Our Staff Team of three Presbyters and a Deacon is led by our Superintendent, Rev Jacqui Horton, and our extended Staff team includes an Administrator, a Rural Re-Planter (in the north of the Circuit) and three preaching Supernumeraries.
Rev Jacqui Horton
Jacqui lived in Methodist manses in London, Guernsey, Suffolk and Kent as her father moved ministerial appointments. Having completed a Theology degree at the University of Kent, she worked for nearly 5 years in a Legal Aid Office before having her two daughters (now in their late 30’s). She was very involved in the leadership of the ecumenical partnership at Bar Hill in Cambridgeshire for 15 years before training for the more formal Ministry which began in 2000. Jacqui has been a Circuit Minister in Eastbourne, Basingstoke, Wymondham & Attleborough, and has been the Superintendent of the Central Norfolk Circuit since 2019.
For 10 months in 2006, Jacqui was the Sacristan working for the Iona Community on the island of Iona in Scotland. Her Christian interests include Celtic spirituality, producing creative worship materials, and exploring alternative ways of Christian outreach through spirituality including Mindfulness and Labyrinths. Her wider interests include reading, swimming, visiting National Trust properties, origami, and spending time with grandchildren. Jacqui also does a wide range of talks using her own photographs including presentations on the life of Jane Austen, the Victorian Primitive Methodist family of the architect Augustus Scott, a Journey around Iona, travels in the Holy Land, Favourite parts of Norwich Cathedral and other Norfolk topics. She currently lives with her partner Jen in Swaffham.
Rev Anne Richardson
Anne Richardson began her ministry in Central Norfolk circuit in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic! This was a return to circuit work - however Anne began her ministry in circuit in Plymouth, in 1995, and was ordained in 1996. During these years of early ministry, Anne developed an interest in working among the Deaf community and started learning British Sign Language. In 2005 she went to London to work for the London Diocese as Chaplain among Deaf and Deafblind people. She developed her BSL skills, becoming a qualified Sign Language Interpreter in 2012. Following God’s call to come to Norfolk, Anne re-established the Church among Deaf people and set up Sign the Cross, a form of Network Church, which encompasses the ministry among the Deaf Community in the District. This is now overseen by a District Management Committee and has been adopted as a District ministry. Anne currently combines working with the Deaf community and the Dereham section in our circuit.
Deacon Jen Woodfin
Jen was born in Mid-Sussex, along with her sisters – they are triplets. After trained at Music College Jen taught and performed piano and violin for twenty or so years. During those years Jen had felt a call to Diaconal ministry but for various personal reasons didn’t respond to that call until her mid-forties. After candidating Jen was told she would be training at Queens Theological Foundation, Birmingham. This seemed a long way from Sussex but Jen really enjoyed being there. Jen’s first appointment was as a circuit minister in Fleet in Hampshire, mainly working in one church offering pastoral care to 200 plus members.
Due to serious health issues Jen was unable to work when she and Jacqui first moved to Wymondham. But as Jen recovered, she was blessed with two opportunities for ministry of different kinds. Jen was Free Church Chaplain at University of East Anglia for part of the week and for the other part of the week she was Chaplain at Cromwell House, the Methodist Home in Norwich. It was very satisfying, and challenging, to be sharing the lives of 19-20-year-olds some days, and then with 80–100-year-olds on other days.
Jen was stationed to Central Norfolk Circuit in September in 2019 and has relished the varied work with which she is involved. Jen has got to know people more and more and has found it to be a real privilege to be sharing in ministry in the churches and communities in Central Norfolk.
Rev Jonny Bell
Jonny Bell is a minister in the north part of the Central Norfolk Circuit, covering Wells, New Holkham, Sculthorpe and Fakenham, Stibbard, Thursford, Fulmodeston and Holt churches. He lives in Holt with his husband, Seb, and their black Labrador, Bagel. Jonny has been attending a Methodist Church since he was 15 years old and began his training to become a local preacher in 2011, at the age of 22.
His love of God drives a lot of what he does, with a keen desire to know God more. Jonny believes that God is for everyone, that God’s love is for all, and he strives to express this in everything he does and not just in his Sunday services. Being creative and learning new ideas are both a big part of his spirituality. As to deepen his connection with God, Jonny often draws and paints, or writes poetry, but he also loves to use Ignatian imaginative prayer, icons, or his rosary beads. Additionally, he encounters God in others, which is experienced well with a group of people having fun, frequently around a dinner table.
Jonny has a background in teaching, union work, support work and youth work, with a BA in Fine Art, a PGCE, and an MA in theology. He has a keen interest in the arts, theology, philosophy, and psychology. He also enjoys painting, crochet, gardening, playing computer games (typically RPGs or MMOs), board games and tabletop role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. In a nutshell, you could describe Jonny as a nerdy, creative person who believes in God.
LINKS TO STAFF PRESENCE ONLINE
As well as the Central Norfolk Facebook page, (on which a variety of people post a Thought for each Day) members of staff have their own social media platforms:
Rev Anne Richardson is involved with 'Sign the Cross' - a Christian network for people across East Anglia using BSL (British Sign Language). The Facebook page can be found here.
Rev Jacqui Horton has a personal website for a variety of Worship resources and the occasional blog - Jacqui's Resources.