A FORMER solicitor and sheep farmer was ordained into the Church of England earlier this month.

The Rev Nicola Butt, who is based in the benefice of Exmoor, will continue to train for the priesthood as a curate following the service at Wells Cathedral.

She hopes to then be ordained as a priest.

Before taking up ordination training, Mrs Butt was a solicitor in Cheshire, and more recently a sheep farmer on Exmoor.

She says her faith has always been important, but she had not considered training for ordination until her local vicar suggested she should give it some thought.

After speaking with her vicar she spent time praying that same day, and said she experienced "God’s presence like never before".

Mrs Butt said: “Tears flooded out of my eyes. Never had I experienced anything like it – it was complete affirmation for me.

"The Rev David Weir helpfully said afterward that I had experienced the gift of tears.

“I think God needed me to see things clearly and it’s very hard to resist a call like that. I’ve never questioned it since.

"With that sort of experience, of feeling his presence so clearly, I know I am on the right path.”

In this year’s cohort of 23 people, 12 were ordained a priest and 11 were ordained a deacon in the Diocese of Bath and Wells.

Ordination is the Church of England’s official recognition of a person’s sense of calling to ministry.