Priest Ordinations for 2009

The Archbishop of York ordained twenty people to the Priesthood on Sunday 7th June at 10am in York Minster. Twelve men and eight women from across the Diocese of York were ordained Priest: among these people are butcher turned postman Ben Nicholson, former squadron leader Charles (Taff) Morgan, and radiographer Judy Cook.

Ben Nicholson, 45, was a butcher in Helmsley for nearly thirty years, joining the family business when he left school. “I’d been going to church on and off all my life, but didn’t really get involved. I was always happy to help with the hands-on jobs and repairs, and out of the blue, the Vicar asked me if I’d help look after the church building. I started coming to more and more services, and got involved with the life of the church. It came to the point where I had to make a decision about which way to go with my life – business or the church. I decided to become a priest, and we sold the butchery business.

“I needed to fund my way through my training, so I became a postman, and it’s a great way to meet people and make friends. Now I’m ordained, I am a self-supporting minister, which means I work as a vicar, but also work part time So I carry on being a postman, and I hope to show the love of God to all the people I meet across Ryedale.”


Taff Morgan, 54, was a member of the RAF for 35 years before receiving the call to ministry. He rose to the rank of Squadron Leader as a Navigator, flying Vulcans, Tornadoes and Tucanos. He was awarded the MBE for his work in the first Gulf War, and led the Tucano flypast to celebrate the 80th birthday for the RAF. “I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, but stopped attending church in my late teens. When I married, my wife and I attended church on RAF bases.

“One Vicar suggested I become a churchwarden, and help care for the church building. I was dropped into the deep end when the Vicar phoned me up one Sunday morning, saying he was ill, couldn’t find a replacement, and I would have to take the service! I had an hour to write my first sermon. But people said I’d done a great job, so the vicar gave me a chance to lead a service again – with three months notice this time.

“When I was based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, I helped lead services when the Padre was serving overseas. I kept thinking about the word ‘ordination’, wondering whether God was calling me to become a priest. I mentioned this to the Padre, who suggested I ask some good friends what they thought. All of them said that I would make a great priest. I’m now Assistant Curate in the Derwent Ings Benefice, and appropriately for an ex-RAF serviceman, living in the Rectory at Elvington.”


Judy Cook, 65, trained as a radiographer after leaving school. Originally from Lincolnshire, she moved to Middlesbrough in 1967, and married a year later. “After I had my family, I tried to go back to work as a radiographer in my 40s. I was told I was too old, which was devastating – I couldn’t go back to my old career. I’d always been a regular churchgoer, but around this time I started to get a real sense of calling from God, but I didn’t know what I should be doing. I trained to be a Reader – a kind of lay minister, - where I preached and did a lot of pastoral work in my parish. But I never felt totally satisfied – there was more I should be doing.

“I wondered if I was called to be a priest, but I didn’t feel worthy. And I was now in my sixties – I was bound to be too old. But I spoke to my vicar, and she thought I should explore Ordination. I started my training at the age of 63, and I’m now involved in the parish of St Martin’s, Winney Bank. When I’m ordained priest, I hope to be able to do more work with the nearby drug rehabilitation unit, and help show people that the God I serve is a loving and compassionate God, who cares for everyone.”

The Revd. Peter Bowes is the Associate Director of Ordinands in the Diocese of York, and as part of his job prepares the candidates for ordination. He said, “The service on Sunday 7th June is just the start of ordained life for these men and women. Their work is to build up the Body of Christ in the Church and in the world through celebration, worship, teaching and pastoral care. Each will have a ministry of leadership and mission, enabling all Christian people to realise their potential as they witness to Christ in the world.”


The people being ordained, and the parishes in which they serve are:

Nicholas Barr-Hamilton Linthorpe
Claire Cullingworth Tadcaster with Newton Kyme
Daniel Cooke West Acklam
Paul Dominiak Ingleby Barwick
Nicholas Green Ordained Pioneer Minister in the Coulby Newham area of the parish of Marton-in-Cleveland
Charles (Taff) Morgan Wheldrake with Thorganby
Sylvia Rice-Oxley Aldbrough and Mappleton with Goxhill and Withernwick
Stephen Whiting Scarborough, St. Mary with Christ Church and Holy Apostles
Judith Cook St. Martin of Tours with St. Cuthbert, Middlesbrough
Trevor Gant York St. Luke
Barbara Hodgson Bridlington Emmanuel
Paul Jackson Haxby with Wigginton
Pamela Jennings Scarborough, St. Mary with Christ Church and Holy Apostles
Brian Lees Hutton Cranswick with Skerne, Watton and Beswick
Pamela Macnaughton Ordained Pioneer Minister Bishopthorpe with Acaster Malbis
Benjamin Nicholson Helmsley
Jeanette Oates Bridlington St. Mary
David Pynn Scalby and Scarborough, St. Luke
Elizabeth Ransford Ordained Pioneer Minster at St. Thomas Mission Unit York and working with the Exodus Project
Christian Selvaratnam Ordained Pioneer Minister at York, St. Michael-le-Belfrey

Also ordained in the parish church of All Saints Middlesbrough at 6pm on 7 June 2009

Ben Archibald Middlesbrough, All Saints

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