Ordination Service - 17th Dec 2023
On the evening of Sunday, December 17, 2023, at 4:30 pm, the Diocese of Delhi held its ordination service at Free Church, Parliament Street, New Delhi. The occasion marked the five decons being ordained as presbyters and two ordinants as decons. The event was presided over by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Paul Swarup, the Bishop of the Diocese of Delhi.
Bishop Swarup delivered a sermon on the roles of deacons and presbyters and encouraged them to take on a servant-leadership model. He challenged them to engage both within the local church and society at large. The newly ordained Presbyters and Deacons were exhorted to practice humility, compassion, and selflessness in their ministry. The solemn ordination ritual, where the candidates knelt before the Bishop. He invoked the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives by laying his hands on their heads. Revd Ashoo Masih, Revd Ajeet Takri, Revd Goldwin William, Revd Narendra Kumar, and Revd Vikas Mall were ordaned as Presbyters. Additionally, Bishop Swarup ordained two Deacons: Deacon Ashish Alfred and Deacon Anurag Smith. Stoles were placed around candidates’ necks by the senior clergy, as a symbol of the yolk of service that Christ has called us to. Bibles were presented to them as a symbol of the authority given to them to preach the Word of God. The newly ordained Deacons and Presbyters were vested in liturgical attire, marking their transition into their new roles within the Church.
The ordination service in the Diocese of Delhi is an important milestone as the harvest is plenty and the workers are few. We are grateful to God for these seven people who have responded to the call of God. It remains steadfast in its commitment to nurturing and empowering its clergy, recognizing them as essential instruments of God's love and grace in the world.
