On Sunday 29th June, six new priests are to be ordained at Coventry Cathedral by Bishop Sophie.
The new priests have already served as deacons for a year. On their ordination as priests they will remain in their present parishes while their on-going training continues.
Modupe Adeoye
Modupe is a curate in the parish of St Nicolas, Nuneaton and the parish of St James’, Weddington and Caldecote.
She says, “To the LORD, Almighty God be the Glory, great things He is doing! In 2013, when life finally brought me to the point of surrendering all to God; I petitioned that I would do anything that God wants, as long as it is only Him that takes the Glory. I never envisaged that God would put me on the path of ordained ministry -- A God Supporting Ministry! Learning to inhabit the collar is a unique experience. I am Blessed in uncountable ways by the warmth and welcoming grace that I continue to experience at St Nicolas and St James, and in the wider Diocese of Coventry. In many ways, they have had to adjust to my being a member of the Clergy”.
For Modupe, it has been a year like no other –- a period of ongoing shaping, moulding, and boundless personal and spiritual growth. There has never been a dull moment in her engaging with members of congregations and wider communities.
Modupe encourages new people to come to Church and some have! A lay member of the congregation says, “Modupe’s whole personality is vibrant, and her faith is undeniable…She exudes a love of Jesus, God & the Holy Spirit and shows a great love for others. She cares. Her preaching is powerful with messages that can be appreciated by many – the deep meaning makes one very thoughtful. When she prays, it is from the heart. Modupe does not ever seem to get flustered, just accepts any hiccups, and gets on with it”.
Modupe took part in the Civic Parade for the Remembrance Day Service. She found the “Blue Christmas Service” specially for people, who for personal reasons struggle during the Christmas season, solemnly impactful; furthermore, her engagement with attendees left deep impression on her. She is looking forward to visiting St Nicolas Academy again, and to opportunities of engaging with other schools and colleges.
In Nuneaton last year, Modupe experienced having a total stranger stand up for her: a Caucasian gentleman publicly reprimanded another man for racial abuse. Britain First’s 2025 march in Nuneaton brought communities together to say, “Not in their Name” with poignant messages inclusive of “Jesus was an immigrant too”.
Her roles as a Curate; Advocacy Programme Officer with AMEN (Anglican Minority Ethnic Network) and Church Urban Fund; CWPT Mental Health Chaplaincy Team; and on the St Luke’s Advancing Clergy Reflection Programme Steering Group have collectively given Modupe clarity about her core ministry -- for people who have ever asked/pondered about where God was/is in their situations, and/or are suffering injustices and deeply traumatised as a result.
Modupe continues to experience the greatness and goodness of God and manifestations of God’s Chayil Glory in her life. She prays that the Holy Spirit will move mighty in the world, and God will continue to use her in accordance with His WILL and for God to raise His army of angels and people of courage to work with her to challenge unjust practices and cultures, to bring about positive change that upholds true Christian values.
“My gratitude to everyone, who has impacted my life; most importantly, my destiny helpers. I pray in the name of Christ Jesus that the sovereign LORD will make good on His promises to Bless those who Bless me.”
Rolene Cort
Rolene is a curate in the parish of St Margaret’s Church, Whitnash. She has thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated her deacon year. The church provided a very warm welcome and Rolene has felt very blessed to minister in a variety of ways within church as well as getting to know the community and the schools linked to the church.
Rolene has been able to be part of a range of services: a traditional weekly BCP service, Sunday morning services, and a new worshipping community in the afternoons as well as organising monthly services at a residential care home and leading collective worship in a school. Some highlights have been leading a packed Easter Sunday service, a joyful (and slightly mad) crib service where many were dressed up as characters from the nativity, (including a very tall donkey!), a beautiful Christingle service, a poignant Quiet Service and a fun Light Party.
Rolene ran The Bereavement Journey Course last year and is running it again this year. It has provided a safe, comforting and healing space for many. Given the kaleidoscope of experiences we journey alongside, reminds us to walk closely with Jesus everyday and listen for His voice.
Our call is a privilege, and it is very special to be able to tell people of the grace and love of God in Christ, to pray for people to be held in the love of God and see God at work in people’s lives. Rolene is looking forward to the next step of being ordained as a priest and all that God has in store for her by His grace.
Beks Rothnie
Beks is a cursate at All Saints, Stoke East, Coventry.
It has been an exciting year becoming accustomed to worship in two churches of very differing traditions in this part of Coventry. Beks is extremely grateful for the welcome, love and patience of all at All Saints and in particular the Revd Pam Howell, her training incumbent.
It has been a year of getting to know the amazing depth and diversity in this large parish. It has involved the making of many happy memories with church members and those that attend many of the outreach groups and events. Particularly, special memories were made when explaining to the church children that as Santa's best friend, Revd Beks was looking after the reindeer whenever HE was in the building, to discovering the utter joys of submitting faculties and resetting the heating on a Sunday morning when the church was freezing. Beks has really treasured the diverse experiences she has been involved in from nativities with camels, to dressing up for harvest and sharing services in care homes.
Beks is really grateful for the support of all at All Saints and her friends and family who have been supportive and encouraging throughout. A special mention though has to go to Beks' rugby team, Camp Hill Women, for never failing to maker her laugh when needed.
James Sampson-Foster
James is a curate at St Andrew’s Church in Rugby.
Living with his wife Lydia and daughter Annabel, James is enormously grateful for the warmth and welcome shown to his whole family by the community at St Andrew’s and in the wider town, and for the prayer, care and guidance of Edmund, his training incumbent.
Located in the centre of town, St. Andrew’s believes in being at the heart of things in Rugby. It is a place of refuge, a place for art and music and a place of prayer and encounter. James’ greatest joy has been in encountering all of the people in Rugby who come into St. Andrews: praying with them, feeding them, ministering to them in times of loss, wondering about life’s important questions with them, being changed and blessed by them.
All people are beautifully and wonderfully made in the image of God, and it has been an honour for James to see God revealed in so many faces and in so many stories.
As James prepares to be ordained to the priesthood and to celebrate the sacred mysteries of the Eucharist, he remembers that he will forever remain a deacon. His will remain the call to search out the poor and the weak, to minister to the sick and lonely, to relieve the oppressed and powerless and to reach into the forgotten corners of the world.
Please pray for James and his family, that they may continue to journey, grow and be held in the knowledge and love of God.
Adrian Thacker
Adrian is serving his curacy in the parishes of Clifton-upon-Dunsmore with Newton and Brownsover in the Rugby deanery. He is grateful for the common-sense approach and spiritual insight of his training incumbent Pete, alongside the support of four church wardens, three worshipping communities and a whole host of fellow ministers.
Whether ‘serving at tables’ as part of grass roots ministry, leading school worship or wiring-up card readers to enable new ways of giving, Adrian benefits from the range of missional projects, worship styles and missional contexts that his benefice offers.
As a self-supporting minister working full-time in a business development role, Adrian is keen to ensure that workplace and church are mutually enriched and informed. This does present challenges, not least ensuring that diaries are regularly synchronized!
Adrian and his wife Hina are blessed with two children, Tulsi and Jasmine, who are both in secondary school.
It has been a privilege for Adrian to accompany people on their own walk with God and to offer the assurance Christ’s presence at key family milestones. As Adrian moves towards the ministerial priesthood, he looks forward to presiding at the Lord’s Table and nurturing the priestly ministry of the people of God.
Luke Thomas
Luke ia a curate at St Michael's Church, Warwick.
Luke is married to Lou and they have two young children together. Luke has been involved in working for the Church since he turned 18, which has included being part of a youth and schoolwork project and as a young adult worker part of the Coventry Diocese Acceler8 initiative. He has continued to grow in his leadership and has been leading and preaching for several years.
Charles Cowper
Charles is a curate at St Luke’s, Holbrooks.
He was born and raised in Newport, South Wales, and was formed for ordination at Ridley Hall. Since Ridley, Charles has taught maths at a school in Exeter, and married his wife Rebecca, who is a biophysicist.
His vocation to the priesthood started with leading Bible studies at university, and teaching remains one of Charles' key motivators.
It is expected that Charles Cowper will be ordained priest at St Luke’s, Holbrooks by The Bishop of Oswestry, the Right Reverend Paul Thomas at a future date.