The Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Revd James Bell, ordained three curates as priests at Ripon Cathedral on Saturday June 27th, one of seven services which took place over the weekend as a total of twenty one curates were made priests in the five episcopal areas that make up the Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales.
Linda Robinson, who serves in Bedale, Leeming & Thorton Watlass, Richard Nolan, who serves at the Church of St Peter, High Harrogate , and Chris Lawton, who serves in Leyburn with Bellerby, were supported by parishioners, family and friends at the service.
Linda, writing about her experiences so far, said “Serving alongside husband Ian, in what is his first incumbency, in the Bedale benefice is enabling us to serve together, a long held vision of our joint journey of faith. We are different personalities but we have complementary roles. A less expected joy of the last year has been discovering the rewards of occasional offices and the privilege of being welcomed into the lives of others at vulnerable times of their lives. Another joy has been rediscovering speaking in public, leading intercessionary prayer, and the intimacy of developing small disparate groups where talk of God is both comfortable and challenging.”
Richard Nolan lives in Wetherby and works full time in Harrogate as a partner at Hempsons, a national firm of leading health and social care solicitors specialising in all aspects of healthcare law. He is a self-supporting minister and sees the workplace as an important part of his ministry and has also been involved with several charities including serving as a trustee with St George’s Crypt in Leeds, a director and trustee of Yorkshire Dance, and a volunteer media officer with Tearfund, for several years.
Chris Lawton , speaking of his ministry said, “ I am married to Siân who has just completed her degree in Theology, Ministry and Mission and we arrived in Wensleydale with four boys and a very bouncy Springer Spaniel. It is a joy to be back in the countryside. Since teenage years I have been inspired by the call in Mathew 25 to stand with those in need and for the last few years have been working out what it might mean to live according to Micah 6:8 – ‘act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God’.”