In some ways, this year's ordination was delightfully routine. It was another very warm February morning at St Andrew’s Cathedral, there was a bunch of eager (and slightly nervous) ordinands preparing to make lifelong promises to the Lord, and the pews were, once again, filled to the brim with family, friends and church communities ready to pray with them and cheer them on. 

However, there is nothing ordinary or mundane about an ordination ceremony. Before a crowd of over 800 supporters, 25 men and women vowed to honour the Lord, uphold the teaching of the Bible and live lives worthy of the calling they have received. These are big promises made to a big God, who is able to help them carry these out through the strength of the Holy Spirit. 

Bishop of Northern Region, Chris Edwards, preached from 1 Peter and included some solemn warnings for the newly minted deacons. He encouraged them to look to the humble servant leadership of the Lord Jesus, and reminded them that their work is a spiritual battle. 

“Every day, refuse to imagine you are beyond temptation,” he said. “If Jesus was tempted, you certainly will be… Our only safety is in the God who cares for us and equips us.” 

Joy was in the air in Sydney square as the new deacons exited the Cathedral and embraced their loved ones, received congratulations, and posed for photos together. Many ordinands expressed their deep thanks for the prayers and support of so many people. 

Standing outside the Cathedral in the midday sun, Archbishop Kanishka Raffel, shared his personal delight. “It’s been a great day! We’ve seen 25 men and women ordained for service of the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said. 

Bathurst-bound

This year’s ordination also saw the Rev Robert Nichols ordained for ministry into a diocese outside of Sydney. The Bishop of Bathurst, Mark Calder, stood alongside  Archbishop Raffel and the regional bishops to lay hands on and pray for the new deacon. 

“He will be serving in the parish of Cudal-Molong,” Bishop Calder said. “It’s about 20 minutes away from Orange.” The parish has several sites and, with the arrival of Mr Nichols and his family, members hope they can grow as a welcoming space to serve the local young families. 

Collated and commissioned

The service also saw the Rev Brett Hall collated as Archdeacon of the Northern and South Sydney regions, and the Rev Matthew Yeo commissioned as director of Ministry Training and Development. 

Said Archdeacon Hall: “When the Archbishop wrote to me last year offering the appointment, I was overcome at the time by a sense that whatever good I bring to the role has come through being formed by the influence of so many others”. 

He then reflected on the many people who had helped shape him and grow him along the way, including former ministers, ministry trainers, dear friends, his wife and also the women’s Bible study he led while rector of Rosemeadow. 

“We would work through whatever I was preaching that Sunday in advance, and their insights would often end up shaping the finished product,” he recalled. “Their examples of trust and devotion to Christ, even through times of difficulty, were often inspiring to me.”