It was a joy-filled service of new beginnings and commitment to shared ministry, as the Revd Kim Ford was welcomed into the parish of St John’s Hinckley on Sunday 19 January 2025.
An important occasion for the whole community, Kim was joined by friends, family, church members and colleagues from across the diocese, to support her as she was licensed and inducted as parish priest.
During the service, Kim received the Signs of Ministry, in partnership with the Ministry Team of St John’s and The Beacon.
She was given water for baptism; bread and wine for the sacrament; a Bible to proclaim the Gospel; a prayer book; oil for anointing and healing; a globe and plant as a sign of our call to care for God’s beautiful and fragile creation; a tray and coffee cup, for the church to be a place of hospitality and welcome for all, and a torch and a tin of soup, for their calling at The Beacon is to feed the hungry and to be a light in the darkness.
Bishop Martyn said: “Kim, let all these be signs of the ministry, which is both mine and yours, and shared by all the people of God.”
Speaking after the service, Kim said: “It was amazing, I can honestly say it was a real joy. We laughed, we made promises, and we worshipped the Lord - I couldn’t have asked for better.
“I think the moment that hit me most was when the Bishop, Archdeacon Claire, my church warden and I, went to the back door and ‘flung’ it open to say – ‘now go and do what we said we would do’.
“The community came out in full support, as did the diocese. It was a lovely, joy-filled day.”
Kim is now officially the Rector of St John’s in Hinckley, which is one of our resourcing churches, with oversight of its church plant, the Beacon, as well as Area Dean for Sparkenhoe West.
As a church plant trying to reach the marginalised, and a parish just starting the Minster Community process, there is “lots to be getting on with, but a real sense of God in the midst of it,” says Kim.
“This is a very different role for me and it will stretch my comfort zones for sure, but I am so looking forward to all that God has in store.”
Kim has been ‘dipping in and out’ of this parish for a bit over a year, on secondment, but not able to give herself fully to the task because of the distance.
“Now, I can give myself wholeheartedly to the ministry ahead of us,” she explains. “My hopes are to help the Church, the Plant and the churches within our deanery to flourish and thrive as we seek to work together. There is a real sense of excitement as we come together and seek to see what God's plan is for us,” she says.
“Our mission is to be more outward focussing and extend more into our community working with other local churches and with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) exploring mission and seeking opportunities to serve in different ways.”
Kim says she can already see God working in and through so many different things in Hinckley. “Through those things that are already established, people blessed through the ministry to under 5s and youth, through to Oasis (our cafe) and the Foodbank and opportunities to invite the community in,” she explains.
“The conversations that are had and the needs of others being met is a way of seeing God in action. Also, at the Beacon, we are seeing God move through the food and conversations around the tables meeting the needs of the homeless and other who might find church a foreign setting. I cannot wait to do more, to see how we can expand God’s kingdom in our town.”