Emma King didn’t go to church when she was young except for weddings and funerals, but when Emma went through one of the toughest experiences of her life, she found herself drawn to it. The welcome she received changed her life. Emma and her husband were heartbroken when the twins they were expecting died. Emma says she felt very strongly that she wanted them to be buried in a churchyard. 'I felt really quite passionate about that, I don’t really know why. I just felt they would be safer. That was my first encounter with a vicar. She was lovely and she was very pastoral. I was in complete shock and this really lovely, kind person was there for me at the hardest time.'
That experience led Emma to get her next child, Milly, christened. 'I thought, if I am going to do this, I’d better find out what this journey is all about. So I went along to church and I got engulfed in so much love and family. It was just amazing what that church did for us. That’s where it all began.' Emma and her family found themselves becoming part of the bigger church family and their faith grew as a result.
As her children got older, Emma felt God calling her to do family work and to use her own personal experience to help others. She started a family service and encouraged those who were doing baptism preparation to come along. When her vicar first mentioned she might like to think about ordination, Emma simply laughed, but over time she began to believe God had bigger plans for her. 'I felt called to do something in the church. I had the best time in Keynsham being around people being able to minister to families and spread God’s love.'
Emma is passionate about community and is looking forward to working at the heart of the community in All Saints, Weston, Bath with North Stoke and Langridge where she will serve her curacy. 'I feel like God uses our strengths and gives us what we need. I’m excited to be much more community based, that’s where my gifts lie. I’m really excited about getting to know people and walking alongside them.'