DESPITE no fewer than 36 ordinands in the diocese of
London this Petertide, the Bishop of London, the
Rt Revd Revd Richard Chartres, wants yet more. In fact, one of the
two specific goals of the diocese of London's Capital Vision 2020,
launched last year, is to increase the number of ordinands by 50
per cent.
So when the diocese last month invited all those young people
who were considering the possibility of a vocation to the
priesthood to the Wren Suite, in St Paul's Cathedral, the Bishop
and the Diocesan General Secretary, Andy Brookes, joined them.
The young people had come from a number of vocational schemes
around the diocese, where they were exploring their calling and
considering future ministry. Some of them were already working as
pastoral assistants.
They were welcomed by the Bishop, followed by the Revd Paschal
Worton, who spoke about prayer and relationship with God. Mr
Brookes then explained how the aim of doubling the number of young
people involved in the local Christian community, as well as
doubling the number of ordinands, together fitted into the wider
aims of Capital Vision 2020.