Interview : Katie Tupling
We are delighted to have Katie Tupling as our first interviewee of 2023 . Many of you will remember Katie as a guest speaker on our Disability Webinar panel . Katie is a priest in the Church of England , ordained in 2003 at Derby Cathedral , and has served as a Vicar in Derbyshire and Sheffield . She and her family moved to Oxford in 2019 , when Katie took up the part time role of Disability Adviser for the Oxford Diocese , a role she continues alongside her current role as Interim Chaplain at St Hugh ’ s .
What led you to a life in ministry ?
At 7-years old I distinctly heard God say that I ’ d be a vicar one day . I found this very unlikely on three counts : I was only 7 ! I knew that girls couldn ’ t be vicars . I was disabled and could see nobody like me in the role of a vicar or priest .
The sense of calling returned in my late teens and I tried to ignore it . Other people including my own vicar felt a sense of calling in me and journeyed with me through the process of discernment . By this stage the Church of England was now ordaining women as priests ! I was ordained in Derby cathedral in 2003 , at the age of 29 .
Please describe a typical day at work .
Katie Tupling
I have two jobs ! The first is part-time Disability Advisor for the Oxford Diocese , working towards full inclusion of disabled people in the life of the church . Within that role I could be visiting a church building to do an accessibility audit , helping to teach clergy and church leaders about disability theology , mentoring disabled clergy and people in the discernment process , working with the Communications team to produce good quality resources , or charing the national Network of Disability Advisors across the Anglican Dioceses .
My other role , alongside this , is part-time Interim Chaplain of St Hugh ’ s College in Oxford . This involves daily prayer and Sunday evensong in the chapel , being a member of the welfare team , and being available for every member of the college community . On Tuesday mornings I take my dog
in with me and he generates a lot of interest and pastoral conversations ! On Tuesdays my dog comes with me generating a lot of interest and pastoral conversations !
How involved are you in singing in church ?
My childhood was spent in mid Wales so music has been an essential part of my life ever since ! I was a member of a church choir at age 7-19 , then sang in various worship groups through my 20s . I now sing with my local church choir on Sundays when not leading evensong at St Hugh ’ s . As a hearing person , music feeds my soul in a very particular way and being part of a choir or a music group teaches teamwork and interdependency .
What is your favourite hymn and why ? I ’ m not sure I can choose just one hymn !
Mostly I ’ d lean towards Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer . In Holy Week I ’ m always moved by Were You There When they Crucified My Lord . At Christmas it has to be O Come All Ye Faithful .
My car playlist also includes 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman and Indescribable by Chris Tomlin .
They all have fantastic theology within the lyrics - which speaks to my head - and equally fantastic chord sequences - which speaks to my heart .
What do you enjoy most about Preaching ?
I enjoy finding something in a passage or scripture for the first time or in a new way that I can share . For practical reasons I sit down to preach , giving it a much more conversational feel . After explaining the passage ’ s context and connecting it with its cultural surroundings , I ask myself “ what have I noticed and what did you notice ?” Then I share my findings and what it might mean for me in the days and weeks ahead . Preaching without notes helps me engage with the congregation and notice reactions .
Katie generously answered more questions than we had to space to publish including her experiences of living with her disability . Find out more from Katie on this subject at our Disability Webinar at
preachweb . org / disability-resources
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