A PREESALL teacher has made history by being Lancashire's first ordained local minister.

Mrs Dyllis Dickinson, an infants teacher at Carters Charity School, Preesall, was one of two people to be ordained as deacon for her own parish at Blackburn Cathedral on Saturday, June 30. Mrs Dickinson, of St James's Church, Stalmine, with St John the Baptist, Pilling, will work as assistant clergy in her parish.

Ordained Local Ministers (OLMs) are ordained deacon and priest alongside other clergy. The only difference is their area of operation, which concentrates on their home parish.

The Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Alan Chesters, said: "With the ordination of the first two Ordained Local Ministers in our diocese, we begin welcoming specially trained local clergy -- called by their parishes to serve particularly in their home areas -- to enhance the Christian work and witness we are keen to extend."

Mrs Vivienne Goddard, OLM officer for the Blackburn Diocese, said: "This is an exciting moment in the life of our diocese, as our first two ordained local ministers begin their work.

"It shows that the diocese is beginning to work in a more collaborative manner. OLMs are a sign of the shared ministry of priests and people working together in a local area.

"They show our increased understanding that ministry is the role of every baptised Christian and not only those specifically called and in some way set apart." The Church of England has more than 300 OLMs working in around half its 43 dioceses. This new wave of Anglican ministry began in the early 1980s in the Lincoln diocese. Others ordained deacon at the service by the Bishop included Mark Ball to serve at St Chad, Poulton-le-Fylde, and Sandra Purvis who will serve at St John's, Blackpool.