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THE CALEB STREAM
38 THE CALEB STREAM
This year, our first Caleb Stream cohort of 8 completed their year and have now all been ordained. Linde Melhuish, based at St Bartholomew’s Church in Munsley, describes her experience.
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Linde, one of the first Caleb Stream candidates
I've long felt a call to ordination, although originally this was in my twenties when women couldn't be ordained. So I became a licensed lay reader, which was very fulfilling. But that call never went away. It wasn't quite the right time after that because I had a family and a career in education as a Head Teacher. And then when it kept coming more insistently, the previous bishop felt I was too old to be ordained, which was a great shame. But the calling never went away. And my rector said to me, ‘Linde, we've got to have one more go.’ So we did, and I was told about the Caleb Stream.
Ever since I've been a reader, I've been fully involved in church as far as it's been possible to be, which means taking services, taking funerals, pastoral, visiting. Now I'm a deacon via the Caleb Stream. I can baptise and I'm learning about what it'll be when I'm a fully ordained priest in a few months' time where I'll be able to take weddings. I will be able to take the communion service and to give blessings. And that really is that extra layer of sharing the ministry in my parishes. And it means that one can be there for one's parishioners in all sorts of ways, which were limited before, both helping them in their happy times, weddings and celebrations, and in their more sorrowful times, being with them when things are not so good and above all, giving them hope. On the Caleb Stream, we were taught that nothing is ever wasted in God's economy, and I can look back at my career both as a reader and in my professional life, how God has used that and brought me to this point. And it is such a blessing to be able to see how that has been integrated. I hope it enables me to be a better priest. This year, there are 20 Calebs on the stream training towards ordination. Head to crtrust. org/calebstream to watch our film and find out more.
