Meet Chris Sanlon, one of our new young Lay Preachers
Hi, I’m Chris Sanlon, I’m 29 and from Belfast – currently living about 5 minutes away from St Finnian’s Church, Cregagh. My background in terms of education is in computers having studied computer science at Queens, but for the last 10 years or so I have been working as a full time tennis coach and running my own business.
Nearly 3 years ago Jono, my rector, gave me a leaflet about the Diocese’s new 2030 Lay Readers programme. I looked through it and thought it sounded interesting but didn’t really think it would be for me. However, over the course of the next 1 or 2 months I got the sense that perhaps it was something I should think about and after praying about it and discussing it with Jono I decided to go for the interview… and the rest as they say is history!
I found the 2 and a bit years of the course very interesting and challenging. There was a fair amount of work and reading to get through but the St Johns course was very well put together and proved very relevant. Having been away from formal education for a few years it was surprisingly good to have a chance to get back to it in a smaller way. We also benefited from monthly meetings and training sessions as a group with Willie Nixon, Trevor Johnston and Adrian Dorian.
I am looking forward to having the opportunity to be involved in some different forms of ministry than perhaps I have been up until now. I particularly enjoy having the opportunity to preach the gospel in a variety of different services and contexts and am very thankful and humbled to be given that opportunity and responsibility.
Bishop Harold licensed Chris as a Diocesan Lay Reader on 21 September in St Finninan’s Cregagh. Pictured left to right: Bishop Harold Miller, Canon Jono Pierce, Chris Sanlon, Gillian Stevenson and Revd Colin Darling.