They are friends who carved out successful careers in caring professions. Now they are being ordained as ministers in the Church of Scotland.
Dr Sonia Blakesley, a former GP, is being inducted into St Mark’s Oldhall Parish Church in Ralston, Paisley, and Betsi Thane, an ex-school teacher and social worker, at West Kilbride Parish Church in Ayrshire.
Louise Purden, a former family support, youth and community worker, is the new spiritual leader at Bonnyrigg Parish Church in Midlothian.
The women became firm friends while training for the ministry, with Dr Blakesley and Mrs Thane studying together at Trinity College at the University of Glasgow.
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Mrs Purden, whose father Rev John McPake is a retired Church of Scotland minister, attended New College at the University of Edinburgh.
The women said they were “excited” and “looking forward” to embarking on their new journey.
Dr Blakesley, who spent 23 years working as a GP in Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway, said: “I am excited to be starting my new role as minister.
“I have been training for this for a long time and am keen to get into my new position.
“This is an opportunity for my life and faith to dovetail in a way greater than before as I devote most of my time to God’s work.
“I am prepared for the challenge of working with the Kirk Session and wider membership to discern how we best do God’s work in this community, serving the people of Ralston and sharing God’s love with them.”
Dr Blakesley, 52, a mother of two grown-up daughters, said she “really enjoyed” being a GP.
“But I became aware of God calling me into another vocation for the later part of my working life,” she added.
“I have good people skills and I am used to dealing with people in all kinds of life situations which stands me in good stead for my time as a minister.
“However, what excites me about ministry is being able to talk openly about the spiritual side of people’s lives which was not really encouraged in medicine.”
Dr Blakesley is a member of St Andrew’s Church in Moffat and served as session clerk for five years.
She did placements at Burnside Blairbeth Church in Rutherglen, the Tinto parishes in South Lanarkshire and Cranhill Parish Church in Glasgow.
Mrs Thane, 51, was born in Poland but has lived away from her home country for nearly 30 years.
She is the widow of the late Rev Marcus Thane and has a daughter.
“I am excited, hopeful and trusting that the Lord will keep guiding me in my new role as a minister,” she said.
“I studied pedagogy (a method of teaching) and my degree has been translated in Scotland as Master of Education.
“I have worked as a primary school teacher but also as social worker and carer in care homes.
“It gave me an experience of working with all age people – from newborn babies to the very elderly.
“Having this experience means it seems to be easier to connect with people in church.”
Mrs Purden was a probationer under Rev Keith Mack at St John’s and King’s Park Church in Dalkeith.
She said her previous job experience had put her on the right footing. However, she was adamant for a long time that she was not going to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a minister.
He served full-time at Edinburgh’s Liberton Northfield Church before taking up part-time roles in city churches.
“I suppose my original reluctance was simply because I am not a fan of institutions,” she said.
“I wrestled with the feeling that I would become part of this massive institution... but my sense is that the Church of Scotland is at a point where it is ready for change and is recognising that it is all about engaging in that face-to-face, groundlevel ministry of connecting with communities.
“There are very few other places where you can have that sort of intergenerational contact, where people can really truly care for each other.”
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