor and brings freedom to those in captivity. But we are the ones who receive these gifts, and those who stepped forward to be ordained as priests – who have encountered Jesus himself – have “become the transformation Jesus brings, and so now they can bring Jesus’ transformation to the world at large.”
Ordination of Deacons – Sunday 5th July
Sunday was also a beautiful day as the twelve deacons were welcomed into ordained ministry for the first time at a special service at Southwell Minster surrounded by family and friends. Cameron, Paul, James, Naomi, Magda, Joy, Rob, Tom, Christine, Luke, Martha and Becca were all ordained deacon by Bishop Paul.
Bishop Paul gave an inspiring sermon, drawing on Isaiah 35 and the story of Jesus healing Bartimaeus in Mark 10, encouraging us to not let Jesus pass us by, reminding us of his promise to draw near to each of us. Reflecting on the sense of awakening in the church at the moment, Bishop Paul reminded the candidates and the congregation: “let’s keep pressing in, calling out to the Lord in prayer…to see his hope like streams in the dessert”.
We’re so grateful to the families and friends of the candidates for the love and support they have given throughout their training and for making it such a joyous weekend of celebration. Please join us as we continue to pray for the candidates as they settle into and continue their ministry.
A full gallery of the ordination weekend photos is now available. Click here to view the Ordination of Priests gallery, and here for the Ordination of Deacons gallery. You can also download the photos to share.
If you’d like to watch back either of the services, you can do so via this link. You can also read candidate stories here.
As we’ve celebrated the ordinations over the past few weeks, it may be that you have felt God stirring something in your heart about his call on your life, whatever that might look like. If you want to explore this further, visit our vocations page for more information about support we offer for those exploring their calling: