Mrs Debbie Harris, from St Ives, is to be ordained Deacon on Friday, 27th June 2025, in Truro Cathedral. She is to serve as Self Supporting Assistant Curate in the Benefice of Godrevy.

She moved to Cornwall from Berkshire when her husband retired from the police force  and became a Reader in October 2019.

Debbie, who is also a Chaplain at Penwith College and a school governor at St Ives Infants School, has long served her community – whether that be as teacher, youth leader or Reader.

She says: “The role of an LLM/Reader has been really fulfilling, and I have found opportunities to become increasingly involved in community work.

“As I have listened to God’s call and tried to discern where the Spirit is moving, and what I should be doing and being for him, it became clear that God was calling me to take another step in ministry.

“I was leading services and working in the community as well as partnering with different community groups when I was asked if I would be interested in joining the Sens Kernewek pathway.”

Sens Kernewek is a group of people exploring a call to local church ministry. It is so they can learn and discern together.

Debbie continues: “During my time with this group, I learnt more about collaborative leadership and working effectively with others at a spiritual and practical level – particularly listening to God’s voice through scripture and prayer and putting this into practice in the parish.”

At the end of Sens Kernewek the group were invited to individual meetings to discuss where/ how they felt God was calling them.

Debbie says: “For me it became a way of exploring a call to the ministry of a Distinctive Deacon, who are called to ‘reach into the forgotten corners of the world, that the love of God may be made visible’.

“I am grateful to those who have helped me see I have a passion for people of all ages who are outside the Church, and on the margins, as well as a desire to lead worship and love the people inside the Church.”

She says there are many people who have inspired her on her faith journey – in particular a churchwarden who taught her being gracious to others is the way of Christ.

She also remembers ‘the older woman who generously opened her home to a young mother to support her when domestic life got too much; the woman with a husband affected by serious mental health issues who showed me how to deal with others suffering in a similar way’.

She adds: “I can see God working through all of them and revealing something of his nature to me as I stumble through life making my mistakes but trying to share the gospel with those around me.

You can read more about Debbie and her journey to becoming a reader here.