Seven new curates will be ordained in the Diocese of Carlisle at a special service this weekend.
The service, to be presided over by Rt Rev Rob Saner-Haigh, the acting bishop of Carlisle, will take place at Carlisle Cathedral on June 29 at 11am.
The group of ordinands holds diverse careers including a respected nuclear industry expert, a retired childminder, two managers from Sellafield, an educational psychologist, a ex-healthcare academic, and a church youth and families worker.
Out of the seven, six will be serving as self-supporting ministers and one as a salaried curate.
These curates will be serving in various mission communities across Cumbria.
There are 34 mission communities in the region that comprise mutually supportive groupings of churches with central missions.
Nick Cole and Sue Cole will serve Grasmoor, Charlie Day will serve Binsey, Dave Flitcroft will serve Coast to Fells, Diane Gilmore will attend to Two Valleys, while Ruth Ilman serves Workington and Derek Lacey looks after Carlisle.
Most of the curates completed their training at Emmanuel Theological College, created through a partnership of six north western dioceses, except one who trained with St Hild, Mirfield.
Rev canon Peter Clement, diocesan director of ordinands, praised the ordinands stating: "It is a huge privilege to have journeyed alongside each of our ordinands and to see them flourish in their calling.
"It is also heartening to know that so many people are praying for those to be ordained Deacon and Priest as well as for all of their families."
A deacon, part of the orders of ministry in the Church of England, usually focuses on the leadership of a church community and could later be ordained priest within a year.
However, some are ordained as distinctive deacons where they remain throughout their service, focusing more on a servant ministry.
The ordination service will be livestreamed on both the Diocese of Carlisle and Carlisle Cathedral Facebook pages.
Additionally, six others will be ordained priest in their respective home churches by Mr Saner-Haigh.
On June 26, all the ordinands began participating in a retreat at Rydal Hall, the Diocesan Christian Retreat and Conference Centre.
Mr Saner-Haigh said: "I am always amazed by the richness both of our ordinands’ backgrounds and their skills sets and the wonderful ways in which they have faithfully discerned God’s calling to ordained ministry.
"I know that their training incumbents and all within the Diocese are fully committed to further supporting and helping them as take this important step on their ordained ministry journey."
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