Chelmsford Diocese Lay Ministry Celebration Service
Chelmsford Cathedral hosted its annual Lay Ministry Celebration Service on Saturday 28 June.
The Right Reverend Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, the Bishop of Chelmsford, led the service, celebrating all Lay Ministry across Chelmsford Diocese.
The preacher for the day was Gail Hughes, Licensed Lay Minister (LLM) from St Laurence, Blackmore. Gail has been the Formation Tutor for this year’s cohort of new Licensed Lay Ministers (LLMs).
During the service Bishop Guli licensed four new LLMs.
LLMs are theologically trained, and their role involves working alongside ordained ministers and other lay leaders in their church community. They have a clear leadership role and can use their leadership skills in a variety of ways, as an adult educator – training or mentoring other lay ministries, focusing Christian nurture or as someone who attends to the connection between faith and daily life.
Six new Pastoral Assistants were also authorised at the service. Pastoral Assistants offer pastoral care in the church and wider community. They are people who have a passion for communicating the message of Christ to others through caring action.
Speaking ahead of the service, Bishop Guli said:
“It’s a great joy and a privilege to license our new Lay Ministers and see the authorisation of our new Pastoral assistants at our annual Lay Ministry Celebration Service. I thank God for their ministry and the ministry of all those across our diocese who serve their church communities in a wide variety of lay roles. Please join me in praying for them as they begin this new journey.”
Caroline Harding, Lay Ministry Adviser and Warden of Readers in Chelmsford Diocese added:
“The Annual Lay Ministry Celebration service is a highlight in the Diocesan calendar. It is an opportunity to gather together as disciples of Christ from all corners of our wide and diverse Diocese and to celebrate and give thanks for all the ways in which we serve God and our local communities across Essex and East London. Whilst celebrating all ministries, we particularly honour those who have completed their training to become Licensed Lay Ministers and Authorised Pastoral Assistants. We give thanks for their commitment and hard work and look forward to how their ministries develop as they seek to see where God is working and join in.”
For more details of the new LLM’s, see
https://www.chelmsford.anglican.org/news/lay-ministry-celebration-service-2025
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