The Chaplain’s Blog

Dear One and All

First, a bit of context for part 2 of this blog- there may well be a part 3!

Why did the subject come up and why would I, as chaplain, write about it?

I trained as a Reader back in 1986, beginning a two-year (ish) course with a designated local tutor and with lectures and courses in Truro occasionally with such folk as the wonderful Canon Peter Boyd. I was in my late 30s, a deputy head in a primary school and with two young children.  I was able, thankfully to do the work in chunks, not doing any of the work  at really busy times at school but ticking off the study and essays in holiday times.  My last blog questioned really whether it would have been possible for me to complete Reader training with the requirements of the course today and that, along with many conversations with experienced Readers was the premise.  I meant no criticism of the current course; it does a wonderful job for those who attend it who have the time, stamina and motivation to complete it. There are some inspirational tutors who go out of their way to support students with all sorts of issues from dyslexia to periods of bereavement. But still the question remains, is it a course better suited for those nearing retirement, or those who are not in full time paid employment?  

As a journal tutor for a number of years, contributor to the post licensing days and chaplain to the training course before that, I am in a position to hear about how readers feel from all sides and I have pondered these problems for the past decade.

When I meet with Readers, as I often do, at events, in telephone conversations and the Zoom Monday morning chats it is often commented that Reader numbers are decreasing, the numbers being licensed are decreasing and more and more readers are moving across to the path of ordination, feeling called to plug the gaps left by decreasing clergy numbers and reorganisation within the deaneries.

So………  I still think it fair to ask whether we are a dying breed.

I am Reader and licensed Lay Ministry is what I do, teaching, preaching and encouraging every-day faith and I do think we need a solid grounding academically to do that job. However, Readers in our patch have a wide range of training experiences, many of which are certainly not as rigorous as the current model- which is not a criticism of the current model, merely an observation.

Anthony White contributed the following reflection which I think is a helpful addition to the debate.

Chaplains Blog  Re: Are Readers a Dying Breed?

Your thoughts about Reader training certainly got me thinking, particularly as a newly-licensed Reader.  So, after some reflection, here are my thoughts and musings…

…In terms of context, I am a father of two teenage boys. I also worked full-time whilst studying with SWMTC.  I found the course demanding and challenging; yet also vibrant, exciting and fulfilling. And to be honest, I wouldn’t have expected anything else. If we are to call ourselves Readers or Licensed Lay Ministers then we need to be suitably trained and skilled in what we are being called to do.  Generally, I found the study manageable because I followed the advice that SWMTC gave me regarding priorities (family-work-study) and that I purposefully stepped away from any of my church roles – another important piece of SWMTC advice.

Whilst nothing is ever set in stone (other than death and taxes), I would say that the current training is (given the challenges of part-time study) very much fit for purpose – even more so now than it was when I was studying. I think the reframing of the Formation Programme so it is now in tune with the Reader ‘grids’ is an excellent decision and reminds me of the strengths of my own teacher-training.

We worked, laughed and learnt alongside Exeter students and I don’t really recognise the “Exeter-centric approach” you mentioned in the post. My study was blessed by Cornwall-based tutors as well as those from Exeter Diocese.  I also found that studying with a community of similar, but different learners very rewarding. I learnt much from studying alongside Ordinands, those called to the Distinctive Diaconate as well as other Readers/Licensed Lay Ministers from across both Diocese. In fact, learning alongside these different vocations helped to reinforce my understanding of my own vocation.

Whilst Readers lead worship, we are not just Worship Leaders (albeit an important ministry in itself).  We are called to be Community Theologians, those who (as you rightly say)  teach, preach and encourage everyday faith. Reader training, I believe, gives us the learning and the authority to do this. We insist on sufficient knowledge and expertise in our school teachers and I think we should demand similar in our church teachers. Additionally, being a Lay Reader/Licensed Lay Minister is a nationally recognised and valued vocation and thus a common award certificate is important. I am fortunate to work closely with two other Lay Readers, and I am certain our successful working is, at least in part, strengthened by training underpinned by the Common Award Certificate training. Such training will also provide checks, balances and standardisation across the Church of England, which, I’m sure we’d all agree, is a good thing.

