Ordinations 2026

Brenda Elldred 

Brenda trained as a Chartered Physiotherapist qualifying in 1973 and living in several different countries throughout her career. 

In 2011 she retired from her post in the NHS as Acute Strategic Manager where she managed therapies and service level agreements. She then volunteered in the Magistrates Courts for five years in a witness support role.

From 2016 – 2019 Brenda trained, and was licenced, as a Reader and ever since then has become more involved in church life, preaching and leading. She also enjoys writing and leading services in care homes. In 2019 Brenda became the Safeguarding Officer within her benefice and held this post until 2024.

Brenda is married to John and they have two adult children and six grandchildren. With her husband she enjoys walking in Norfolk and watching the sunsets. Her hobbies include gardening, reading, crotchet and knitting. Within the church she enjoys leading children's and youth activities.

Brenda will serve her curacy in the benefice of Higham Ferrers with Chelveston. 

Jackie Gauntley 

Jackie began her career in retail management then took a break to become a full time mum to her two daughters before becoming Practice Manager for a GP surgery. 

Jackie has lived in Greetham for 12 years and served in the church of St Mary the Virgin throughout that time. She was a little surprised to get the calling from God to pursue the Caleb stream to ordained ministry, but says with his guidance and strength she has been obedient to the call.  

Jackie attended St Mellitus College in Nottingham and is excited about this next chapter of her life and faith journey.

Jackie will serve her curacy in the Cottesmore Benefice.

Jessica Newlove 

Jessica grew up in a Christian family and decided to follow Jesus at a young age. Despite having been involved in church volunteering and leadership for a long time she had never considered a call to ordination. It wasn’t until late 2020 that she started to feel God asking her to step into trusting him with a call to ordained ministry.  

After about two years of discernment, praying, conversations and interviews - which included stepping into the role of churchwarden during a vacancy, she began her training at Cranmer Hall in Durham in September 2023.

Jessica sees ordination as a continuation of her journey to follow Jesus, listening to where he is calling her to take the next step. Jessica loves being able to share her faith with others and journey with people on their own faith journeys. She is particularly excited about working with children, youth and young adults.

Jessica will serve her curacy in the benefice of Oundle with Ashton & Benefield with Glapthorn

John Robinson 

When John was first asked to look at ministry he never thought that someone like him would be called or even considered. “I just wanted to help. Tell people about Jesus, church, change, the amazing gift of life, that there is just so much more than meets the eye but it turns out that everyone saw my calling before I did.”  

His coming back to church was one of difficult circumstances. “One day when I was out, I audibly heard the voice of God calling me home. Coupled with vivid dreams and uncertainty of what was going on around me, I listen to that voice. It felt warm and familiar. Then one dream told me to go to church that day and that is pretty much where I have stayed. It was quite literally a weight off my chest, for the first time in years I felt like I could breathe.” 

John’s goals are to continue learning and pass on as much wisdom as he can to not only the congregation but the next cohorts of ordinands.

John will serve his curacy in the benefice of Heyford with Stowe-Nine-Churches & Flore with Brockhall.

Jason Royce

Jason spent 25 years in youth ministry, including time in local authority and Christian charity settings. Most recently, he helped establish Souster Youth, a Christian charity working in Northamptonshire schools and supporting churches in starting and growing youth ministry.

After exploring a call to ordained ministry and coming through selection, he and his family moved to Oxford to train at Wycliffe Hall. Jason is married to Katy, and they have two children. He is a long-suffering football fan, loves being outside and cooking (and eating) BBQ food. He loves deep conversations over coffee or food and is very unlikely to comment on the weather!

Jason is particularly interested in youth culture, mental health, digital technology, human sexuality, discipleship and biblical studies.

Jason will serve his curacy in the benefice of Corby St John the Baptist with The Epiphany & Gretton.

Chris Royle 

Christine, know by nearly everyone as Chris, retired last year from a career of 32 years working as a physiotherapist in the NHS. She also has her own counselling business and between the two vocations, she has a particular interest in the personal wellbeing of both herself and others. 

