Zoë is to be ordained as a deacon on Saturday 25 June and will serve her curacy at St Giles Shrewsbury with Sutton, and Atcham.
"My name is Zoë, married to Daniel (DT), with three lovely boys, Patrick, Felix, and Rowan. Although we met and married in Devon, twenty years ago, our sending diocese is St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich. We spent 18 years in Suffolk before moving to Bristol, where I was privileged to train at Trinity College. Having moved and trained during the pandemic there is a definite sense that God has been looking after us, leading us on our journey from Suffolk to Shrewsbury, which is where Zoë was born, although I don't remember that bit".
Zoë is a strong believer in community and feels called to work within small market towns to make the church a centre of the community, not just for the Sunday service, but in all areas of life. Servant ministry is another area where Zoë feels strongly called, remembering that Jesus was known as the Servant King, a leader who led through encouraging others in their giftings, as well as being a driving force in the way forward.
There is a view that studying theology is for the super-intellectual, when the reality is that it is really for everybody, that there are no wrong questions, and that it is okay to admit that you really don't know the answers.
Zoë first moved to Suffolk in order to support DT in his ministry as a pastor, a journey which was cut short due to ill health. With a first degree in ICT with Third World Development, Zoë worked as a data manager and database designer with an environmental consultancy, before being blessed with children. Needing to take more time for family and supporting her husband, Zoë moved to working from home in online customer support and proofreading. Zoë was also a key PTA member and governor at the local school, allowing her own leadership skills to grow.
It may be a long time coming, but trust that God will work the perfect timing for you. Don't stop pushing the door, don't turn back to where you've been, but step forward into the future that God has planned for you.