Unusually, the number of priests taking part in the Revd Lynne Stevenson Tate’s recent wedding was not one, but four.
Her marriage to Ken Grey took place at St John’s Farsley (Leeds), where Bishop Paul Slater officiated, the Revd Paul Tudge walked Lynne down the aisle, the Revd Ruth Dowson preached and Lynne herself wore her clerical collar.
Lynne says, “I’ve just finished my honorary curacy at St John’s, and as my father is no longer alive, Paul Tudge (who is my training incumbent), kindly offered to walk me down the aisle. I trained with Ruth Dowson on the Yorkshire Ministry Course and I was delighted that she agreed to preach and that Bishop Paul agreed to take the service.”
Lynne wore a specially designed blue clerical collar to match her dress. She says “Both Ken and I lost our previous spouses, so as I’ve been married before I wasn’t going to wear a melting meringue creation!”
Lynne and Ken met through a mutual love of local history (she’s published three books called Aspects of Leeds). She says, “We came together to work on a project; but it turned out that the project was us!”
Lynne’s day job is as a retail manager in the Cancer Research shop in Horsforth. She will be working as a Non Stipendiary Minister in the Allerton Deanery, where she is awaiting a placement.