Candidates looking to explore a life of ordained ministry undertake a period of discernment followed by ordination training. Upon successful completion of their course, they will be ordained a deacon by the Bishop, and will begin a curacy in a parish. Curacy is an opportunity to serve alongside an experienced vicar as they prepare for their own ministry and usually lasts about three years.
As a deacon you are able to do weddings and baptisms, but you must be ordained priest before you can preside over Holy Communion. Most candidates are ordained a priest after a year of curacy.
Meet our Ordinands
Meet our deacons who will be ordained deacon in July. Please pray for them as they begin their curacies in the Diocese.
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Nicholas BoissonNicholas grew up in France, becoming a Christian in high school and studying for his BA in Theology in Paris. After encountering Anglicanism through the Episcopal Church in Europe, Nicholas served as a pastoral assistant in London where his call to priesthood developed. Nicholas trained for ordained ministry at the College of the Resurrection in Mirfield where he appreciated the monastic rhythm of life and community. Nicholas will be serving his curacy in the benefice of Northampton All Saints with St Katharine & St Peter.
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Nigel ClentNigel spent most of his working life as a taxi driver, which he used more recently as a way to communicate his faith to others. This continues to be his passion, bringing God into the ordinary, in a language that can be understood to anyone that will listen. Married to Jayne for thirty-four years, Nigel came to faith with her through the Alpha course. They have two daughters, and time with God and family is of the most importance to them, along with spending time with friends, preferably involving food and long walks with the dog. Nigel will be serving his curacy in the benefice of Towcester w Caldecote & Easton Neston & Greens Norton & Bradden
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Rachel CooleyRachel was born in Northampton and worked in the mental health sector before studying at St Mellitus College. She has a great love of the outdoors and walking pilgrimages in particular. Alongside this she also volunteers at the University of Northampton as a Chaplaincy Associate. Being passionate about pioneering and parish ministry, Rachel is keen to proclain the Good News in a variety of different contexts and feels a strong pull towards administering the blessed Sacraments and preaching the Word. She enjoys Rubgy and supports the Northampton Saints. Rachel will be serving her curacy in the benefice of Brington with Whilton and Norton and Church Brampton with Chapel Brampton and Harlestone and East Haddon and Holdenby
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Newton KibiringiIt was while Newton was a youth minister in Werrington Parish Church that he sensed the calling to ordained ministry which led to his training at Trinity College, Bristol. Alongside ministry, he enjoys being a family man, interacting with people while out and about and loves to both play and watch football. Newton prays he that would remain faithful to the Lord God, who called him, and continues to call him to be faithful, serving each day. Newton will be serving his curacy in the benefice of Weldon & Deene
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Robert SeamanRobert worked for the United Reformed Church at their head offices near Kings Cross in London for 22 years prior to answering his call to ordination and undertaking his training at at Trinity College, Bristol, as a dispersed learner. During his weeks at home he spent 3 days working alongside Revd Dawn Airey at Gleneagles Anglican Church. He loves sports, reading, writing poetry and keeping busy. He has a good, if dry, sense of humour and loves journeying with people. Robert will be serving his curacy in the parish of Werrington
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Huw YardleyHuw left a 27-year career as a House of Commons Clerk to follow his calling to ordination. A lifelong Anglican, Huw is strongly committed to the role of the parish church in bringing loving service and the good news of Jesus to the whole people of a place. His greatest joy is sharing the Eucharist as part of a faithful community who love God and he enjoys the full breadth of church traditions, feeling the Spirit at work as much in the beauty of choral evensong as in lively contemporary worship. He enjoys watching rugby, reading and cooking, is married to Fiona, a university lecturer and they have 3 grown up children. Huw will be serving his curacy in the benefice of Broughton with Cransley and Mawsley
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Meet our new Priests
Meet our current deacons, who will be ordained as priest on Sunday 14 July. Please pray for them as they undertake their ordination vows and continue with their curacies.