I agree that it is wonderful so see the different lay ministries across the Church of England and especially within Truro diocese. I do wonder whether Reader numbers might be dropping because these new ministries are offering a wider range of vocational pathways: vocations which previously would only have been fulfilled through Ordination or Lay Reader licensing – or, maybe, not at all. I wonder, how many people in the past, lived an unfulfilled vocation? Rather than seeing these lay ministries in competition with Lay Reader training, and each other, it’d be interesting to see what the overall growth in lay ministry vocations has been.  I’d like to think that through each complementary (and not competitive) ministry pathway, God’s grace pours through. Are we the dinosaurs of the church? Only if we let ourselves become so.

Nevertheless, I do think the National Church needs to consider how it supports those undertaking Reader training. Given that SWMTC trains Readers and Ordinands alongside each other, it did frustrate me that Ordinands were eligible for a book allowance whilst Readers weren’t. This did feel plainly unfair.

I also think that the Diocese needs to review the pre- and post-licensing training it offers: I have now completed four years of FICM/SWMTC/Post-licensing training (I also completed Worship-Leader training before that). I do like your suggestion of a flexible course where individuals could map out their own path and would suggest that post-licensing training should reflect this approach.

Thanks for the opportunity to reflect on my study, both with SWMTC and with the Diocese. Best wishes Anthony White

 Mary and Claire who are currently in training staunchly defended the current course and I include some of their comments  to add to the discussion which are really helpful. My thoughts after reading their responses is whether we need some sort of multi-faceted and flexible approach to training so that those who feel they can thrive on the present model can do so while others who are in a different situation as far as age, occupation and time can embark on a different path to licensed lay ministry.

 

Mary  writes:

We are two of the three readers-in-training from Truro in our second year at SWMTC. 

I don’t really agree that there is a problem with training with people from Exeter Diocese – that has been fun and interesting. The more people we think with the better, as far as I am concerned. It also gives us access to a wide range of staff expertise. 

Also fitting in with common awards is important so that our training is valid and standardised across the country. I would be reluctant to train in a way which limited my ministry to Truro (as you may remember, that has already happened to me with my training in Rochester).

The summer placement is not too long if you are organised.

Obviously the course is not perfect and it is intensive. It is true that course content is adapted for ordinands who are already readers, as you surmise.

I wonder if you might have done a bit more research before making some of your comments. 

As for your questions at the end. The future of reader ministry is beyond my pay-grade, I do want a nation-wide accreditation. The SWMTC course is flexible for people to take longer and be more bespoke, there are already on the job training and local tutors (summer placement, home-church training minister and a journal tutor). 

And Claire contributes…

The fact that our training is part of the Common Awards scheme,  a three-way partnership between TEIs (Theological Education Institutions), the Church of England and Durham University gives the Readership/LLM training true validity and recognition and this fact needs to be promoted and encouraged rather than questioned.

I am probably one of the more remote trainee Readers at SWMTC and it takes me some time to travel to Plymouth; however I consider my journey to be part of my vocational training, and do not see it as a hardship, but part of my discipleship journey.   I am very grateful for the opportunity given by the Diocese to learn at a College with a wonderful, experienced and professional group of people.    God has truly blessed and affirmed that what I am doing by  continuing to train with SWMTC is the correct way for me. 

I have met and made new friends throughout the West Country, this is truly a God blessing and makes us aware that we have all had similar and different experiences – we are able to encourage and support each other and this brings a much broader attitude and outlook for our home churches and ministries whatever and wherever they are and will be.  

The training with SWMTC gives a firm and solid foundation and is essential for the future ministry of Readers/LLMs within the Anglican Church and needs to be promoted rather than questioned.

Than

But what do other readers think? What was your training experience? Was it enough? Too Much? Do we have enough Readers? How would we ‘up-skill’ worship leaders to the next level?   

