To Ministry pastures new

The Priory congregation bid a fond farewell to curate Jonny Gordon and his family on Sunday, with a presentation and a bring and share lunch after the 10.30am service.

We’re delighted for him that he’ll serve his first incumbency in the benefice of Newbold de Verdon, Barlestone, Kirkby Mallory and Peckleton in the Diocese of Leicester.

Jonny came to the Priory as curate nearly three years ago, and was plunged into the tech deep end with the first of the Covid Lockdowns, bringing worship online to the Priory congregation worldwide. It wasn’t the curacy that he, or anyone had expected, but he rose to the challenge.

Jonny’s ministry went well beyond tech. We’ve all enjoyed his thought provoking and humorous sermons and many in the congregation are grateful for his wonderful pastoral skills.

Often to be found between appointments in Caffe Nero, Jonny became unofficial chaplain to the staff there and was the public face of the Priory and the Church of England to the many customers who engaged with him there.

And then there’s the website. This site would simply not be here without Jonny’s skill in training the new novice web designer and uploading the new site, nor without the incredible amount of information which he gathered to create the previous website.

So, Jonny, ‘thank you’ from all of us, and as you asked us to in your cake-cutting speech - thought provoking to the end - we will ‘tell them the good news about Jesus’.