Two men and two women have joined Willesden’s team of clergy stepping towards a path to priesthood.

Mark Arnold, Stuart Melchor, Ana Bastidas, and Sheenagh Burrell were ordained to the office of Deacon by the acting Bishop of London, The Rt Revd Pete Broadbent, at a service held at St Paul’s Cathedral on July 1.

The new deacons, who include a care worker and former warehouse manager, are aged from 40 to 62 and bring a huge breadth experience to the diocese and represent a diverse range of backgrounds. Pete Broadbent, who is also Bishop of Willesden, said: “I am delighted to ordain these four new deacons in my role as Acting Bishop. They will add their own unique experience and skills to the wider diocese, and I look forward to working beside them as they take up their new and rewarding roles serving the Willesden area.”

Deacons follow three years training before ordination.