Diocese of Chichester

Whilst numbers of women in ordained ministry are rising in the Church of England, one of the key areas women have concerns about when considering a life of ordained ministry is: how to balance ministry with being a mum. Rev’d Em Coley, National Diverse Vocations Officer, often hears about the real life concerns of those considering a vocation and is keen to help encourage women that a life of motherhood and ministry is indeed possible! Gathering a group of experienced and like-minded Ministry Mums to share their experiences she hopes this online event will help women explore the balance of life; expectations put on ministers - and that they put on themselves; and possibilities for how it can all work well and enable ministry mums to thrive.

Women, and anyone who is interested in the balance of motherhood and ministry are encouraged to come along to this 90 minute taster seminar, hear from those balancing ministry and parenthood, and ask the questions they need answered.

Rt Rev’d Ruth Bushyager, Bishop of Horsham, will speak about her own experience of being a ministry mum.

Followed by shorter mini talks from:

Rev’d Sebrina Miller – The Discernment Process

Rev’d Chantal Noppen – Maternity leave, logistics and timing

Rev’d Jules Middleton – ‘The juggle’

Rev’d Kate Massey – The impact on your kids

There will then be time for Q&A, which will be followed by a time of prayer.

For more info please contact Em Coley on: em.coley@churchofengland.org

Rev’d Sebrina Blackstock-Miller

Sebrina is a newly ordained priest working in Sparkhill & Sparkbrook in Birmingham. A stay-at-home mum for nearly a decade, much of discerning her call has come amidst wrestlings of female leadership in evangelical and charismatic spaces, navigating racism in the church, and flexischooling children whilst ministry full time. She is working on a Master’s dissertation looking at the contrasting ways the church and reality tv dating shows disciple young people.

Rt Rev’d Ruth Bushyager

Ruth is the Bishop of Horsham, in the Diocese of Chichester, where she lives with her husband and two daughters aged 13 and 16. She has been on the adventure of motherhood and ministry since having her first child during her curacy in Nottingham, and her second while serving as a school Chaplain in Oxford. A perfect Saturday includes sunshine, parkrun, cake, and walking her dog.

Rev’d Em Coley

Em was ordained in 2004. She had both her children (who are now 17 and 14) during her curacy. Em has served in three parishes and was associate DDO in the Diocese of St. Albans before starting work at the NCIs in the National Ministry Development Team in 2019. She is now the National Diverse Vocations officer (encouraging the vocations of young people and disabled people). Above anything else, Em loves to shop and when that is curtailed by her Multiple Sclerosis she finds shopping virtually on her iPad an excellent alternative!

Rev’d Lizzy Holland

Lizzy is the incumbent at All Saints in Allesley, a suburban village just outside Coventry. She has been ordained 6 years and during that time has had her two girls, Miriam (4) and Lydia (3). Lizzy is passionate about seeing people thrive in their vocation, particularly young mums working out how to hold together a calling to ministry with a calling to motherhood. In her spare time Lizzy loves a boxing class at her gym, baking and lying in the hammock with a cocktail!

Rev’d Kate Massey

Kate is a Vicar in Nuneaton, and has been Dean of Women's Ministry for Coventry Diocese since 2015. She was ordained when her children were 7,5 and 3 years old. She has done Masters research into how women remain "whole" while juggling dual vocations to motherhood and another calling, and this learning kept her afloat when she was living the dilemma in real life! Kate currently lives with Long Covid, so doesn't have exciting hobbies these days, but does enjoy walking her dog, listening to podcasts about history and science and reading escapist fiction.

Rev’d Jules Middleton

Jules is Vicar of St Edward’s, Burgess Hill, Sussex. She has 3 children, teenage and above, and has juggled ministry and motherhood for the last 10 years. She wrote a book ‘Breaking the Mould – learning to thrive as a ministry mum’ that she hopes will help other women in, or exploring ministry.

When she’s not involved with any of the above she likes to escape on her paddleboard.

Rev’d Chantal Noppen

Chantal is a creative, mission minded, hospitality-driven priest and the Women's Advocate for the Diocese of Durham. The last decade of ordained ministry has been on urban (deprived) estates where the straight talking, blessed chaos of life is a regular feature. She has two under 5s born during incumbency. Passionate about encouraging inclusivity and keen to proactively listen and learn, always. Currently processing a recent diagnosis of ADHD and Autism.

Motherhood and Ministry Seminar / 17 July / 10.30am / Online

Tickets are free but please book online at: Motherhood and Ministry Tickets, Mon 17 Jul 2023 at 10:30 | Eventbrite