Philip is to be ordained as a deacon on Saturday 1 July and will serve his curacy at the Church of the Epiphany, Oxley
I am from Wolverhampton where I have lived all of my life apart from my university years when I studied in Oxford. Currently I live alone but have my cats for company and family lives nearby. My theological studies have been over two years at the Queens Foundation. Prior to my training I was the Reader at St Thomas’s in Wednesfield and am going to be serving as a curate at the Church of the Epiphany in Oxley which part of the same Deanery. In my spare time outside of work and church life I enjoy birdwatching and travel. These are often combined and it’s great to not only explore new places but also see what new birds I can find. I have also been a member of St John Ambulance for nearly 40 years.
My journey to ordination has been a long one spanning 30 years. I first heard God’s call back in the 1980s not long after I had been received into membership of the Methodist church. Reflecting on this initial call it was clear that Methodism was not the church that I was to serve and that God wanted me to serve in the Church of England. A long period of exploration followed but did not progress and perhaps the time was not right. Following this set back I put all of my energy into my nursing career studying adult nursing. Post graduation God’s call returned and eventually I was licensed as a Reader. I settled down to a fulfilling ministry but the rector believed that this would also have a sacramental role. Eventually God started to move me onto the current path that is going to lead to ordination and to a priestly ministry.
The biggest misconception about been prepared for ministry was the feeling that I was never going to manage the workload as I had a full-time job. There is a lot to do and it feels like it takes over most of your spare time but you do manage. The staff at Queens are understanding about the fact that we have a foot in both camps. Now that the pressure is off am looking forward to trawling through the bookcase and reading what I have bought to satisfy my own curiosity rather than reading for an assignment.
Before starting my training at Queens, I worked at Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary as a Staff Nurse. This year I took my NHS pension and am now semi-retired. I still work three days a week and am hoping to combine my ministry alongside my paid employment.
The advice that I would give to anyone exploring a vocation is to never give up. My own experience has taught me that God does not have the same concept of time that we have to be moulded so that he can bring his call to life. Sometimes it does feel that the doors are constantly being slammed shut but eventually he will open them when the time is right.