Following the announcement of a new Rector, there is yet more good news for the Benefice. After much training over the past year, Sarah Lock has been ordained as deacon by the Bishop in the Bury St Edmunds Cathedral on 1 July.
Sarah has been a very active member of our Benefice for many years. She lives in Hessett with her dogs, having lived most of her life in Suffolk, attending school in Rougham, Beyton and Thurston. After working for local firms, she ended up with her own financial services business from which she is now retired.
She has been active in local charities and regularly visits Kenya with The Doxa Project which works to relieve poverty within the community through child education, providing clean water and other projects. Her mother and other family members also live in the area. in our villages, we have been blessed by Sarah’s work in the church especially with children and school assemblies for Rougham Church School. Sarah has also been leading the Family@Church monthly service which followed on from her earlier work with Messy Church, encouraging children and parents to learn about Jesus and how to follow Him.
As a deacon Sarah will be taking services in church, leading prayers and teaching through sermons, supporting the priest in Holy Communion service and continuing serving the people in our area, building the body of the church family.
We look forward to her expanding role as an ordained deacon and as The Reverend Sarah Lock.
What is a deacon? Deacon is the first step in ordination. All priests and bishops are in the first instance deacons, that is they are servants of Jesus Christ and of the people they serve. The word literally means “servant”, it can also be translated “minister” – as one who ministers to the help of others. in the early church deacons were appointed to support the work of the apostles, as the numbers of followers of Jesus grew. (Acts 6:1-6.)
What is a deacon in the Church of England? Deacons are called to work with the Bishop and the priests with whom they serve as heralds of Christ’s kingdom. They are to proclaim the gospel in word and deed, as agents of God’s purposes of love. They are to serve the community in which they are set, bringing to the Church the needs and hopes of all the people. After serving as deacon for a year they are ordained as priest.
