REVEREND Janet May was licensed as Associate Priest of both the North Creedy East and Crediton with Sandford Mission Communities by the Bishop of Crediton, Rt Rev Jackie Searle, at Sandford Parish Church on Tuesday, February 8.

During the service she was introduced to the local church and wider community and oaths were made to give assurance that the priest believes, speaks and acts in a way a Christian minister should, and that she is committed to minister in the Church of England.

Representatives from the parishes, mission community, local churches and wider community welcomed the new Associate Priest.

Bishop Jackie gave a kind, joyful and thoughtful sermon and described Janet’s appointment as “another step in the evolution of the Crediton Ministry Hub”.

During the service, Janet received a number of gifts from church leaders and colleagues.

The most amusing was from the Rural Dean, Rev Matthew Tregenza, who on behalf of the Cadbury Deanery, presented Janet with the biggest bar of Cadbury’s chocolate anyone had ever seen!

Among those at the service was Archdeacon, the Venerable Andrew Beane, Laura Armstrong, the Lay Chair of Cadbury Deanery and supporting clergy from across the Diocese, including from Exeter Cathedral.

Janet is the daughter of the Rev Canon Michael Hall, who has served for the Diocese in the Crediton area for many years. It was a particularly proud moment for him, his wife Sandy and their family to see her licensed.

The family moved from Queenstown in South Africa about 20 years ago.

Janet was a Church Relationship Manager at Tearfund from 2007 to 2014, was a Fundraising and Marketing Administrator at the Gilead Foundation charity in 2015 and a Parish Worker at St Peter’s Church, North Tawton from 2015 to 2018.

She was Assistant Curate in the Little Dart Team, consisting of 12 churches in the Diocese from 2018 until her recent appointment.

The service was a happy and welcoming one.

Speaking with the “Courier” after the service, Rev Janet said: “I believe God has called me to serve in the North Creedy East and Crediton Ministry Hub and I am hugely looking forward to getting to know people and working alongside them, as I seek to serve Jesus Christ where He has placed me.”