LESLEY BLACK began worshipping in Saint Mary & All Saints, Bingham after years of not attending church regularly. Having become a Christian as a teenager and following The Lord for most of her adult life, she fell away and mostly stopped going to church all together when life dealt her some hard blows. It was when COVID restrictions meant that the freedom of attending church every week was taken away, she decided she wanted to come back to regularly worshipping God, in a “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” thought process. She booked a place on-line every week and joined the Bingham family of Saint Mary and All Saints.  Fast forward 4 years, after exploring courses like Leading Evangelism and DISCIPLE, she felt a distinct nudge towards something more. She admits now to knowing it was a call to licensed lay ministry but took another 2 years to commit – just to be sure she had heard God correctly! The rest, as they say, is history and she is here today being licensed by a Bishop, in the church of England.

Lesley is being licensed to The Revd Canon Stephen Hippisley-Cox (Area Dean) in the Benefice of Bingham. 

SIMON CARTER lives in Calverton with his wife Jane and their two teenagers Wilf and Edie May. He can’t say for sure when he found a faith, but remembers being gifted a book of Jesus stories as a child and reading it on a break from his superhero comics. Jesus being a real-life superhero meant that Captain America didn’t really cut it for Simon after that. It took Simon until the age of 39 to get baptised and until the age of 50 to realise that he really ought to be putting his lifelong background in creative writing and the performing arts into more active service for Jesus. Simon was cast as Jesus in the 2023 Nottingham Passion, a transformative experience which led Simon to find his church home at St Helen’s and St Mary’s where he serves on the leadership team, preaches regularly, and plays percussion for the worship band. Simon loves going to rock gigs with friends and family, writing, cooking, and eating what he cooks. He still likes to read comics, on breaks from reading stories about Jesus. Simon has never felt alone, or abandoned, despite the catalogue of profoundly painful life experiences which have hit him hard on his journey to the Minster today. All he really wants to do, with everything he has, is to talk about Jesus with anyone who’s prepared to listen. 

Simon is being licensed to The Revd Anna Clarke in the Benefice of Burton Joyce, Bulcote and Stoke Bardolph with Lowdham, Caythorpe and Gunthorpe. 

SHAN SHAN (CELIA) CHAN grew up in Hong Kong and has lived in Worksop since 2023.  After deciding to move, she sensed God’s calling to ministry.  She then completed a Master’s degree in Christian Studies to equip herself before relocating to the UK.  Her passion is to serve the community and help people come to know God.  Celia is now part of Christ Church, Worksop. In addition to leading the Cantonese Service and the Hong Kongers Home Group, she also preaches monthly in the Sunday service.  She is excited to begin the new chapter of ministry as she follows God’s guidance.  

Celia is being licensed to The Revd Jenni Foreman in the Benefice of Worksop Christ Church and Shireoaks.  

LESLEY COOKE was born and raised in Sutton-in-Ashfield but has been associated with St. Andrew’s Skegby for many years, having been baptised there at the age of 8 weeks.  She married her husband Tony at St Andrew’s and they have now been married for 35 years. She has worked in her own business as a foot health practitioner and reflexologist for the last 22 years and loves what she does, seeing it as an opportunity to take a form of ministry to clients, many of whom are not familiar with church life, in a more informal way than attending church services. Lesley was given the opportunity to join the lay worship team a few years ago and, as she became more involved with this, she felt God’s calling to do more.  Being accepted onto the LLM training course was an incredible experience.  After a shaky start, wondering what she was getting into, she now feels that her confidence, faith and knowledge have grown hugely. So much so, that she is looking at other courses to undertake to keep growing her faith and ministry after licencing. She is excited and looking forward to the next season in her benefice and her ministry.

Lesley is being licenced to The Revd Dr Lee Gordon (Area Dean) in the Benefice of Skegby with Teversal.

