Our new Diocesan Director of Ordinands and Vocations, the Reverend Stephen Tranter has been licensed by Bishop Helen-Ann at a service at Newcastle Cathedral.
Stephen, who originally carried out his missionary training in Berwick-upon-Tweed when his family worshipped at Holy Trinity Parish Church, has come to Newcastle Diocese having been until recently Team Rector of a five-church benefice in Bolton, Greater Manchester.
His team in Bolton had a full range of ministries from ‘ALM’ to ‘Reader’ and ‘Ordained Local Minister’, and their support and development was been a key part of his role. Alongside this, he has served as Archdeaconry Chaplain of Readers, involved in the selection and support of Licensed Readers. Since ordination in 1999, Stephen has served in various roles in Blackburn and Manchester Dioceses and in 2016 took over his role in Bolton. His incumbencies have been in inner urban, suburban and rural contexts.
Stephen has a passion for the discernment, encouragement, equipping and empowerment of Christian ministries, both lay and ordained, and 'inside and outside of the church walls’, and he brings a wealth of experience and prayerful wisdom to the Diocese’s lay and ordained vocations work.
Stephen’s role will be to build and develop a team of Assistant Diocesan Director of Ordinands to encourage and support people through discernment and training for ordained ministry, and to establish a Vocations Team, which will support local churches and their leaders in raising awareness of the full range of ministry roles within the Diocese, and support people in their exploration of God’s call to ministry, lay and ordained.