Since Chris began her discernment process she has felt called to the role of a Distinctive Deacon with a particular call to serve those in priestly ministry and their families, with some understanding of both the pressures of ministry and how this can affect family dynamics. Whilst some may question why she needs to be ordained for this ministry Chris says “I feel very much that I need to be perceived as having a fuller understanding of the demands of ministry and God’s call but from the edge of the church, able to bridge the gap with my knowledge and skills from secular society with my call from God and my faith to this ministry.” 

Chris is married to Mark and mum to three grown up daughters. Outside of her work and ministry she enjoys running, arts and crafts, gardening and being out in nature. 

Chris will serve her curacy in the benefice of Bretton. 

Carol Tarver 

Carol grew up in the north-west, moving to Peterborough after graduation for work. She has spent over 20 years working in various HR and project management roles and enjoyed working with people from all over the world. Carol is currently training on a part-time basis with St Hild college through a mix of on-line weekly training and residential weekends. 

Over the last few years, Carol and other family members have had to deal with some very difficult situations. Carol says “I'm not sure I would have got through them without the love, hope and peace that having a personal relationship with Jesus gives.” She feels that God is calling her to work with those on the margins (of both church and society) and to share the unconditional love we receive from God with others.

Carol lives in a busy house with her husband, three young adults, who are all studying at various local universities (but living at home) and my youngest son who is studying for A-levels. She loves to meet up with friends, walk when the sun is shining, spend quality time with family, watch Formula 1 and travel. 

Carol will serve her curacy in the benefice of St John's, Peterborough

George Brett

George became a Christian in his teens going on to study Theology, Music and Worship at university. The call to ordination originally came twelve years ago while working as a music director at a church in London, and prior to ordination training at Trinity College, Bristol, he was working in the technology industry. George is passionate about Christian engagement in the arts in worship and mission, the power of the blessed sacrament, and the Christian call to environmentalism and liberation of the oppressed and marginalised.

George is married to Katie, (also an ordinand) and together they have two boys. He enjoys poetry, art, music, motorcycles, board games and cooking. 

George is serving his curacy in the parish of St Andrew’s, Kettering. 

Jessica Cotton

Jess's varied faith journey has seen her serve as a children and families worker and as a licensed reader, and she enjoys setting up pioneering projects to share the good news and be a loving witness.

Jess says “It has been a privilege to serve the first year of my curacy in the town centre churches of Wellingborough. I have a pioneering heart, and I love to see where God is at work and discern where we are called to join in, such as exploring alternative worship styles and a youth group.” 

Jess is a proud mum of two children with a son who is 18, getting ready for university, and a daughter about to start her A-levels. Jess loves being out and about in nature, walking, running, taking in the views and enjoying the countryside or sea air.

Jess is serving her curacy in the parishes of Wellingborough All Hallows & All Saints. 

Carol Deamer 

Born in Luton, Bedfordshire Carol moved to Wellingborough in 1988 with her young family, and from the moment she walked into St Barnabas Church, she knew it was the place God intended her to be. 

Carol worked as a Teaching Assistant in an infant school for more than twenty years, until retirement four years ago and also ran Bible-based after school clubs and prayer spaces at lunchtimes. She was licensed as a Reader in 2011, but, in the years following she felt an increasing call to ordination, She finally decided to follow that calling and has been studying at St Mellitus College in Nottingham for the last year, on the Caleb course. 

Carol has three grown up children, two of whom are now married, and one granddaughter. In her spare time she enjoys walking in local country parks, reading, embroidery, and playing with her granddaughter.

Carol is serving her curacy in the benefice of Wellingborough St Andrew & St Barnabas. 

Helen Halson

Helen became a Christian in her twenties and at an Explore Day in 2017 she was shocked to discover a call to ordained ministry. Helen’s discernment pathway was complicated and in 2020 she trained as a lay minister alongside her career in NHS Primary Care. This gave Helen her first taste of theological study and she found it a fantastic grounding for future study. 