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Graham BrackFor forty years Graham had a portfolio career as a pharmacist, NHS manager, lecturer and journal editor. With his wife, he owned a community pharmacy in Cornwall until they retired in 2018 and moved to Northamptonshire. He was licensed as a Reader in the Diocese of Truro in 1991 and served for thirty years as a Reader in both Truro and Peterborough Dioceses before seeking ordination. He is also an author of crime fiction who has had fourteen novels published so far and continues to write now. Graham is serving his curacy in the benefice of Blisworth, Alderton, Grafton Regis, Milton Malsor and Stoke Bruerne with Shutlanger
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Marta BrothersMarta is Peruvian and has lived in different parts of England, mainly in the south. She trained at Trinitiy College in Bristol where she gained from the teaching. This formed the foundation of her first year of curacy. Marta found it vital to learn about different strands of theology especially around diversity and inclusion within the church. Marta loves music festival and sports. A mum of three she sees the calling into ministry as a journey they are venturing on together as a family. Marta is serving her curacy in the parish of Wootton, Northamptonshire
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Jo GilesJo was unexpectedly called to ordained ministry whilst her husband Andy was serving his curacy. She met Andy when they both worked at an outdoor centre in North Wales and the love for outdoor adventure has never left. Having been born and raised in Northamptonshire she has returned back to the Diocese where she was baptised and confirmed as a teenager. Jo was an ordinand in Leicester and completed her training with St Hild college in Yorkshire. Her first year as a curate has been a joy, the people of the churches and the communities have been very welcoming and friendly. She is looking forward to her second year and to undertaking a placement as part of a prison chaplaincy team. Jo is serving her curacy in the benefice of Desborough, Brampton Ash, Dingley and Braybrooke |
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Joesph GriffithsJoe comes from a Conservative Evangelical background, having come to faith and served in a lay capacity at St Botolph’s Church, Barton Seagrave. He is married to Gemma who works as a midwfie and in the in the Nurses and Midwives department of the Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF). They have three young girls. Joe is a keen golfer, and plays to a high standard, currently attempting to qualifty for the Open whilst raising awareness of the Chapel Gym where he is serving his curacy. Joe is serving his curacy in the parish of St John's, Corby
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Ben Haughton-ScalesBen grew up in South East London where he first sensed a calling from God to ordained ministry in his mid-teens. He worked as a trusts and foundations fundraiser for a London-based youth work charity supporting young people growing up in communities facing significant social challenges before training for ordination at Ridley Hall in Cambridge. Ben is excited for the next step of being ordained priest and look forward to the new opportunities this will open up to serve God and the people of the Diocese. His hobbies include following a number of sports, such as football, rugby, cricket, basketball and American football, listening to music and travelling. Ben is serving his curacy in the parish of Gleneagles, Wellingborough.
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Olivia Haughton-ScalesLivvi grew up in Kettering before moving to York to study. She was part of Michael Le Belfrey Church during her student years and continued at the church for another year as an intern specialising in student work. This time was highly significant for the development of her faith and placed a passion in her heart for spreading the Gospel. Following a move to London at the age of 22, Livvi started to discern a call to ordination and then moved to Cambridge to begin training at Ridley Hall where she met her husband Ben. Both are serving their curacys at Gleneagles church and continue to discern how God might use their different callings in the future as they work together. Livvi feels passionate about young people finding their identity in Christ, and in her spare time is an avid runner. Livvi is serving her curacy in the parish of Gleneagles, Wellingborough.
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Joshua JacksonJoshua is originally from Barnack at the very northern end of the Diocese and is currently serving his curacy in the benefice of Irthlingborough, Great Addington, Little Addington and Woodford. Having met his wife in 2018, theirs was the first wedding held at Peterborough Cathedral after the covid lockdowns. They now have a son, George, who is 2. Joshua has an interest in woodworking, antique books, furniture and tinkering with anything mechanical and a keen interest in film. Joshua is serving his curacy in the benefice of Irthlingborough, Great Addington, Little Addington and Woodford.
