Recruiting the next generation of church leaders was the topic of discussion as clergy from across London came together for Calling London, the Diocese of London’s largest ever Clergy Study Summit.

Almost 600 clergy attended the Summit, which is held every five years, to discuss how to recruit and nurture the next generation of ordinands, and ensure that the Church of England is well placed to meet the challenges of its future mission.

The future of the clergy has become an increasingly important issue for the whole Church of England, and the Diocese of London has set itself the goal of increasing the number of new ordinands by 50 percent over the next three years as part of Capital Vision 2020.

Some of the notable key speakers at the summit included:

• The Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, who spoke on what sort of deacons and priests England needs for the 21st Century
• The Revd Les Isaac, founder of Street Pastors, who spoke passionately about empowering all of God’s people for ministry
• The Revd Paula Vennells, who serves as Chief Executive of the Post-Office and discussed how her ordained life has helped inform her role as a business woman and the mission of the Post Office as it has undertaken the largest branch modernisation programme in UK retail history.

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The Rt Revd Pete Broadbent, Acting Bishop of London, said:

“I was delighted to welcome clergy from across the Diocese to our 2017 Calling London Summit. We meet in such numbers on too few occasions and I hope that the summit provided those who attended with not only an opportunity for reflection, but also to exchange ideas and best practice, so that we can continue to grow the ranks of new ordinands, and ensure they are dedicated and equipped to serving the needs of our Capital.”