A husband and wife from the same church are among nearly 30 people devoting their lives to serving communities across Suffolk after being ordained as priests and deacons.

Liz and Peter Livey, both 61, from Felixstowe, were ordained as priests at St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds.

Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket, Haverhill, Ipswich, Felixstowe, Wickham Market and Hartismere are among the communities represented by the newly-appointed Church of England clergy.

Mr and Mrs Livey are self-supporting ministers serving at Christ Church in Felixstowe. Mrs Livey works in a NHS surgery and Mr Livey is employed in London as managing director (Great Britain) of a South Korean container shipping company.

They formed the Felixstowe Town Pastors in 2010 to look after those people who required help while out and about in the resort's night-time economy, and at church they have a Manna Pop-Up Shop to provide food and other items. Some of the volunteers are Ukrainian.

A livestream of their services has been particularly successful since the pandemic, attracting a global audience, and the couple are delighted that the church’s appeal has grown.

The couple have been married for 40 years and their advice for any couple working together is to "respect each other’s space, enjoy good friends and family, laugh a lot, listen and talk, and have date nights".

The Rt Rev Martin Seeley, Bishop of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, ordained the priests and said: "This group of men and women have been undergoing their preparation for this new ministry during the most trying of times, at the same time giving of themselves in service to those in need through the pandemic that has left it’s mark on our county.

"I know that these priests and deacons will engage with their communities, look out for those who have suffered and continue to suffer, and they will do their utmost to bring healing to individuals and communities."

The Rt Rev Dr Mike Harrison, Bishop of Dunwich, ordained the deacons and he said: "The mix of ages and diversity among the candidates who have all contributed so much already to their churches and communities is a tribute to the Church’s ability to attract a wide range of people reflecting today’s modern society."

New priests:

Rowland Bareham, Great Cornard; Cheryl Belding, Newmarket St Mary with Exning St Agnes; Jennifer Catchpole, Wickham Market with Pettistree; Diane Ekins-Powell, Sancroft; Helen Grover, Bradfield St Clare, Bradfield St George with Little Whelnetham, Cockfield, Felsham and Gedding; Emma Haggar, Felixstowe St Peter and St Paul with St Andrew and St Nicholas; Elizabeth and Peter Livey, The Benefice of Felixstowe Christ Church; Duncan Myatt, The Two Rivers Benefice; Wendy Norris, Haverhill with Withersfield; Linda Pepper and Dimitri Theulings, Ipswich, St Matthew, Triangle and All Saints; Adrian Waller, Elmsett with Aldham, Hintlesham, Chattisham and Kersey.

New deacons:

Catriona Brinkley, The Benefice of the Blackbourne Team Ministry; Elizabeth Fox, Ipswich St John the Baptist with St Andrew; Diane Grano, The Forest Heath Team Ministry; Nicola Grieves, Barrow Benefice; Sarah Gull, Bury St Edmunds, St Mary with St Peter; Helen Kerridge, The Benefice of Hundred River and Wainford; Gail Minter, The Benefice of Carlford; Clive Mobbs, Four Rivers Benefice; Deborah Nicholls, South Hartismere; Anita Rooney, Bury St Edmunds, St James and St Edmund; Nunziata Sloan-Cappasso, Ipswich All Hallows; Melanie Takac, Horringer; Ricky Woodard, Newmarket All Saints.