TWO reverends were ordained as deacons yesterday by Bishop Robert Paterson in a special service at Peel Cathedral.

Reverend Diane Marchment will take up the position as assistant curate in the parish of St Ninian's in Douglas. 

She was born in the Isle of Man and lived her early life in St Johns. She left the Island to study at Loughborough University and went on to serve as a police constable in Leicestershire for 11 years before returning to the Island.

Diane then trained as an accountant and worked in an accountancy practice and business. She trained locally and was licensed as a reader in 2005 at Marown parish church. In 2010 she left the Island again to study at Ridley Hall Theological College in Cambridge.

Reverend James McGowan will take up the position of assistant curate in the parishes of Patrick and German.

He was born and brought up in Morley, West Yorkshire before moving to York to study theology at St John University. He then went on to complete a post graduate certificate in secondary education at Durham.

After completing his teacher training he was appointed head of religious studies at a Church of England secondary school in Stockton on Tees.

James has spent the last three years training for ministry at Cranmer Hall in Durham and completing academic studies at the University of Durham.

He has gained experience centred on a number of placements ranging from town parishes to multi benefice rural ministries, a city centre minster church in Sunderland, inner city council estates in Newcastle, hospital chaplaincy and time working with a church in Northern Ireland.