In some ways, this year's ordination was delightfully routine. It was another very warm February morning, there were 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 eight hundred 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 North Region, Rev Chris Edwards, preached from 1 Peter and included some solemn warnings for the fresh 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. 

“Everyday, refuse to imagine you are beyond temptation. 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 25 new deacons exited the church and embraced their loved ones, received gifts of 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, the Archbishop, Kanishka Raffel, shared his personal delight and joy. “It’s been a great day! We’ve seen 25 men and women ordained for service of the Lord Jesus Christ,” says Mr Raffel. 

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, also stood alongside Sydney’s Archbishop and bishops to lay hands and pray for the new deacon. 

“He will be serving in the parish of Cudal-Molong,” said Mr Calder. “It’s about twenty minutes away from Orange.” The parish has several sites, and are hoping, with the arrival of Mr Nichols and his family, to be a welcoming space that serves the local young families. 

Collated and commissioned

The service also saw The Reverend Brett Hall collated as Archdeacon of the North and South Sydney Regions, and the Reverend Matthew Yeo commissioned as director of Ministry Training and Development. 

“When the Archbishop wrote to me last year offering the appointment,” says Mr Hall, “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 reflected on the many people who shaped him and helped him grow along the way, including former ministers, ministry trainers, dear friends, his wife, and even the women’s Bible study that he led whilst 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. Their examples of trust and devotion to Christ, even through times of difficulty, were often inspiring to me.”