Jackie Colburn’s path to ministry has been deeply intertwined with the community that she’s called home for decades. She was born in Cheltenham, raised in Winchcombe, and has lived on a farm near Northleach for the past 45 years. She currently serves as an Assistant Curate and Ordained Local Minister (OLM) in the parish of Bibury with Wilson and Barnsley, and in May, Jackie will be ordained as a priest by Bishop Rachel in Bibury.
“It is tremendously exciting to look forward to being ordained within the communities I serve,” Jackie said. “I have been involved with Bibury Church all my married life. Our children were baptised there, two daughters got married there, and several grandchildren have been baptised in the church. It was an extraordinary privilege and a wonderful occasion, to be able to help baptise my youngest grandson in December last year.
“I feel extraordinarily blessed to have been able to pursue my ministry as far as ordination and at my age, rooted as I am in the Cotswolds and married to a farmer, I couldn’t have considered moving away from the churches I have served and loved for so long.”
Jackie served on the PCC for 36 years, twice as churchwarden, and as a lay worship leader for 15 years. She served as a PSO, and remains closely involved with safeguarding as the Cirencester Deanery Safeguarding Lead, and a safeguarding trainer.
She’s also played a key role in the wider community, working closely with the local primary school as both a governor and a worship leader.
“The joy of being surrounded by people you have known for so long is extraordinary. Our congregations and locals have been so encouraging and positive about my new role.
“It’s interesting how many conversations I have had with friends. Many aren’t regular church goers, but they have all been curious and genuinely interested in my calling and the path I have been able to take. It has opened up space for conversations about God, faith and Christianity with people that I had not imagined would happen,” she said.
Jackie hadn’t initially considered ordination as an OLM until she had a conversation with her incumbent: “I hadn’t really been aware of Ordained Local Ministry as an option until about two and a half years ago. It came as an epiphany for me. I had felt a persistent, nudging call from God for some time, which I had successfully managed to ignore by pursuing various other paths and taking on more responsibilities as a way of procrastinating.
“My incumbent was hugely encouraging and he suggested that I have a conversation with the Diocesan Director of Ordinands, Ann Sargent. It was after this initial conversation that I felt I had come home, and in a state of excitement and trepidation, I knew with certainty that God was calling me to serve as an ordained minister on my home patch.”
Jackie has found strength in working alongside another OLM who lives nearby: “This person feels that the Diocese of Gloucester has been so supportive with this form of ministry. It is still at a formative stage, and it’s an exciting time to be involved.
“I feel that the support from the diocese has been invaluable. As I have been given the opportunity to continue with theological study, life at the moment can be a bit of a juggling act between essays and sermons, weekend residential, church and school worship.
“Serendipitously, everything seems to inform everything else, and with the grace of God, ‘stuff’ gets done. I would encourage anyone who feels called to serve in their own home community to explore this pathway – it is a true blessing.”
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