On the afternoon of Sunday 2nd July 1999 we were privileged to be in the congregation at St. Mary Abbots, Kensington to witness a rite of passage. We were present at the deeply moving and totally engrossing ceremony at which Freda was ordained priest. It was a near thing, however; the transport booked to convey the fans to the event failed to materialise. It took a combination of Brian's determination, the resourcefulness of individual parishioners and a replacement driver who drove like a member of the opposition to prevent a yawning gap in the pews allocated to St. James's.

The Bishop of Kensington, supported by two other Bishops and several dozen clergy, led the service. The church was full of friends, relations and parishioners from the candidates' parishes. It resonated with the joyful singing of a large choir, the powerful organ augmented by a brass ensemble and the enthusiastic voices of the congregation. The presentation was followed by the candidates' declaration and then the solemnity of the ordination. After this, communion for all was taken at multiple service points around the massive church. The service was awe-inspiring but never threatened to overshadow the eight candidates presented for ordination. It was a wonderfully fitting celebration, reflecting both the traditional values of the Church and the needs of ministry in the modern world.

Freda presided at her first Holy Communion on the evening of 5th July. St. James's had a full congregation representing the local community and her previous parish in Fulham with friends and well-wishers there to support her. The sermon was preached by Prebendary Kenneth Bowler, of All Saints Church, Fulham who echoed all our thoughts and prayers for her future role. Freda gave a near perfect delivery of her first Eucharist. We were left in no doubt as to her genuine Welsh blood as she led the sung responses. All those present shared the sense of true communion she created. A party of celebration and congratulation in the Parish Hall followed the service

From Deacon to Priest
As far as most people are concerned, if you are an Anglican and wear a 'dog collar' that means you are a vicar. But it's not quite as simple as that. The first step in the world as an ordained person is as a deacon and that is what I have been for the past year. Most people serve as a deacon for a year before being ordained as priest; enabling them to get to know the parish and to observe the vicar carrying out his role, while assisting him in different ways. There is the particular task of helping with administering communion and in leading the worship of the people.

Unusually, I worked full time at a church in Fulham for the three years while I was training, so I had experience there in all areas of my work, apart from preaching.

Moving to any new area is full of the unknown! This year has presented me with a wonderful opportunity to get to know an entirely different congregation and to meet other Christian communities in a completely new part of the Diocese. Much to Brian's disappointment, I haven't found it necessary to learn to ride a bike but instead, I've experienced the walking delights of the area and visited dozens of parishioners along the way tasting a wonderful array of different recipes of lemon cake (and others). There have been opportunities to try out different liturgies (was the Brownies' Pet Service the highlight I ask!), to experience the informal service's band!,to help people prepare for confirmation, to teach and to meet people on a one to one basis to discuss issues of spirituality and faith.

So what does the future hold as a priest? We are called by God to work with the bishop and our fellow priests, as servant and shepherd among the people. Just as Jesus sent out the 12 disciples, so the Bishop sends us to a particular parish, as his representative and as a stranger, to care for the people committed to our charge, to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.

It may seem strange to some people that we go as strangers to an unknown area but there is a specific reason in that it ensures that the local Christian community faithfully follows the Church's agreed teaching on matters of doctrine and worship. It is not unusual therefore for a new priest to have a prophetic role, bringing fresh vision and inspiration to the community.

When the Bishop lays his hands on candidates, he is empowering us with the Holy Spirit to act as stewards of the mysteries of God, to celebrate the sacraments of Holy Communion, of baptism and marriage, and to pronounce God's forgiveness. Baptism empowers each of us with a vocation to be part of the body of Christ and we confirm our willingness to this at confirmation. Perhaps it is in the communion service where we most clearly see the separate roles of priest and people. The blessing of bread and wine can only take place if there is both a priest and a congregation; the priest to say the words and the congregation to repeat the "Amen". No "Amen" and there can be no Eucharist. Priest and congregation have their distinctive and necessary roles at the Eucharist so that together we make up the Body, with Christ at the Head.

Jesus was clear that He had received authority from God to further God's purposes on earth and was able to delegate responsibility to his disciples. As priests, delegation is an important aspect of our leadership too and it is only in this way that the church community is enabled and liberated to participate in serving the mission of God in the world. We are called by God to embody the life of Jesus, to speak his words, give his blessing and supremely, in the celebration of Holy Communion, to bring together the whole community of Christians to be the Body of Christ in the world. It is a life-long commitment and demands one's all. The stole worn around the neck represents the bar of the cross Jesus carried and is a constant reminder to us that all that we do as priests, all that we are, comes from the Cross. The Good Shepherd must always be the pattern of our calling; we need to go where we are sent with a heart that is open to the call and the often unexpected direction of the Holy Spirit, and in the late Michael Ramsey's words, "to be with God with the people on your heart".

Freda Evans