Celebration at Guildford Cathedral of Its Latest and Future Church Leaders

Published on: 5 Jul, 2025
Updated on: 9 Jul, 2025

The annual celebration of the latest and future church leaders has taken place at Guildford Cathedral.

The ordination of deacons at Guildford Cathedral.

This included deacons who have been newly ordained in the Church of England and priests who have completed their first year of ordained ministry within the Diocese of Guildford.

The annual ordination weekend saw friends, families and other well-wishers gather with the diocese’s two bishops, archdeacons and other clergy at Guildford Cathedral to cheer on those being ordained at services that took place on Saturday and Sunday, June 28 and 29.

The diocese reports: “This year, the ordination candidates come from a broad range of professional backgrounds, including solicitors, teachers, nurses, and even a stand-in Classic FM presenter and voice-over artist.

“Like some of the people they will serve in their ministry, some have faced significant challenges in their lives, including drug addiction and mental illness, before coming to faith or responding to their calling.”

The deacons at their ordination.

The Revd Dr Craig Holmes, the Diocesan Director of Ordinands, added: “For all our ordinands, ordination is the culmination of a long journey, through discernment and training, in response to God’s call.”

The Bishop of Dorking, Rt Revd Paul Davies, ordained 15 priests on the Saturday, with 13 deacons ordained the following day by the Bishop of Guildford, the Rt Revd Andrew Watson.

The newly ordained priests.

Bishop Andrew said: “It’s always an awesome privilege to lay my hands on the heads of some amazing people and to pray, ‘send down the Holy Spirit on your servant, for the office and work of a deacon in your Church’.

“It’s been wonderful to meet our deacons this year – a rich and diverse bunch of people with some powerful stories to tell – and my prayer is that the Holy Spirit would indeed equip them for many years of joyful, fruitful and faithful ministry in the years to come.”