 

I  am well into my fourth decade in reader ministry and it has certainly been my vocation and my joy even of it has had its frustrating moments so do not think that for one minute I am less than wholeheartedly in support of our task but there is nothing that is beyond questioning and scrutiny and nothing that is above discussion by those who are involved in it at whatever level .

I conclude this week’s episode with some comments from Jan Winslade who was licensed back in 1995 :

 

Thank you for sending me your blog and the photo of “Readers’ Day”.  I agree with you about the new Reader training regime. I was originally licensed in 1995, when the practical training was done with one’s parish priest and the theological teaching was through Exeter University distance learning in  Truro. we began with the Exeter certificate as foundation followed by progressing to degree level if we wanted to. At that time the theology course was over subscribed and the cultural studies course didn’t have enough participants to run. So most of us ended up with an honours degree in Religious and cultural studies, having had Stephen Dawes and David Rhymer as our principal tutors. It was brilliant, and we all learnt so much.

Thanks to all who responded- it will be very helpful in future deliberations I am sure. 

Are Readers a Dying Breed? Some thoughts to get you thinking and discussing! Do let me know what YOU think and I will post the responses. 

At the annual Reader service, now renamed ‘A celebration of Licensed Lay Ministries’ so that it reflects the inclusion of pioneers, I had several conversations with Readers reflecting on the number present and the demographic.  One was surprised when I told him that there were only just over a hundred readers in the diocese if we included those in training.

((Link to the Diocesan Website report and pictures of the Annual service 2024 

Recognition for Licensed Lay Ministers – Truro Diocese : Truro Diocese )) https://trurodiocese.org.uk/2024/10/recognition-for-licensed-lay-ministers/ 

So what is the future for readers or licenced lay ministers are we a dying breed?

Are we the dinosaurs of the church?

With ageing congregations there are fewer folk to train of any age let alone those in the first half of life. Worship leader courses enable people to take services and give talks. (The latter often being very close to a sermon!) The training model, in order to comply with C of E church assessors must beat the criteria of a common awards which is why it formed an alliance with the SWMTC. The knock-on has been an Exeter-centric approach and a very long heavy training burden which, have seen a not-insignificant dropout rate.

I was 36 when I began training as a reader; I was a deputy head teacher and father of two young children. There was no way on earth I could have trained on the current course given that burden, so I do wonder whether current training is fit for purpose. If we are to call ourselves readers and licenced lay ministers, those who teach, preach and encourage everyday faith do we really need a common award certificate or would a slimmer local course with a Bishop’s certificate of some sort suffice?

When I first got involved in reader training as chaplain to readers and part of the discernment team, the course was with Saint Johns. It was held locally, staffed by excellent teachers from around the diocese, was collegiate and built up a very special team of people. Interspersed with the teaching were Saturdays of practical work which seemed to make sense of all the theology that they learned along the way.

Following inspection by the national Ministry however the Saint Johns course materials were thought of as being not strong enough and so things had to change even though the assessors agreed that the local teaching was of a very high standard.

The current course involves seven weekends in Plymouth, reflective practice groups online or in person in Truro and also requires a huge commitment to placement. For anybody working over the young family this burden goes beyond sacrifice and put such stress on people that I do wonder its efficacy. My father once gave me a quotation which he attributed to Walter Lipmann but I can’t find anywhere but I still like it,

“if in the pursuit of the perfect, we wreck the best that is possible, then the longing for the absolute is akin to madness!”

Lay ministries across the Church of England are blossoming in all sorts of ways. In this diocese we have Readers,  Local Lay Ministers who have been through the excellent Sens Kernewek course, worship leaders, pioneer ministers of all sorts, pastoral ministers and lay workers with courses ranging from a dozen hours of training to several years. It is no wonder that Reader numbers are dropping.

This year it has been interesting to see so many Readers who are now taking the pathway to ordination. Some of those trained locally but most went through the Course at SWMTC and so know what to expect. I am sure some will have ben given a pass for some aspects they would otherwise have repeated but there are still some aspects that they will do again.

I wonder how much credit is given for the course they have already done, for the most part with the ordinands, and whether there is much advantage to having a common award accreditation before starting.

So tell me what you think!

