“I believe every Christian is called. We are called to follow Christ, to be part of His body the church and to serve the world,” says the new Diocesan Director of Ordinands and Vocations (DDOV), the Revd Canon Derek Walmsley (pictured right).
Derek is married with three grown-up children and for fifteen years was Vicar of St Mark’s Utley, Keighley. The great- grandson of a Yorkshire miner and son of a Blackpool tram driver, his own calling to ordained ministry came in the late 80s while working as a computer systems designer for government.
He was ordained deacon in Oxford diocese in 1991, and served curacies at Bletchley and then Utley, before becoming Vicar at Utley in 2000. Since then he has trained six curates and seen a number of candidates from the church go forward for ordination, youth work and mission.
Derek’s appointment as DDOV comes on the heels of a radical Synod report, “Resourcing Ministerial Education”, which calls for an increase of 50% in ordinations, every minister equipped to offer collaborative leadership in mission and be adaptable to change, younger candidates with a wider range of gifts, and the rapid development of lay ministries.
“With this in mind, and as part of the restructuring of the new Diocese, I have been appointed to implement these goals”, says Derek. “I will not simply be a DDO who waits for people to offer for ordination, but be proactive in promoting vocations of every sort (hence DDOV). The geographical area involved is very large, so there are some challenges ahead! My appointment anticipates the development of a network of associate DDOs and advisors.”
A full time DDOV administrator, Diane Komorowski, has been appointed and, for now, Derek and Diane are based at the Wakefield Office. He will be working with Canon Ann Turner (who was DDO in the Diocese of Bradford and has maintained the DDO work into the new diocese) and the assistant DDOs from the previous three dioceses. Derek also spends a small portion of his time at Wakefield Cathedral where he has also been appointed a residentiary canon. But he stresses that his goal in the early months is to get out across the whole diocese to meet as many people as possible.
“I would love to hear from anyone who feels a stirring to get involved in this exciting phase of the church’s ministry, nationally and locally. I also hope that churches and Deaneries will give me opportunities to come and visit, preach and listen.
“Please pray for me and the whole people of God, called by Him to serve Christ, the Christian community and the world.”
Contact Derek at Derek.walmsley@westyorkshiredales.anglican.org
Vocations & Ordinations webpage: www.westyorkshiredales.anglican.org/vocations