Annabel King will be ordained as a Priest at Truro Cathedral in July 2017. She has spent the last year working in the Callington Cluster.

Reflecting on the year, Annabel says: “It has been a privilege to be able to serve my curacy in the church where I have been for many years as a member of the congregation, then worship leader and lay reader, alongside my employment for a Christian charity. It has been a real learning experience as I have grown into the role.

“One of the highlights has been the launch of our monthly afternoon service last autumn for senior members of the congregation who either struggle to get to our 10 o’clock service or who are looking for something a little gentler than our main morning worship. I feel I have received far more than I have given through this aspect of ministry and it certainly seems to be meeting a need. Similarly, the pastoral ministry including leading worship in our local care home has been a real blessing to me.”

As for the future, Annabel says she is looking forward to leading sacramental worship and the new dimension that will bring to her ministry, although she admits the sense of responsibility that goes with it can be a little daunting at this stage.

Annabel began her ministry at the age of 13; she became a Sunday school teacher following her confirmation, as was the practice in her church. She was given a class to look after in the thriving Sunday school and a book from which to prepare a Bible story each week – that was the training. Looking back Annabel has reflected on how much trust they were given at such a young age. She remained until she left home at the age of 18 to go to Art College.

Annabel’s first career was in graphic design, taking a break to raise her family. When the time came to return to the workplace drawing boards had been replaced by computers so she retrained as a Counsellor. She joined Crossline, a Christian Counselling organisation which is part of Plymouth City Mission, in 2004 as a volunteer Counsellor and Telephone Listener. Two years later things changed and she was appointed as Manager. Ten years later Annabel is still at Crossline and is happy to be continuing in that role alongside her ordained ministry.

She moved to Cornwall with her family in 1992 and became involved in the life of Stoke Climsland Church. Following Bishop Bill’s review of the diocese entitled ‘The People of God’ in 2001, Annabel was one of the members of her church to take the ‘Local Worship Leader’ training in 2002, though she can’t remember how she was persuaded to take this step. In 2009 she began to train for Reader ministry, being licensed in 2012. It was only after this that Annabel had a ‘voice that wouldn’t go away’ which led her to offer herself for ordained ministry.

Having lived in Cornwall for 24 years now, Annabel will serve her curacy in the part of south east Cornwall where she has lived all that time, covering the Callington Cluster of Churches. There have been many people along the way who have made an impact on her journey, from the Sunday school teachers in the church where she grew up to the people in the church she attended as a student in Surrey, the Curate who started a group for parents with small children at her church in Hampshire, and all the people who have helped her in the diocese of Truro.

Annabel has three adult children who have now ‘flown the nest’ and are pursuing their chosen careers. She is grateful to all her family and friends who have supported her through this period of training and looks forward to the next chapter of her ministry, whatever that brings.