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22 June 2005

The Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Rev Tom Butler will ordain eight new deacons in Southwark Cathedral at 11am on Sunday 26 June 2005. They are all to be full-time stipendiary clergy and will serve their curacy at the churches shown:

• Ann Brodie - St Margaret, Putney
• Marian Curtis - St Michael & All Angels, Blackheath Park
• Howard Gilbert - St Barnabas, Dulwich
• Ravi Holy - St Luke, Battersea
• Natalie Kirk - Christ Church, Gipsy Hill
• Jane Kustner - St John w St Andrew, Waterloo
• Matthew Prior - St John w Holy Trinity, Deptford
• Gail Souppouris - St Francis & St Mary of Nazareth, West Wickham

Later on the same day the three area Bishops in Southwark Diocese will ordain as priests the following who have served for a year as deacons in the churches shown:

The Bishop of Croydon, the Rt Rev Nick Baines at 4.00pm at Croydon Parish Church:

• Helen Durant - Emmanuel, Croydon
• Angela Gbebikan - St Stephen, Norbury & Thornton Heath
• Simon Stocks - St John the Evangelist, Old Coulsdon

The Bishop of Kingston, the Rt Rev Dr Richard Cheetham at 6.00pm at St Mark’s, Mitcham

• Derek Maddox - St Mark, Mitcham

The Bishop of Woolwich, the Rt Rev Christopher Chessun at 6.30pm at St Giles, Camberwell

• Neil Paxton - St George, Camberwell
• Carrie Thompson - St Giles w St Matthew, Camberwell

Short biographies follow:

Those to be ordained Deacon at Southwark Cathedral:

Ann Brodie, 50, was a teacher for 26 years and expected to be there until retirement, but says “God had other plans!” and is now happy to celebrate her 50th birthday and her ordination in 2005. Coming from Springfield Church, Wallington, she trained at St John’s College, Nottingham and will serve full-time at St Margaret’s, Putney. She has a continuing interest in education, and lists other interests as: quizzes, walking, cross-stitch and watching sport.

Marian Curtis, 51, is married to Ian and has three adult children. She has been a social worker and overseas development worker, living and working in Kenya, Nepal, India & Mozambique. Her home parish is St Michael’s, Bath and she studied theology at Trinity College, Bristol. She will be curate at St Michael’s with All Angels, Blackheath Park. Interests include: Tennis, walking, sewing, overseas development & justice issues.

Howard Gilbert, 31, from St George’s, Newbury, enjoys skiing, hill walking & rock climbing, and he and his wife Susannah Gilbert are involved with a charity which enables disabled children to go on activity holidays to the Alps. Formerly an independent financial advisor, he trained at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, and will serve at St Barnabas, Dulwich.

Ravi Holy, 36, whose home parish is St Lawrence, Morden, is married to Nikki and they have two-year old twins. He won a scholarship to Eton, and was lead singer in a punk band then a blues/gospel band. His first job was as a private investigator, but he later became an IT Recruitment Consultant before training at Trinity College, Bristol. He will serve as curate at St Luke’s, Battersea. He has a special interest in film, and intends to set up a film club when he takes up his post.

Natalie Kirk, 33, hails from St Mark’s, Battersea Rise. She was an actor in classical theatre for six years, but after following an Alpha course she gave up acting to work at St Mark’s for two years. While training at Wycliffe Hall, she co-founded a theatre company ‘True Theatre’, which is committed to engaging with big questions using story-telling and theatre. Retaining interest in reading, cinema, walking and skiing, she will serve at Christ Church, Gipsy Hill.

Jane Kustner, 50, worked as a chartered accountant, mostly in the City where she was involved in sales training and marketing. She has a concern for global economic justice, and lists other interests as theatre and drama, including the use of visual arts in worship, as well as a wide range of music, trying to keep fit by swimming, running, walking and dancing, and live entertainment. Jane’s home parish is St Paul’s, Deptford. She trained at St Stephen’s House and will serve at St John with St Andrew, Waterloo. She has a grown-up son.

Matthew Prior, 30, whose home parish is All Saints, Peckham, has worked with Pecan, a Christian organisation based in Peckham, as well as CMS and Tearfund. He trained at Trinity College, Bristol and is married to Esther who is already ordained. They will both serve as curates at St John’s with Holy Trinity, Deptford. Matthew is interested in international issues, languages and sport.

Gail Souppouris, 52, is married with four adult children. She worked in the social care sector for twenty years, qualifying in care management / social work and became a team manager. She was licensed as a Reader in 1999, for her home parish of St John’s, Coulsdon, and trained for ordination at SEITE (the South East Institute for Theological Education). She will serve as curate at St Francis with St Mary, West Wickham. Her interests are film, theatre, literature, gardening and walking.

Those to be ordained priest at Croydon, Mitcham or Camberwell:

Helen Durrant, 52, trained at Trinity College, Bristol before her ordination and posting to Emmanuel, Croydon. Before training she worked first as a teacher and later as Regional Co-ordinator for the Prison Fellowship.

Angela Gbebikan, 49, worked as a Legal Assistant in the City before training at Westcott House, Cambridge and becoming curate at St Stephen, Norbury and Thornton Heath. She has a teenage son.

Simon Stocks, 37, is married to Karen and has three children. Now curate at St John the Evangelist, Coulsdon, he was a Civil Engineer working for ARUP before training at Trinity College, Bristol.

Derek Maddox, 41, is married to Anne and has four children. He worked as manager of a centre for homeless people with London City Mission and previously in similar work with the Salvation Army. He trained at Trinity College, Bristol and has been curate at St Mark, Mitcham since ordination last year.

Neil Paxton, 45, was for a time the youngest Councillor in Britain (aged 21) for Blythe Valley, Northumberland. He worked as Client Advisor in the Employment Service before training at Ripon College, Cuddesdon and ordination, and has been serving as curate at St George, Camberwell.

Carrie Thompson, 27, trained for ordination at St Stephen’s House, Oxford and has been curate at St Giles with St Matthew, Camberwell for the past year. Her previous career was as a Learning Mentor, working with children with emotional and behavioural difficulties in a Streatham primary school. Her home parish is St. Dunstan, Bellingham.

Ends.

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