Vicar's View

25 years of Ordained Ministry 

As I mark twenty-five years of ordained ministry on 23rd September, I find myself pausing with deep gratitude at the mystery of God’s call. This silver jubilee is not simply an anniversary of a role I have held or work I have done. It is a moment to give thanks for a vocation received, tested, deepened and renewed through the changing seasons of life. Looking back, I am aware above all of God’s faithfulness, and of the patient grace that has carried me far more than I could ever have carried myself.

My ordained ministry began with a ‘yes’ back in 1996: sometimes confident, sometimes hesitant, and often surrounded by prayer, hope and uncertainty. The first seven years of that journey were spent in the Tring Team, Hertfordshire, where the early shape of ordained life was formed through parish worship, pastoral care, community life and the daily learning that comes from serving among God’s people. I am particularly grateful for Frank Mercurio, my training incumbent, whose guidance and example helped shape those early years of ministry. The following eighteen years have been lived out in Luddenden and the Erringden benefice, where ministry has continued to deepen through the rhythms of worship, pastoral accompaniment, village life and shared faith.

Across these twenty-five years, I have found myself saying that first yes again and again - in the quiet preparation of sermons, in the celebration of sacraments, in hospitals and homes, at bedsides and gravesides, in meetings and classrooms, and in countless conversations that never appear in any official record.

At the heart of these years has been service. I have tried to stand among the people of God, not above them; to point beyond myself to Christ; to listen before speaking; and to offer, as faithfully as I can, the compassion, challenge and hope of the Gospel. I have had the privilege of sharing moments of great joy and deep sorrow: baptisms and weddings, confirmations and funerals, new beginnings and painful endings. Each encounter has become part of the sacred trust of ministry, and many of them remain quietly treasured in my heart.



This milestone also brings humility. I do not look back on twenty-five years unchanged. There have been mistakes, weariness, disappointments and prayers that seemed unanswered. There have also been laughter, friendship, unexpected encouragement and moments when grace broke through with unmistakable clarity. I have learned, again and again, that ministry is never sustained by personal strength alone. It depends on prayer, community, forgiveness and the enduring mercy of God.

I am especially grateful for the people who have formed me along the way. Congregations, colleagues, friends, family members, mentors and those who have allowed me to walk with them in vulnerable moments have all left their mark. I think especially of Victoria, my late wife, who died in 2014, and whose love, support, wisdom and companionship made an immeasurable contribution to my ministry and to the person I have become. Indeed, it was to her that God spoke of my becoming a priest six months before I heard the call myself and she never mentioned it to me, until I told her of my call. I also thank God for bringing Ruth and me together and for all the opportunities we have had to work at St Mary’s.

So this silver jubilee is both a remembrance and a renewal. I look back with gratitude, but I also look forward with trust. The same God who called me at the beginning continues to call me now - perhaps in different ways, with different energies, and amid different challenges. The invitation remains the same: to serve with love, to preach hope, to pray faithfully, and to keep discovering Christ in the lives of those around me.

After twenty-five years, the deepest word I can offer is thanksgiving: thanksgiving to God for the grace of calling; thanksgiving for the people who have sustained, challenged and loved me; thanksgiving for the privilege of walking with others in holy moments; and thanksgiving for the promise that the journey is not yet complete. Ordained ministry, at its best, is a lifelong offering of oneself to God and neighbour. Twenty-five years on, I make that offering again - with gratitude for the past, courage for the present, and hope for all that is still to come.

I hope that you will be able to join me at St Mary’s on 20th September at 10.00 where I will be celebrating these twenty-five years. I am thrilled that Frank Mercurio has agreed to preach at that service and I am confident there will be Bucks Fizz and cake after the service. 

Martin