MATTHEW CUMBERLIDGE originates from Wrexham, North Wales but found himself settling in Nottinghamshire in 1999 after having lived in a variety of places in Wales, England, Germany and Cyprus. As a son of a Priest and later Army Chaplain, church life and Jesus was integral to everything. As his own faith developed so did the call to serve God. Matthew is a Primary School teacher of 30 years having worked in a variety of schools and roles in the county. He lives in Ollerton, where he has worshipped since 2010, with his wonderful wife Donna, and has four children. Over the time at St Paulinus he has been Churchwarden, Standing Committee member for the Deanery Synod, and Treasurer.  He has absolutely loved doing the LLM course, supported in the Parish by his vicar, Revd Richard Hanford, and fellow LLM graduate Rachel Hanford (Richard’s Wife). Opportunities to preach, lead, support in funeral ministry and youth ministry have been plenty and he finds it such a joy to tell of the life-changing delight it is to know Jesus. 

Matthew is being licenced to The Revd Richard Hanford in the Benefice of Ollerton with Boughton. 

LINFORD GRANT has lived in Nottingham all his life and is a committed family man who values the love and support of his family. He seeks to live out his faith in Jesus both at home and within the wider community. Linford was raised in a broadly Christian background and occasionally attended church and Sunday School with his brothers and sisters. Nine years ago, he returned to a living faith in Jesus and has since developed a deep and personal relationship with God. Since then, Linford has become actively involved at St Stephen’s with St Paul’s, Hyson Green (Bobbers Mill), taking part in church activities and services. More recently, he has felt a growing call to evangelism and a desire to share the love, hope and Good News of Jesus with others. Linford is excited to take this next step in ministry, continuing to grow in faith and serve the church and wider community wherever God leads him. 

Linford is being licensed to The Revd Clive Burrows in the Benefice of Hyson Green and Forest Fields. 

HO YIN (STEPHEN) LAU was born and raised in Hong Kong, where his Christian faith was nurtured and his calling to serve God first began. In 2023, he and his wife moved to the United Kingdom to begin a new chapter in their lives. Stephen has a particular passion for preaching God’s Word in a way that is faithful to Scripture, relevant to everyday life, and encouraging others. He also has a heart for caring for the Hong Kong community in the UK, supporting people as they settle into a new country, build meaningful relationships, and grow in their faith. Stephen looks forward to serving alongside the church and the wider community, sharing God’s love through preaching and practical service. He is grateful to God’s faithfulness throughout his journey from Hong Kong to the UK and is excited to see how God will continue to lead and use him in this new ministry.  

Stephen is being licensed to The Revd Jenni Foreman in the Benefice of Worksop Christ Church and Shireoaks.  

DARREN MANGOLD lives in Brinsley and worships at Selston with Westwood with his wife Mandy. They have 3 children and 6 grandchildren. His diverse working life has comprised of textiles, HM Prison Service and latterly in property repair and maintenance. Through his work and life, he has always valued meeting people, listening to their stories and helping where he can. His faith has grown since his encounter with The Holy Spirit in 1996 and through discovering God in the ordinary moments of everyday life, and he feels particularly called to serve within rural communities. Darren sees his licensing as a Lay Minister as both a privilege and an opportunity to serve God, support others and share the love of Jesus in practical and meaningful ways.  

Darren is being licensed to The Revd Lee Gordon in the Benefice of Selston with Westwood.  

DANIEL PATE was born into a Christian family and spent his first 18 years living in various countries in Africa where his parents were missionaries. He came back to the UK for university, where he increasingly began to make his faith his own and seek to make Jesus Lord of every part of his life. He has been blessed by wonderful church communities helping him in his Christian walk as an adult – first for four years in Bristol, then ten years in London and now four years at St Mary’s in East Leake. Daniel is married to Veronika and together they have three young children. They are deeply grateful for the welcome they and their children have had at St Mary’s, and for all the support and encouragement the church family has provided them with over these four years.  Daniel loves preaching, studying the Bible with others and seeing people transformed by the living word of God. He is excited to see what God will be doing next. 

Daniel is being licensed to The Revd Tim Parker in the Benefice of East Leake, West Leake, Stanford-on-Soar, Rempstone and Costock. 

