Ordinand stories - Sarah Rigby

When I first became a Christian at the age of 31, I was hungry for learning more about who God and more about Jesus and my relationship with him and how to grow that. Upon having children then too, I felt I could not return to secular work anymore as I needed this hole filling about God. So I volunteered at a local Christian charity, and hung around so much they gave me a job. Upon working with people from multiple denominations and taking roles in my local Methodist church. I felt everything I did still left me not quite filled. My husband offered to support me through ministerial training and gave me his blessing to do this. I explained that I was not right for ministry and I needed to pray over it. I prayed for two years, and after many different people telling me that they saw my gifts in the Diaconal Ministry I tried out for candidating, thinking that they would refuse and I could get on with my life. 

Living next door to a lady who introduced us to the Methodist Church Sunday School, whilst being a wonderful neighbour who never complained about the family next door. Yet, she showed true love and caring by baking cakes, biscuits and giving us food whenever she could. But always in a hidden gentle way. She used to say she had baked two cakes by mistake or cooked too many biscuits. She never judged us, or gossiped about us. She loved us, by showing us Jesus in action and deeds. I did not see this at the time, but as time has gone by, I realise that she was the instigator in this role, by loving us like Jesus did. She also encouraged us to attend Sunday School, without this unconditional love from her and the invitation perhaps I would not be a minister now. 

I left work as an office administrator to have children, it was when my children were very young that I became a Christian. Then I never returned to secular work, but worked for a Christian Charity as a Support Worker. 

It was my husband who gave me his blessing one Christmas as a present saying try out for ministry, I will support you and go with you wherever that will take us. So I have had nothing but his support from day one, my children, too, were not surprised, though one did say I thought you already worked for church. My mother and sisters were all super excited, and so encouraging. It never came as much of a shock as I thought it was going to.

Sarah Rigby