On 1st July Craig Taylor will be ordained deacon at Holy Trinity Brussels. 

Craig, who is to serve as Assistant Curate at the Anglican Church in Lyon, shares his story. 

“I am not from a Christian home, but I came away from a year 8 science class with big questions about life and its meaning. A few years later I was invited to a youth bible study, and through that I saw how the biblical worldview made best sense of my questions and the world we live in.  

“I arrived at university as a new Christian studying Physics. The Christian Union was formative for me before I went to Texas for a research placement. It was this year I felt God's call to ministry. Through a sermon my view of God was blown up as I saw so much more of his majesty and infiniteness. I came away feeling a burden for my non-christian family and friends to know this God, and for lukewarm Christians (like I was before) to know God in this way.  

“When I graduated, I tested the waters of ministry by doing an internship with UCCF who support Christian unions at universities around the UK. Following that I spent three years working with Students in the Czech Republic, mentoring, discipling and supporting them in evangelism. 

“I returned to the UK to train at Oak Hill College for long term overseas work. God had other plans for me, and I married my wife, Becky, we then moved to Doncaster where I took on the Associate Minister role at a church revitalisation project. 

“That’s where we have been for the last five years with our two children: our daughter, Elliot who is now five, and our son, Isaac who is three.  

“I will be serving in Trinity Church Lyon, France. I am looking forward to learning what it looks like to serve a congregation that is international and where the majority are not in their home country. Also I look forward to grappling with French culture, getting to know our neighbours, and figuring out the most effective ways to communicate the gospel.” 

If you are interested in exploring your calling as a Christian, or if you'd just like to find out more about the ordination process, please visit the diocese's webpage on ministry.