Luka, Reverend Sam Ruddock’s dog, “is the most beautiful Christian I know,” said the new curate at Wymondham Abbey. He then proceeded to tell me how open-hearted his greyhound-whippet cross is, and how he trusts everyone to love him back.

Sam acquired his dog as a pup 8 years ago at a time of personal crisis. He had worked first in the book publishing industry and then with creating and touring shows, but had become “burned out” and was struggling with personal and addiction issues.

Sam’s wife, Megan, had grown up with Christianity while he had a non-religious background, though, on occasion, he would accompany her to church on a Sunday. However, this time he was seeking meaning in his life and was more open-minded towards faith. He reached a point in his spiritual search where he felt that he did not need to know every answer to his questions about God, but he could trust that living a Christian life had been beneficial for a great many people, including his wife. So he chose to be baptised and experienced “peace, freedom and liberation.”

Sam and Megan met online. He was a history and politics student at the University of East Anglia who had grown up in the East End of London, and she was American and worked as a policy adviser to a congressman in Washington DC. She crossed the pond to study for a master’s degree, learn more about England, and spend time with Sam. They married when they had both graduated.

It was Megan, not Sam, who first wanted to explore the possibility of ministry in the Church, and he went with her to a Vocations Day to show his support. He was surprised to discover that the Church seemed to value the skills that he had, and even more surprised when he found himself on the path to ordination in response to God’s call.

Both of Sam’s parents were social workers, with a mix of Methodist and Communist influences, and so he was brought up in a household where social equality mattered. Sam also grew up with an aptitude for sport; he played district football and cricket at school, and for his university football team. He does a bit less sport nowadays, but continues to support Tottenham Hotspur while wrestling with the “misery” that can come with it.

But overall, Sam is excited. ‘I’m already loving being in Wymondham’, he said, “and I look forward to being part of what the Abbey offers. It’s a beautiful building, where we try to make beautiful things happen for the people of this town and all who visit.”

In sum, the new Abbey curate comes across as a decent and interesting chap who is both caring and keen, and that, I trust, is good news for our town.