KATRINA PROCTOR was born and has lived in Nottinghamshire throughout her life. Her family, church, and local community have played a significant role in shaping both her faith and her sense of vocation. She is married to Jacob, they have three children: Chelsea, Adam, and Lydia. Family life has been instrumental in nurturing her understanding of Christian love, service, and discipleship. Alongside her family commitments, Katrina serves as a Waterways Chaplain, a voluntary role that reflects her passion for pastoral care and her commitment to accompanying people with compassion, empathy, and hope. She enjoys sharing her faith with others and finds contemporary worship music an important expression of her relationship with God. Throughout the Licensed Lay Ministry course, Katrina’s relationship with Jesus has deepened significantly and become an integral part of her identity, shaping her values, spiritual formation, and understanding of ministry. This journey has affirmed her calling to serve God’s people with humility and grace. Katrina believes that every person is created in the image of God and should have the opportunity to experience the love, acceptance, and hope that Jesus offers. She is committed to prioritising people, building authentic relationships, and reflecting Christ’s love through both her words and actions as she continues to grow in her ministry. 

Katrina is being licensed to The Revd Julie Cotterill in the Benefice of Sutton-in-Ashfield St. Mary Magdalene.

SALLY ANN RICHARDS was born and raised in a small village in Derbyshire. Although baptised as a baby, Sally’s childhood had no religious content at all, except that she used to sneak into the back of the Methodist or Salvation Army when they were singing. After studying RE at school in Staveley, she came to faith in her late teens, being confirmed in 1985. Sally worked for many years in the textile industry and is now teaching the skills she acquired in that time. Following the breakdown of her marriage though, Sally left both Derbyshire and the church, feeling that she was unworthy to attend. Having remarried, Sally returned to faith, and when her daughter Polly was born, she was baptised at Staveley church. Later, Sally, her husband Phil, and Polly began attending St Andrew’s Eakring regularly. Sally has been worshipping there for around 10 years now and was a member of the choir until starting training for Lay Ministry.  Sally has always felt drawn to the church, and only relatively recently realised that what she felt was God calling her to serve. Sally has had the opportunity, since starting training, to lead services regularly. She has discovered a passion for preaching and a gift of engaging with people, which she is hoping will help bring more people to Jesus through her ministry.

Sally is being licensed to The Revd Dr David Emerton in the Benefice of Eakring and the Benefice of Bilsthorpe.

GARY WILLIS was born in Nottingham spending most of his early years in Nuthall.  Gary was christened as a baby and grew up attending Sunday School so faith has always been part of his life even if he didn’t always realise just how much. Gary trained as a carpenter and woodworking has been his passion for as long as he can remember quoting that there is something very satisfying, about creating something with your hands and it is a trade that has taught him patience, perseverance and care. Gary has been married to his best friend and soulmate Tina for 47 years. Together they have been blessed with four amazing children and five grandchildren, who bring them much joy. Looking back Gary has realised that God has been drawing him closer even when he didn’t fully recognise God’s hand at work in his life. It wasn’t until Gary received his calling to serve that he truly understood where God was leading him. Pastoral care, evangelism and sharing God’s love and hope is where he feels most at home. For Gary himself, it’s a privilege to be able to serve God and others in this way and is excited to see where God leads him in this next chapter. 

Gary is being licensed to The Revd Dave Stephenson in the Benefice of Eastwood and the Benefice of Brinsley with Underwood.  

JULIE WRAGG was born in Doncaster, attending Church from the age of 2 when her parents became Christians. Julie can vividly remember asking her mum to pray with her around the age of 4 or 5 because she wanted to be a Christian too! As she got older, Julie began to understand more about what it meant to love Jesus and follow him wherever that might lead. Despite difficult situations in her teenage years that tested her faith, God remained faithful to Julie and she gives thanks to God for her husband Neil and their now grown-up children. With the arrival of 4 grandchildren, the Wragg household is rarely a quiet one! At 50, Julie reflects that God has been calling her towards ministry for some time. She began to explore what this calling might be when she signed up for LLM training and sensed that God was calling her out of her first career, nursing. She gave up her job and is currently working for her local Church as operations manager. She says that instead of looking after people physically, she will just help look after them spiritually instead. Julie believes there is a huge need for spiritual healing across our country right now. Julie loves the outdoors and, despite 3 spinal operations, still enjoys running and celebrated the success of the surgeon’s hands by running a 92-mile ultra marathon! Julie gives complete glory to God and wants to encourage others to have faith, trust God and give him the final say over their life.  

Julie is being licensed to The Revd Jenni Foreman in the benefice of Christ Church and St Luke’s Worksop.