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Angie MilneThe fire of faith was ignited for Angie on visiting a baby clinic with her third child which ultimately led her to lay ministry and then onto ordination training. Angie has really enjoyed her first year as curate, especially the engagement in the communities which has been different in all 3 churches in her benefice. Her first year has been both challenging and rewarding and her welcome has been heartfelt. She feels God has called her to a place that will allow her to grow and experience all that ministry has to offer, in parishes that post covid are really starting to flourish and bear fruit themselves. A keen caravanner, Angie is a great fan of the outoors, walking, camping and exploring places of history. Angie is serving her curacy in the benefice of Kettering St Peter & St Paul with St Michael and All Angels, Kettering All Saints
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Cecily NurmahiHaving grown up in a Christian family, Cecily received her call to ordination in her teens and after a period of discernment began her studies in Durham, where she met her husband Shakeel. Having spent her final year of studies commuting to Durham whilst Shakeel started his curacy in Rutland, Cecily then spent a year working as a Graduate Chaplaincy Assistant at Uppingham School before her ordination as deacon. Together Cecily and Shakeel have a Labrador called Aslan and two rabbits called Lettie and Mungo. Cecily is serving her curacy in the benefice of Guilsborough & Hollowell & Cold Ashby & Cotttesbrooke w Creaton & Thornby & Ravensthorpe & Spratton
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Joanne OgnjanovicJoanne was born and raised in Nuneaton and began her working life in the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital as a Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer specialising in diagnostic microbiology. She became a Christian in her mid thirties having attended an Alpha course and was licensed in Coventry Diocese as a Reader in Southam in 2005. Joanne was ordained in 2012 and took a long pause in her curacy training, during which time she was Director of the Coventry Prayer House while serving in Holy Trinity Church, Coventry. She returned to formal ministry training in Peterborough Diocese in the lovely rural villages of Crick, Yelvertoft and Lilboune where she is currently curate. Joanne enjoys gardening and reading, browsing in art galleries and spending time with her family. Joanne is serving her curacy in the benefice of Crick & Yelvertoft w Clay Coton & Lilbourne
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Andrew StilwellBefore ordination, Andrew worked in the outdoor activities industry before becoming a youth worker. Andrew trained on the dispersed learning pathway at Trinity College, Bristol, which developed and stretched his theology and faith. He has spent his Deacon year in Thrapston on the A14/A605 crossroads in a benefice of three church’s and both the church and the town have a lot more going on than he expected! Andrew has three teenage children and together they all enjoy the outdoors; walking, paddle boarding, canoeing, climbing, anything that is outdoors and adventurous, before relaxing with a movie or a board game. Andrew is serving his curacy in the benefice of Thrapston, Denford & Islip
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Gill ThompsonFaith was rooted in the chapels of Northumberland where Gill was raised, after which she ventured to York, training in Primary Education and beginning teaching in Special Educational Needs. Being guided into Youth Leadership was the next step before moving on to Peterborough and the expanding village community of Werrington with its’ newly opened CE School and family Church. A new pathway opened up in early retirement becoming the Children and Families Worker with St Paul’s Church in New England, before her ordination in 2023. Gill sees her ordination as priest as the next step on her adventure of faith, seeing God go before her, showing the way and trusting with each new step. Alongside her four grandchildren, Gill enjoys walking, reading, music, theatre, film and art. Gill is serving her curacy in the parish of Paston, Peterborough
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Robert WoodRob grew up in a loving family and remembers hearing the message of Jesus from a young age. Before ministry, Rob worked in internet marketing. He then served for four years as a speaker and teacher for a parish church ministry before entering ordination training. He trained at St Mellitus College Nottingham while serving at St John’s Corby and St James’ Gretton. He has a passion for theology and teaching and has loved getting to know everyone at St Peter’s Brackley, where he serves as assistant curate. He enjoys reading, spending time with friends, and is a long-suffering Man Utd supporter. Rob is serving his curacy in the benefice of Brackley |