Judi Bird priested


The Revd Judi Bird was ordained a priest in very same church she was baptised and confirmed in at a vibrant ordination service led by Bishop Matt Brain on 18 August.

With the excitement of hosting such a special occasion, the people of St Martin’s Charlton and the parish of Charlton-Donald welcomed not just regular parishioners but friends from the local community and the wider diocese to join in the celebrations as Judi committed herself to serve as a priest.

Bishop Matt, carrying out his first ordination as Bishop of Bendigo, preached from Ephesians 4: 1-13 where he outlined the role of a priest and encouraged Judi and the congregation to be expectant of God’s gifts for us.

“God is a gift-giving God, and if that is true, then we as God’s people need to be expectant – we need to want what God is about to give,” he said.

“Judi you are being gifted so that all of God’s people can be engaged in His work”.

Fellow diocesan clergy then joined together to lay hands upon Judi, with the congregation responding in great applause as she was presented as a newly ordained priest in the Church of God.

“To also be ordained in the church in which I was baptised and confirmed is a source of joy for me,” Judi said.

“Support and encouragement has come from everywhere and for this I am eternally grateful”.

Judi will continue to minister as the Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of Charlton-Donald, caring for the people across the four rural centres.