Dr Judith Ryder is joining the clergy team in the Parish of Caversham Thameside and Mapledurham as curate. Brought up in the Roman Catholic Church, Judith joined the Church of England in 2009 and, feeling called to church ministry, started training for ordination in 2013.
She will be ordained by the Bishop of Reading in Christchurch Cathedral, Oxford, on July 2 and will start her new ministry at St Peter’s, Caversham, the next day. Judith will be learning her ministry over the next three years alongside the Rector, the Revd Mike Smith.
Having studied theology at St John’s College, Oxford, in the mid ’90s, Judith returned to Oxford to study mediaeval history, gaining a doctorate in the mediaeval Eastern Mediterranean, before working as a research fellow specialising in Byzantine studies at Wolfson College.
It was at St John’s that she first met husband Simon, an electrical engineer. To take up her new ministry, Judith and Simon, along with their four children, are moving to Caversham from Kidlington, in Oxfordshire. At their church in the Parish of Kidlington with Hampton Poyle, Judith was involved in leading Messy Church and children’s work more generally, as well as gaining experience in ministry ahead of her ordination.
“Leaving Kidlington for Caversham is a big move for us but, while we will be sad to leave, it really does seem that we are being sent to the right place – for the family, for me to continue my ministerial training, and hopefully for the parish,” says Judith.
“I am really looking forward to working with Mike and the wider parish team; and to getting to know the people and the area; and its hopes and needs. It will be a pleasure to be in a parish with such a strong musical tradition, with different churches with different roles, and which is seeking to engage in mission in the local area.”
The Revd Mike Smith, Judith’s new boss as Rector of Caversham, welcomed her appointment: “Judith comes to Caversham with great enthusiasm and gifts, and a real desire to grow in her ministry as she learns with us and helps us learn about God. I look forward to supervising her time with us, and introducing her to the people of Caversham.”