  • What did you think of your own training?
  • What do you think is the future of Reader Ministry?
  • If you were doing a course now, what kind of commitment would you expect?
  • What is more useful,
    • On the job training with local tutors
    • An accredited academic course with bolt-on practical work.
    • A flexible course where individuals could map out their own path and take the time they need rather than having too many deadlines.
    • Something else……

I seem to tick off the days and weeks in pills of one sort or another these days alongside taking regular blood pressure checks- or just waking up each morning with the exciting prospect of discovering if a new bit is hurting. In the midst of all that medical stuff I know I am far from alone in our world of Reader ministry.. we, as a group are getting older and fewer!  (On a divergent note: does anyone have any experience of, or advice for reapplying for a driving license following a stroke? It is amazing how frustrating it is not to be able to jump in the car and pop out to see people or go on a course etc without finding someone to drop what they are doing and drive me!)  The words of Donovan spring to mind from the score of the rather dated film about St Francis by Franco Zeffereli….. “Do few things but do them well, take your time go slowly!”  here is a link to the clip  from the film. 

We Readers 0r Licensed Lay Ministers are described as community theologians, preaching, teaching and encouraging everyday faith.  The current course is quite a commitment involving seven weekend courses in Plymouth reflective practice groups in Turro, the expectation of doing the foundations (FICM) course first and of course the post licensing year when there is a god deal of practical work using microphones, hints of preaching, funeral ministry etc etc  (I am grateful to Jane Darlington who has covered the chaplaincy side of the latter this year) 

A number of Readers have posed questions in discussion and conversation and I add the main issues here for your thoughts rather than try to give any answer which is something well beyond my ((no)) pay grade.

Worship Learders have a six week course and although not supposed to preach they can give talks or read reflections- why would anyone need to do reader training?

Do Worship Leaders do enough training in half a dozen sessions?

Who monitors what Lay ministers (of all sorts) actually do and who calls them to account especially when there are lengthy periods of transition when there is no incumbent? 

with congregations getting smaller and those in the pews getting older where are we to find younger Licensed Lay Ministers especially if they have young families for example and cannot commit to weekends?

Try the Monday Morning Zoom or send in your solutions…… 🙂 

 

What an interesting last few weeks!

 

After my time out following my stays in the stroke ward at Treliske Hospital I am now back story telling in a local primary school, church duties and supporting the training of the safeguarding leadership course.  

I have included the links to a couple of short videos about how the leader of the Anglican Soul Survivor Church used psychological and spiritual bullying to abuse those in his church who were volunteering to work there. They are well worth watching and give a real insight into just how abiuse need not be sexual or physical and what to look out for. As readers we are in positions of influence and I think of myself in my church role as I did as deputy headteacher – a critical friend to the head in school and the Rector in church. 

"Soul Survivor" - Spiritual / psychological abuse

Last weekend I attended the ordination service which was a delight especially as one of those being ordained had come back to faith at one of our parish churches in Redruth.  It is worrying that there are less people being ordained than there are priests who are retiring which makes the paid staffing of Parishes very tricky in some places. 

My prayers are very much with those who have been testing their vocations for ordained ministry recently  and for those places who are in transition hoping that they will be able to appoint someone suitable. 

In the meantime Sens Kernewek, local Worship leader Training and Reader Training are all very worthy initiatives attempting to plug the gaps.  In Redruth we use the Service of Holy Communion by Extension very rarely and have relied upon changing the service patterns and on the  hard work of our retired clergy and the curate. 

Personally, I would be happier with more services that were not communion based (and have to rely upon an ordained service leader) but I completely understand how hard it is for some people to change their preference.  I do not really like doing HCBE and would much rather use the opportunity to be more creative while I still have the motivation and the energy! 

 

A Cartoon found on Facebook.

