Bishop ordains three new deacons

THREE new deacons have been ordained by the Bishop of Warrington and are to join churches in the borough.
The Rev David Nyirongo is to join St Paul’s Church, Penketh, the Rev Harry Greenhalgh is to join St Oswald’s Church, Winwick and the Rev Philip Turner is to join St Mary’s Church, Great Sankey.
Deacons are able to perform certain key duties within a parish, including the baptism of new Christians. They normally then spend a year working as an assistant to a vicar before being ordained as a priest, when they are also able to celebrate Holy Communion and conduct marriages.
The Rev Nyirongo was originally from Zambia and came to this country 11 years ago to work for CSV Volunteer Network in London.
He then joined the British Army and served in Iraq, Belize and Qatar and it was then he began to seriously consider becoming a minister.
He said, “I had always felt called to serve God, but I was hesitant at first. Whilst I was in the army and serving in Iraq, I spoke to the military chaplains. They were doing some fantastic things in extremely testing circumstances. In situations like that you really do start to think about your faith in depth.”
He is married to Saphiya and they have two sons, Kamran and Judah.
The Rev Harry Greenwood is 57 and originally from Leigh. He works for the North West Ambulance Service as an ambulance patient transport driver where he has recently received an award for 20 years’ service.
He said: “I originally came to worship at St Oswald’s in Winwick due to having friends there and I am so glad my calling is allowing me to stay here. I am really looking forward to serving the people of Winwick through my ordained ministry. It is a great community and I hope to use and develop my skills in my new role at St Oswald’s.”
The Rev Philip Turner is 57, married with three children and will leave his job as a health and safety officer with a chemical firm to take on his ministry. He is also a chaplain at Warrington Hospital, a role he will continue with alongside his ministry at St Mary’s. He is a trained counsellor and has experience in providing bereavement counselling to families.
He said: “My wife and I are really excited to be moving to St Mary’s and being a part of the community. I have had some experience in preaching and teaching, evangelism and pastoral work, and I am looking forward to using my current skills and developing new ones in serving the people of Great Sankey.”