Hearing the call from God at the age of seven

Two people due to be ordained by the Bishop of St Asaph on Saturday (3 July), first decided to become priests at the age of seven.

Natasha Quinn Thomas from Rhyl and Adrian Johnson, a nurse in Connah’s Quay, will be ordained as deacons, the first step of ordained ministry, at a service in St Asaph Cathedral on Saturday 3 July.  At the age of seven, Natasha, who is now 24, met a vicar who told her that they ‘helped people meet with Jesus.’ She went home that day to tell her Mum, she was going to be a vicar. For Adrian, he was singing in his local church choir when a missionary came to speak and inspired him to ministry.

Natasha and Adrian will be joined by four other deacon candidates at the service which will be live streamed to family and friends via You Tube to the ordinations page of our website. . The full list of candidates is:

• Stephen Hayes, a Powys County Councillor and author, who will serve in Tanat-Vyrnwy Mission Area (which includes communities around Llansilin and Llanfylllin).
• Christopher Lawton, a former Church Army Officer who will serve in Aber-Morfa Mission Area (which includes Rhyl, Bodelwyddan and Rhuddlan.)
• Patrick Williams, who is retired and will serve in Wrexham Mission Area.
• Michael Winwood, a former Printer who serves as a chaplain in HMP Berwyn in Wrexham and who will also work in the Maelor Mission Area (which includes areas around Bangor on Dee).
• Adrian Johnson who will serve in Mold Mission Area.
• Natasha Quinn Thomas who will serve in Dyffryn Clwyd Mission Area (which includes Ruthin and the surrounding communities).

The Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron, who will ordain the five men and one woman, said: “I’m delighted to be ordaining six new deacons for the church. Some of them have given many years’ service to the church already and wish to offer their lives now for ordained service.  Natasha, on the other hand, has come to ordination early in life, and brings her own take on what it is to serve Christ.  In St Asaph we are building a future for the church which is relevant to young and old.”

Natasha said: “From the age of seven, throughout school, I kept feeling a strong sense that I needed to explore what it would be like to be involved in full time ministry. Since then, it has been a constant call affirmed by people around me. I am really excited to get involved in a new community, both in church and beyond our beautiful buildings. I know the ministry team in Dyffryn Clwyd Mission Area, around Ruthin, have some exciting new projects starting soon, and I can’t wait to get stuck-in.”

Adrian said: “After that service when the missionary spoke, I announced to anyone who’d listen that when I grew up, I would become a nurse, a priest and a missionary. Since then, I have heard the call [from God] many times again, and there have been times when I have chosen to not listen! But God has a way with making Himself heard.  29 years ago, I started my nurse training and have worked in the NHS in both England and Wales all my career.

“I will continue working as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in a GP practice in Connah’s Quay. I see my calling is to both nursing and the priesthood, ministering to those I work with; being with people every day, working with and praying for them in their daily lives.”

Strict social distancing, face coverings and cleaning regimes will be in place for the ordination service with each candidate only permitted to bring a handful of “supporters” with them.  In addition, Bishop Gregory and those being ordained will wear face masks for parts of the service when maintaining a two-metre distance is not possible.

Last Saturday (26 June), nine deacons were ordained as priests by the Bishop of St Asaph in St Asaph Cathedral.  You can watch that service and see photographs taken at https://dioceseofstasaph.org.uk/ordinations/

The Diocese of St Asaph stretches from Llandudno in north-west Wales across to the Wales/England border and down to Newtown in Powys.  It is one of the six dioceses of the Church in Wales, an independent Province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

 ENDS

Quotes from other candidates:

Stephen Hayes, a Powys County Councillor and author, from Montgomery said: “Accepting that God might want me in formal ministry was something I resisted for quite some time. I’d been leading worship and small-group study for a number of years, but in the end I understood that the only way I could develop a preaching and teaching ministry was through licensing. The discernment process then led me onto the pathway to ordination.

“My career has never been particularly orthodox. I worked for some years as a Chartered Surveyor, before becoming a full-time author. When I moved back to Montgomery I became increasingly involved in the community, and that led to standing as County Councillor in 2005 – a role I’ve held ever since, occupying some of the key Cabinet portfolios along the way.”

Chris Lawton, from Wrexham, a former Church Army Officer said: “I felt God was calling me to ordained Ministry some time ago but didn’t feel quite up to the job. A nudge from God encouraged me to explore and find my vocation as a Priest.

“My previous occupation was as a Church Army Officer with stipendiary roles within the Church of England and Church in Wales. Now, I’m looking forward to being part of the worshipping communities and serving the parishes of St Margaret’s in Bodelwyddan and St Mary’s in Rhuddlan.”

Patrick Williams, from Johnstown, near Wrexham said: “I first heard the call to Ordained Ministry when I was sixteen years old, in 1970 and eventually became an ordinand. Due to various circumstances, I was not able to begin training. The calling has resurfaced later in my life and although I am no longer a young man and do not possess the energy I once had, I feel I still have something to offer to God and to His people. “In my life, I’ve worked in a laboratory, testing rainwaters goods, as a salesman, an assistant manager for a well-known retail jeweller, a council roadman and a car park warden.”

Michael Winwood from Llangollen who will serve as a Chaplain in HMP Berwn said: “Ordination for me will enable me to be what the men in HMP Berwyn already think I am. To them, because I work in Chaplaincy, I must be a priest and so I find myself in situations working with hands tied behind my back. I suppose some of those feelings are due to my respect for the role of the priest.”