Bishops ordain two servant leaders
Bishop Justin Duckworth (far left) and Bishop Eleanor Sanderson (far right) with new deacons Rev. Hannah Rowan and Rev. Paul Carey.
A cheerful crowd gathered at Wellington Cathedral of St Paul on Sunday evening, the 11th of October, to support the ordination of two new deacons in the church – Rev. Paul Carey and Rev. Hannah Rowan. Among the congregation were members of both deacons’ families, as well as members of our Levin and Whitby parish whānau, and Paul’s colleagues at the Anglican Centre. Members of Paul’s family in England were able to join in as well, through the live stream on the diocesan YouTube and Facebook pages.
As Paul and Hannah were presented for ordination, the bishops said: “Deacons in the Church of God serve in the name of Christ, and so remind the whole Church that serving others is essential to all ministry. They have a special responsibility to ensure that those in need are cared for with Christ-like compassion and humility.”
Bishop Eleanor preached the sermon, first reflecting on the reading from Acts which described the setting apart of church leaders to serve the needs of others, including the first martyr, Stephen. She suggested that perhaps that distinction may not be so quickly made in this day. In the Gospel reading, Jesus spoke words of instruction to the disciples who were arguing over who was the greatest, inviting them to look at a child of their community or by conducting acts of service. In that way, Bishop Eleanor told us of the importance of shining a spotlight on the ministry of Deacons, as it reminds us all of God’s call to us to serve those in need. “When we serve,” she told us, “we invite ourselves to be the hands and feet of Jesus.”
At the ordination, our two new deacons were to give a short testimony of their call to serve others, however this was not possible at the time. Both Paul and Hannah have prepared what they wanted to say, and have shared this below:
Rev. Paul Carey’s testimony:
Me being ordained was not my idea but God's. I have never felt even the slightest glimmer of calling to the priesthood, and until three years ago the diaconate was a complete mystery to me, so I had given no thought to that either. But in 2017, some prompting from God and a prophetic word I was given led me to start exploring the diaconate. Over about a year I read every book about it that I could get hold of, and extracted everything that resonated for me. What I found linked the diaconate with my journey in what I call Godly Administration.
Deacons are in motion. They bring order out of chaos. They are about empowering of life. They are a bridge. They are dancers on a razor’s edge. Deacons work alongside God’s people to encourage, facilitate and mobilise mission and ministry. Their geometric symbol would be the horizontal line, the sign of connection, hands reaching hands. Deacons have a caring attitude towards both people and material things. They are peaceable and peacemakers. They are “ministers of connect the dots”.
But my administration calling didn't fit with our Bishops' aims for the Vocational Diaconate to be a mobilising ministry particularly with the lost, last and least (and still doesn't really). So what to do?
I approached my vicar Chris and my boss Gendy to ask whether they would support me to explore the matter further by applying to enter the discernment process. When they both agreed, with some fear and trembling I did so.
The discernment process turned out to be a positive and enjoyable experience, but I must admit I'm still a bit amazed that I find myself in the space I do today.
However I am very conscious of what it represents - the affirmation of my calling by the Bishops and the Diocese.
I am excited about the ongoing Godly Administration journey and there is so much more to discover. I am actively looking for people to join me in travelling on that waka. Please do get in touch with me if you are keen to find out more about this – paul@anglicanmovement.nz.
A spoken word poem by Rev. Hannah Rowan:
2 minutes to tell you
the story of 48 years
the first few
were spent right here as it happens
Then All Saints in Ngaio
followed by a wild youth of Presbyterianism
and Baptists
they’re not all bad, I married one.
Now back up the truck
At seventeen
I remember saying
I’ll go where you lead
as I walked past the Burma
on my way to leave school
teaching and mission
a move to Levin
two churches
two daughters
a changing of faith stages
a wilderness
Spiritual direction
saved my bacon
Then I became one
a director that is
A school is the heart of the community
Realised our kura had mine
which broke I think
the day a 5 year old sat on my knee
shaking with cold
from walking to school in the rain.
Chaplaincy began
I turned forty
and the Anglican light beckoned once more.
I lived with the calling
enlarge the place of your tent
the wandering
the wondering
am I called to be ordained?
It’s not a journey for the faint hearted, just sayin’
But the call remained.
Here I am Lord, send me.
To the community
To the church
And for those times when these two become one
we are so thankful.
The quote of this journey belongs to my doctor
who said
if they don’t want a kind person like you, they can just go to hell
But this is the cathedral, so perhaps I won’t say that,
though it is kinda funny.
E te Atua, Ihu Karaiti, Wairua Tapu, taku whanau
To all those who have walked alongside and sometimes carried
a very broken me
I stand here today because of you
Your aroha and manaakitanga
has enabled me to walk this journey
And I know it will continue to do so.
How blessed are we to have each other.
Here’s my heart Lord, send me.
(And to my late godmother, this one’s for you)
Amine
