Growing up in a Christian family, Julie Pelling was part of the Baptist Church. Dedicated as a baby and baptised as an adult at 20, Julie says she first felt the call to full-time Christian ministry at this point, though wasn’t quite sure what that ministry would look like.
Her journey began with a year-long commitment to 'Time for God,' working at a Christian Sailing Project called 'Cockney Spirit' in Essex. Here, she worked with young people from the East End of London, teaching them how to sail while sharing the love of God.
Inspired by her work with young people, Julie decided to pursue a Youth and Community Degree at YMCA George Williams College in London. Over the past 30 years, she has dedicated her life to working with young people, children, families, and the homeless, both young and old.
Julie says that “life has presented many challenges and difficulties in recent years, bringing much pain and sadness, but God has not let go of us.” Despite all she has achieved, Julie says she “never felt good enough, clever enough, or worthy enough to consider ordination, so kept putting it off for many years.” She spent many years exploring other things, but God continued to knock on the door, until she finally said yes and decided to explore the call.
Julie’s decision to be ordained marks the culmination of a long journey of faith, dedication, and service. As she steps into this new chapter, she brings with her a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to her faith and community. Julie is a Pioneer and enjoys being creative and exploring new ways of ‘being church.’ Julie says: ‘hospitality, belonging and community are really important to me. My heart is for those on the edge of church, for those who want to explore faith but would rarely walk through the doors of a church building.’