The General Election

The last piece on this blog takes me back to the beginning of it with a focus on safeguarding and bullying.  I have never been short of expressing an opinion, hopefully in a fun and gentle way but I was a bit shocked at the strength of verbal attack from someone on Facebook when I posted a cartoon making a dig at the Reform Party’s Nigel Farage.  The comments section beneath the post quickly became a battle ground with different people joining in and the Reform supporters using phrases describing migrants as “human detritus.”  It just shows what sort of feelings lie just below the surface.  I shall be around from 10 on Zoom on Monday of anyone would like to contribute to any of the issues above! 

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86332023762?pwd=dDNlU240UWpiRzlCWE0zL2pTcXdmdz09

Having been asked the question, “how are you?” countless times since my stroke late on the 26th March and my return to the Phoenix stroke ward a fortnight later, I have gone from “I’m ok” to “oh very well thank you, miraculous really!”  At the same time metaphorically touching wood, crossing my fingers and actually offering up prayers of thanksgiving! I am back to attending meetings, training sessions and leading ZOOM services and I am back on the rota to preach from next week. So thank you very much to all who prayed, send cards and messages or asked after me… I am very grateful. I have been very very lucky….. I hesitate to use the word ‘blessed’ because it implies that friends who have been desperately unlucky with their health have not been blessed and I don’t believe that God picks and chooses and nor do I believe that everything ‘happens for a reason’. Should anyone want debate that, join us on Zoom ay 10am on a Monday morning 🙂 

My specsavers scans showed no deterioration and I await the results of my MRI scan with interest, and being able to re-apply for my driving license late in the Autumn but until then I am enjoing the novelty of my bus pass and wring out how to get to Epiphany Huse for various things.

I am looing forward to CMD training in September which I advertise here, not just because you might be interested too but in the hope of cadging a lift 🙂 : 

SIX HOURS WITH TWELVE PROPHETS
Thursday 19 September, 9.30am-3.30pm, Epiphany House, Truro
Led by Revd Howard Peskett

At the end of the (English) Old Testament are twelve prophetic books, commonly called “The Minor Prophets”, mainly because they are shorter in length than the “major” prophets. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is 272 words and lasted two minutes; but it is doubtful whether many people remember a word from Edward Everett’s two-hour speech which preceded it. In this workshop/retreat we will “helicopter” over these twelve books (were they ever intended as one book?), observing their main themes and reflecting on their relevance for our lives and work today. Rev Howard Peskett was Senior Hebrew Scholar of Cambridge University. He is a Cornish Bard and the Coordinator of the Cornish Bible Project. He has been a teacher in Singapore, Bristol and Rural Dean in Penwith. He has spent a lifetime encouraging believers that they can discover for themselves the meaning and wonder of the Bible as they seek to love and follow Christ.
BOOK HERE

You can download the whole CMD programme  for 2024 here 2024-CMD-Programme.pdf 

 

Last week I attended the session with Rev Mark James on AI in the church which was informative, fascinating and worth investigating as well as a great conversation piece.  This is worth a whole blog piece on its own but I would like some more study and conversation first! 

 

Chaplain’s Blog Stardate May 2024

The last six weeks has been an interesting journey (to put it mildly) beginning with a haemorrhagic stroke in the last week of March and the first of two short stays in phoenix Ward in Treliske Hospital.  The second stay was a little over a week later with a mild seizure apparently caused by the stroke!  The result was an interesting array of pills, a number of scans and tests, a sheaf of paperwork from the DVLA and instructions about surrendering my driving license and how I can re-apply in six months time. On Monday 13th I have to report for an MRI scan which means I will not be hosting Readers in conversation on ZOOM and some time after that a chat with the consultant.

In that time praying has been tricky and I have felt carried by the prayer of many others for which I am very grateful. My recovery has been relatively quick as these things go and I am back leading our house group, Morning Prayer on Zoom and seeing various folk for things like spiritual direction….. I am also back to clocking up ten thousand steps a day with the dog although I am a bit slower than before and have to stop every now and then to do some physio!

 The prayer time gets longer by the day, as does the desire to be more active and the frustration of discovering that the energy required to do things, including writing things like a blog, is limited!

