1 July 2008—We welcome the Rev Joel Ani to St Thomas with Stephen as our new curate.

Joel writes:

“My vocation emerged out of a series of encounters with God which started from the age of 12 whilst I was in Nigeria. I emigrated to Britain at the age of 15 and became a member of the Anglican Church. From that time onwards, my mother (Stella Brown) has been a beacon of light on my spiritual journey.

“At the age of 18 I had a further spiritual encounter and the sense of calling stayed with me until I was 21. During these years I was introduced to the Pentecostal movement by a family member. Subsequently, I became part of the pastoral team for several years. Later in that year, I was granted a British professional boxing license, which I did as a hobby on and off for 10yrs. During the later part of my boxing career, I had also a full time job as a loss prevention supervisor for Gap.

“Aged 29, I got married to my wife Elizabeth. She is from a Pentecostal background, and currently works as a full-time human resource manager for London Care. Elizabeth also holds a BA in human resource management and marketing. We now have four children, aged 7 and downwards.

“At age 32, I worked as an occupational therapy technician for Haringey Social Services. It was then I decided to act on my vocation, as the idea continued to inspire me immensely. I consulted my vicar regarding these mystical experiences and he was encouraged me, leading to my resignation from employment and my acceptance for theological and ministerial formation. And so three years ago I went to Queen’s College, Birmingham, to study.

“The idea of the ordained ministry has been a challenging one. Although I was attracted to Christian ministry, at the start I was doubtful about full-time ministry. But by and large, the experience thus far has been a profound one, which has deepened my spiritual insight.

“I am looking to working with the people of St Thomas with St Stephen, Telford Park.”