Age is no barrier to ministry. That is the message from Pamela Marsham who was licensed by the Bishop of Guildford at Guildford Cathedral as a Lay Associate Minister (LAM). She will serve in the Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale, north Farnham.

Pamela, who was a teacher and then worked for the Diocese of Guildford before finally retiring, celebrated a significant birthday on the last day of her course. She believes that people should not let when they were born influence what they can do and is firmly against the pigeon-holing that happens to older people.

“I don’t want to be thought of as a something-year-old woman but as Pamela. I am me. I want to be me not what someone thinks I ought to be because they have attached a number to me.

“Every one of us has God-given potential, and even if you are retired you still have that potential. If you don’t use that potential to the full you lose it and that is such a waste.”

Pamela’s two-year course focused on preaching, teaching and discipleship – that is, following the teachings and ways of Jesus. Much of this training was during her parish’s ‘vacancy’, meaning it had no incumbent, which gave her the opportunity to lead services, something that is important to her.

She found meeting other people on the course rewarding.

“We were all on the same path, wanting to serve more and to be equipped to do that.,” she said.

“It was exciting as we didn’t really know exactly where it would lead us. Some will go on to train to be Licensed Lay Ministers or even become ordained which I can’t do – here age is against me – but I can lead worship and that is a privilege. And I am showing that age is not a barrier to service.”