Chair: Helen Hambling, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford
The Chair has overall oversight, and should be the initial point of contact for those outside the Association. If you are an ordinand in training, please also feel free to contact your college or course representative.
I am a third year ordinand at Wycliffe Hall from the diocese of Oxford. Having just completed my BA in Theology and Religion at Oxford, I’m now reading for an MPhil in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible with the hope of extending to a PhD. Previously I read Natural Sciences at Trinity College Cambridge before 8 years of lay pastoral work with university students in London and Oxford. When not buried in the library, you can find me in the pool, speeding up and down Cotswold hills on my bike, or pounding the streets of Oxford in training for my next triathlon.
As chair of the Ordinands’ Association, I’m keen to do what we can to ensure ordination is a viable pathway for all those whom God is calling to serve his church, and that they are properly supported to pursue that call. I’m also passionate about theological education, both ordained and lay, in the church and encouraging many, especially younger women, in their pursuit of the Lord through rigorous theological study.
Please get in touch if you have any questions or concerns about any aspect of life as an ordinand – I would love to help if I can!
Secretary: Edward McMillan, Ridley Hall, Cambridge
The Secretary maintains the OA’s address and contact lists, liaises with TEIs, takes minutes of OA meetings, and distributes them to representatives.
I am a third-year ordinand from the Diocese of London (Two Cities Area) studying at Ridley Hall in Cambridge. I have just completed the Bachelor of Theology at the University of Cambridge where I also had the privilege of studying at Jesus College. I am now looking forward to postgraduate study through the Common Awards and the Cambridge Theological Federation. Before training, I read history at the University of St Andrews and worked for a year as a Ministry Intern in a central-London parish. In my free time, I enjoy playing squash and cricket, singing, walking and a pub visit. I am a member of the Prayer Book Society.
As Secretary, I am looking forward to fostering connections across the many training colleges and pathways of the Church of England and beyond. It has been such a joy to have been part of the Ordinands’ Association the past year. I am particularly proud of the work and research the Association has done to highlight and the challenges faced by ordinands, financial or otherwise, through their training. I would be delighted if you dropped me a line: ordinands@gmail.com.
Treasurer: Felix Trimbos, St Stephen’s House, Oxford
The Treasurer keeps our financial records, pays expenses, prepares the annual accounts, and takes responsibility for ensuring that our finances are in good order. Each training institution is invoiced for its subscription in the autumn.
I am going into my third year of training at St Stephen’s House, Oxford, with a term abroad in Rome, before – God willing – returning to the Diocese of London to serve my title. Before this, I read History at Edinburgh, and worked as a Pastoral Assistant at a church in East London.
I look forward to supporting the work of the Association, particularly in arranging in-person meetings and commissioning research to help understand the challenges facing the ordinands cohort. Outside of my training, I enjoy watching cricket and horse racing, and reading twentieth-century literature.
Ordinands 