Helen has enjoyed her  ministry in Abington, particularly being alongside families in their times of joy and sorrow. “I have also experienced journeying with new believers as well as experienced Christians and this has been a great blessing. Being priested in June will enable me to serve God and our congregation through the sacrament of Holy Communion.” 

Helen lives with her husband James and their dog, Lady. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, gardening and spending time with family. 

Helen is serving her curacy in the benefice of Abington. 

Hilary Halstead

Hilary retired as a GP in 2015 after working in the same practice for 28 years and being senior partner for 7. She was licensed as a reader in 2013 and has enjoyed 12 fruitful years in Reader Ministry including running a Tiny Tots group and coordinating an outreach 4pm service called Peter’s Praise. However, Hilary always felt that her ministry was incomplete and has felt called to ordination over the years, but life circumstances have got in the way. After finding out about the Caleb Stream at St Mellitus College via her son, she feels that it has been the perfect fit and given her a sense of completeness that feels very right. 

Hilary says “this past year has been exciting and fulfilling and I am looking forward to priesting as the next step on this special journey.” 

Hilary is serving her curacy in the benefice of Weston Favell. 

Angie Kennedy

Prior to starting her ordination training, Angie worked for the local, Northamptonshire based charity, C2C Social Action in a leadership capacity and before that founded the charity Baby Basics, Northampton as part of her Lay Ministry training. She then went on to study for three years at St Mellitus College. 

Angie has a passion for bringing the Good News to those on the fringes and is looking forward to spending time in the local library and coffee shops, getting to meet those who live in the parish, when she starts her curacy.

During her spare time Angie enjoys spending time with her family and friends, building Lego and doing sudoku puzzles.

Angie is serving her curacy in the Kingsthorpe Benefice with Malcom Arnold Academy. 

Alison Long

Alison has lived in Rutland for the last 27 years and has been a member of Oakham All Saints for much of that time, holding the role of Sunday School leader and Church Warden as well as training as a Spiritual Director before starting the discernment process in 2021. 

She has spent her deacon year as a part time curate, in the northern parishes of the Oakham Team; Whissendine, Ashwell, Market Overton and Teigh. She has also been part of the chaplaincy and ministry team at Launde Abbey and has been spending one day a week there as part of her curacy. She says “I have felt very welcome and it has been wonderful to get to know the people of these places and walk alongside them over the last year.” Alison has also been grateful to be able to continue spending time taking home communion to elderly and housebound people as part of her ministry this year.

Alison is serving her curacy with the Oakham Team Ministry and with Launde Abbey.

Madeleine Morris

Madeleine’s roots are in Rutland where her dad’s faithful ministry as a parish priest provide her first and enduring inspiration. She studied Theology in Durham before moving to London to train as a nurse with a career spanning hospital, community and prison settings. Upon moving back to Rutland, she served as a Lay Pastoral Minister and more recently as an Ordinand within the Oakham Team Ministry.

Madeleine trained at St Hild College and credits becoming a wife and a mother for preparing her for ministry in ‘ways I couldn’t have imagined with all its joys and challenges’.

Madeleine is serving her curacy in the benefice of Desborough, Brampton Ash, Dingley and Braybrooke.

Nat Stiles

Nat worked in farming before swapping her wellies for theology books. ‘Having dyslexia made school a bit of a struggle, but I found my escape and my connection with God out in His creation, where no one expected me to read or sit still!’ 

Her ministry journey began in 2019 when she became a children and youth mission enabler as part of the Gen2 apprentice scheme. She completed her theology degree at Ridley Hall, Cambridge as part of the apprenticeship before transitioning from her children and youth role to fully focus on her ordination training.

Nat says “This past year as a deacon has been such a joy and a privilege. I have loved becoming part of the church family and sharing in both everyday life and special moments. Some of the most meaningful times have been in simply noticing where God is already at work, in quiet conversations, in acts of kindness, in worship, and in the life of the community, and I look forward with hope and excitement to all that lies ahead in this next stage of ministry.” 

Nat is serving her curacy in the benefice of Geddington with Weekley.