Article index	February 2010
	Exciting news

Many of you will know that by the end of June this year Robert Lintern will have completed his training for ministry, and he will be ordained as an ‘Ordained Local Minister’. Robert hopes to reduce his other work commitments and give much of his time to training as our OLM Curate, and to his ministry here, and we’re very much looking forward to him taking on this new role.

I can now tell you that alongside Robert we will also have a full time Stipendiary Curate with us here. Priscilla Slusar will also be ordained as a deacon in June, and she will move here with her husband John and begin a 3-4 year curacy, preparing to be a Vicar in her own parish.  We are very fortunate that Priscilla is coming, and our enlarged Ministry Team will help us to develop in new ways, I’m sure. I have asked Priscilla to introduce herself:

Simon Witcombe

 I am delighted that the Bishop of Wolverhampton has offered me the post of curate at Codsall, following my ordination at Petertide later this year.   At present I am in my second year of training for ordination at Westcott House in Cambridge, where I am studying for a Theology degree.  I am 55 years old, married to John, who is Assistant Headteacher in a large comprehensive school in Burton upon Trent.  John has had to stay at home in Burton while I have been studying in Cambridge, which has resulted in a rather strange married life for the last eighteen months!  However, we have been able to meet up during his half term holidays and my vacations. 

We have one daughter, Katie, who studied at Warwick University and started her first teaching job last September.  My husband and daughter are Mathematicians so I often have to put up with incomprehensible conversations between them over breakfast!   My career was also in teaching - I taught Geography and was a Headteacher in secondary schools in Staffordshire for 11 years before deciding to apply for ordination.  It has been a big change in my life but also a great privilege to be able to follow this path and I am sure it was the right decision.  I was very impressed with the church when I visited Codsall and I am looking forward to working with Simon and everyone in the parish.

Priscilla Slusar