Kerrie Newmarch and Paul Gaetjens have made history as the first Youthworks College graduates to be ordained as deacons in the Sydney Diocese.
The move to allow Youthworks graduates to apply for ordination highlights the continuing recognition of the diaconate in its own right, says Bishop Glenn Davies, who is also the chair of Anglican Youthworks.
"This is the culmination of a long process, whereby children’s and youth ministers are now publicly recognised as ministers of the gospel, with all the responsibilities that attach to the ordained ministry," he says.
"It is also a recognition of the significant work of Youthworks College in preparing young people as children's and youth ministers in our diocese, with three years of theological training, reflection and practical parish experience."
In order to be eligible for ordination, Mr Gaetjens and Mrs Newmarch have completed an advanced diploma at the Youthworks College, as well as extra requirements specified by the Diocese.
For Mr Gaetjens, who will remain as youth minister at Camden Anglican Church, being recognised as a deacon has also provided a way for him to confirm his commitment to and passion for youth ministry.
"The decision to follow Jesus is the most important one anyone will make, and being a teenager is often when people are exploring the big questions about life, where they fit in, and what they believe," he explains.
"I decided to be ordained because it allows me to publicly declare my commitment to teaching the good news of Jesus for my entire life."
For Mrs Newmarch, who has been involved in children's ministry for most of her adult life, the ordination of Youthworks graduates opens the way for others to be set apart for youth and children's ministry.
"My desire to see my students here [at Youthworks College] being given the opportunity to be ordained got me searching and thinking about ordination and what benefit it would be, and once I saw the benefit, I thought, "well, we need to support this'."
In order to be eligible for ordination, Mrs Newmarch had to complete eight extra subjects in her late 40s, and admits she is amazed at how God enabled her to get to the end of her studies.
"In two years I did the eight subjects and worked full-time, got twins through the HSC, had my daughter leave home and God kept on providing with the time and support," she says.
"The recognition that [training up children and young people in the ways of the Lord] was a lifetime desire for me made the idea of being ordained at 50 not so unreasonable or unrealistic."
Mrs Newmarch is hopeful that being ordained will help her to have a ministry that is more focused on teaching.
"I think because ordination is being set apart, it gives me permission to say "no' to other things, because I have chosen to be teaching the gospel," she says.
Youthworks College principal Graham Stanton says Saturday was a day of great encouragement and history for Youthworks College.
"It’s an affirmation of the training in character, competence and conviction that the College has been working hard at over these past nine years," he says.
“Kerrie and Paul are wonderful servants of the Lord who have both been involved in faithful and fruitful ministry over a number of years. It’s exciting for them, for the College and for the churches they serve to see them taking this next step in their ministry.”
Mr Gaetjens and Mrs Newmarch will continue in their current ministries as youth minister at Camden Anglican Church and faculty staff at Youthworks College respectively.
A first for Islander ministry
Among the flowing white robes on the Cathedral steps on Saturday stood the Rev Seti Latu, the first South Pacific Islander to be ordained deacon in the Diocese of Sydney.
"Overwhelmed" by the honour, Mr Latu says being ordained will open a lot of doors for him in the Islander community.
"Being ordained is very important to them as Islanders " they need to know where you're from and they trust authorities, so it will allow me to preach in places I wouldn't ordinarily have a chance to do so," he says.
Mr Latu has been working among the Islander community in the parish of Cooks River (St Peters) for several years now, and rector, the Rev Shane Rogerson says it is very much a regional ministry.
"Being ordained will help Seti to establish fellowships where Christ is the centre, not ethnicity," says Mr Rogerson,
"Amongst islanders, it's more important what you belong to rather than what you believe in. I want to try to break that down and see them strive for something more important," Mr Latu adds.
Surveying the crop of new deacons entering parishes in his region, Bishop of South Sydney Robert Forsyth commented that Cooks River parish was involved in another piece of historymaking: it was the first time since at least World War 2 that Newtown, Cooks River and Malabar parishes had new deacons.
Service packed to standing room only
Well-wishers braved Saturday's scorcher to pack St Andrew’s Cathedral to standing room only, as 33 deacons were ordained and one diocesan lay worker was commissioned.
Archbishop Peter Jensen interviewed Moore College's vice principal Bill Salier on how the deacons had been trained, why they learn Greek, and what measures of quality control are used to determine who can become deacon.
In particular, Dr Salier highlighted the importance of the Moore College community in shaping students for life in ministry,
In his address to the new deacons and their families, Canon Sandy Grant likened "hard yakka" of ordained ministry to three demanding occupations: the soldier, the athlete and the farmer, shown through their round-the-clock devotion, their integrity and hard work in making sure the seed of the gospel is sown wherever it can be.
"Farming is not a job, it is your life. It needs to be like that in full-time gospel ministry," Canon Grant said.
"A crucial gospel opportunity can come late at night or even on your day off. And so you can't expect anything else but hard yakka."
Bible readings were given by the Revs Joshua Kuswadi and Kerrie Newmarch, while prayers were led by Bishop Al Stewart, Bishop Ivan Lee, Archdeacon Narelle Jarrett and Mrs Margaret Forsyth.
Photos by Ramon A Williams
