Commenting on this news Rev. Philip said:

“It is with great joy that I am able to announce that Bishop Sophie has formally offered Eddie Short the post of Self-Supporting Assistant Curate in the Rivers Team, on his ordination as Deacon in June next year, subject to a satisfactory final report on his training.

Eddie will initially be licensed to the Team for three years from the date of his ordination, and will continue to work in his current employment.

Curacy is a training post, and so alongside family life, work, and ministry, Eddie will need to complete a training programme to ensure that he is equipped for incumbent level ministry.

This will also be what is an exciting, emerging model, known as a Planting Curacy, with the objective that by the end of the 3 years Eddie will have developed a team and have, or be ready to, plant a new congregation or expression of church, which could be in the Rivers Team, but may be elsewhere.

I am sure you will join me in rejoicing in this appointment and looking forward to this new stage in Eddie’s ministry in the Rivers Team when he is ordained next year. Please continue to support Eddie, Nic, Joe, Benji and Ella in prayer as together they follow God’s call, and seek to balance the demands of family life, work, and training, ministry.”