Heath Monaghan has felt God calling him to become a Reverend since he was 13 and this Saturday it will finally happen.
Ryde man Heath, now aged 45, expects to be tearful during the ordination service at Portsmouth Cathedral, as he fulfils a lifelong ambition to be ordained as a church minister. He’ll be ordained as a ‘deacon’ alongside 6 others called to the ranks of the clergy.
Heath grew up in a coal-mining community near Durham, and aspiring to be a vicar didn’t quite fit in with people’s expectations. He drifted away from faith and back again, and his ultimate career has revolved around helping the Church to engage with those who don’t necessarily have faith. He was a retained firefighter for the community of Ryde for a number of years.
The first time he applied to be ordained as a clergyman, around 10 years, ago, he was told to wait. He spent much of that time pioneering a new mission social action project built on Christian values in the heart of Ryde. The creation of Aspire Ryde involved gathering a team of volunteers to transform a huge redundant church building into a thriving community hub visited by thousands of people each week.
His new role will be as a ‘pioneer minister’, which means he’ll be creating brand new worshipping communities in the eastern half of the Isle of Wight, specially tailored for those who don’t tend to engage with more traditional styles of church.
Heath says:
“It was when I was 13 and being confirmed into the Church that I felt a calling to ministry. Initially I ran in the opposite direction, but I re-found faith in my early 20s. My career since then has been mostly to do with mission in some form, first with the YMCA and then with Aspire Ryde.
“I first discovered pioneer ministry about 15 years ago and felt totally at home with the idea of creating new worshipping communities and Fresh Expressions of church. I did something similar in Rutland, starting up a café church and helping to train others in how to create Fresh Expressions.
Article continues below this advertisement “I was turned down the first time I applied for ordination, but it was clearly the wrong time for it. Instead I felt called to the Isle of Wight and established Aspire Ryde. It’s a social action project, but with a Christian basis, so there is a rhythm of prayer and opportunities for people to explore faith further.
“We also started a church in people’s houses called Dwell about five years ago, which allowed people to worship at home, and it thrived during lockdown.
“For the past couple of years I’ve been training for ordination via St Mellitus, which is based in London, and I feel equipped and ready for what God is going to do next on the Isle of Wight. I’m passionate about the island, and I’d love to do some outreach among families with young children.
“I won’t be based in one church, but my training will come from the vicar of Bembridge, and I will also be chaplain to Aspire Ryde. It will be an absolute privilege to be ordained to serve people in these communities, and I will try not to cry on the day!”
Saturday’s ordination services will be led by Bishop Rob Wickham, commissary bishop for Portsmouth, and will be live-streamed on diocesan and cathedral Youtube channels.
