Anne Townsend is Operations Manager at The Door, a Christian charity that provides opportunities and services like mentoring, youth centres, and support to young people and their families. She tells us about her vocation to her role at The Door.
Anne’s journey began with a desire to gain experience and find a meaningful way to contribute to her community. After finishing her A-levels, she spent a year volunteering at The Door.
“I really enjoyed my time volunteering. Everyone was kind and welcoming and the cause felt important. The Door doesn’t just offer second chances; we offer third, fourth, fifth chances. Forgiveness is key in our work, and it’s at the core of how we operate,” Anne said.
Anne started looking for paid work, around the same time that The Door was looking for some administrative support.
“They opened up a Business Administration apprenticeship, which I successfully applied for. I didn’t see it at first, but being at The Door has definitely been part of my faith journey, and part of God’s plan for me.
“I was born into a Christian family and I attended church throughout my life. I think, for a lot of young people that are born into that space, you accept it as just being normal, and then you start to ask questions as you get older. I guess around the age of 16 or 17, I was like, yeah, cool, I’m in. This is me. Jesus is part of my life. But I never saw The Door as being part of my calling or my faith journey at that time.
“Since working here though, I’ve become more aware of God. I’ve learnt to listen to Him. Now, I see my role as using the gifts God has given me to serve others.”
Anne’s work is an inspiring expression of her faith. She is deeply involved in making sure that staff have the tools and support they need to make a difference in the lives of young people.
“My day-to-day job as Operations Manager is a mix of welcoming people in to the building, managing administration, supporting staff, coordinating resources, and overseeing social media.
“I really enjoy my job, making sure the team is equipped to do their jobs well. The more I can support them behind the scenes, the greater the impact they can have on young people.”
Due to working at The Door, Anne has found other opportunities to serve, working as Secretary for Churches Together, and volunteering at Christian youth camps and with The Door’s Christian Outreach Arm, engaging directly with young people.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to hear their stories, share my own faith journey, and walk alongside them as they explore their own.”
Through these conversations and experiences, Anne sees the bigger picture of ministry; service to others doesn’t always have to follow a traditional path.
“We need to be in the world but not of the world, and therefore ministry can take any shape and size. You don’t have to be ordained to share the love of Jesus.
“For me, becoming ordained has not been something that I feel like I need to pursue as a Christian. Also, if you’re not out and about hanging out with people that don’t know Jesus yet, how are they going to find out about it?”
If you would like to look deeper into your calling and reflect on God’s plans for your life, you might find it helpful to connect with your local priest or reach out to the Revd Canon Ann Sargent and her team of vocations advisors.
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