Now I am not a person who thinks that ‘everything happens for a reason’ – rather, I am a person who believes in the philosophy of “stuff or s**t just happens.”  God does not want me to have a stroke- and I could probably have insisted that the doctor should have upped my blood pressure medication. What I do hold onto is that trough the tricky things we face God helps us through. That help might well teach us a lesson or two, it might give us an encouraging healing (as it has for me thus far), but for others it might not! I went for my last MRI scan several years ago – going in worried and very nervous and leaving at the end of 40 minutes of counting clicking magnets calm and spiritually refreshed- I hope the scan next week will go as smoothly!

In the meantime, although restricted to lifts and public transport, I am pretty much back to normal and looking forward to being able to contribute more as the weeks go on.

In my prayers are the patients and staff on Phoenix ward and the wonderful paramedics I met over the last month.

It is ironic that I have been writing “visit the carwash!” on nearly every to-do list through february and March, the car getting ever green with moss and road dirt only to have to wash the beast by hand in the driveway yesterday because I am not allowed to drive to the carwash. The chauffeur was garening and i did not want to disturb her! Those little inconveniences remeing me of how fortunate I have been, whether lucky or blessed and give thanks for all the prayers, good wishes, genral enquiries and especially to the folks who have filled in while I have been away from my duties.  

Reader Recruitment

Discernment of vocation is important all year round but it is high on the list of priorities at this time of year with deadlines looming for applications and tutors wondering if courses will be running.

More about Sens Kernewek further down the page!

FICM Foundations in Christian Ministry  is the starting point for many types of ministry and a great place at which to point people who are exploring, or should be exploring the possibilities of Reader ministry, ordained ministry, Pioneers, parish nurses, worship leaders and so on. The link is the title in this paragraph will take you to starting points

As Readers/ Licensed Lay ministers we are well placed to spot those folk in our churches who might need some encouragement to take another step! People often need encouragement  and someone saying, “have you thought about…… “ and “you know you have a real talent for that have you thought about…….” Gives them the nudge that sends on the next stage of their faith journey.

The Parish of Redruth has a new rector.

In Redruth, now five churches, six settings and one parish, we have a new Rector, Rev’d Becca Bell and we await her arrival with enthusiasm. I await the arrival with a sense of relied that I don’t have to collate any more parish profiles, consult any more committees of position and border any more photographs!!  The licensing is not until September so in the meantime the Ministry team is  working hard and not only keeping the show on the road but also making sure that our new priest will have some space to discern the skills and qualities in her team and to get to know the congregations and spot talent that is as yet hidden! 

Across the diocese we have many long serving Readers / LLMs who have seen many incumbents come and go…. what three pieces of advice would you give to a new incumbent? 

Sens Kernewek

Part of the preparation for the new incumbent is for our two readers (Jason and me) to enrol on the Sens Kernewek course with the aim of providing greater flexibility and capacity should it be required.  Having said that, my main motive for doing the course was so that I could talk about and answer questions about it!

For the official information and application form click here: Sens Kernewek Archives – Truro Diocese : Truro Diocesee:

Last Monday evening was the last session of what has been an uplifting course with an eclectic group of people that somewhat miraculously managed to please everyone and send them away looking forward to the reflective practice groups.

When Sens Kernewek was first recruiting I was reluctant to take part thinking that as  Reader, and an experienced one at that, that I would learn little and that it was not for me because I had no intentions of leading a particular church. Our Parish is not set up that way! Over time, however, I have spoken to people who have been in the other cohorts who were invariably positive about it and my application was put in on the grounds of wanting to learn what it was all about so that other Readers/ LLMs could decide its usefulness to them.  I also wanted to provide some extra capacity for the ministry term in case a new incumbent wanted / needed to arrange things differently.

Although there was some cross-over the reasons for taking part were as varied as the people. There were several church wardens leading services and indeed churches in the absence of a minister, someone was pioneering a night church and pondering next steps, and there were four readers all seeking training opportunities to keep themselves informed.

Whether or not folk are commissioned as local lay leaders with a ready-made situation, the course was and is relevant to all those taking part.

One of the thoughts that crossed my mind was about leadership outside of ‘church’ situations such as the ZOOM  daily morning prayer and making sure that it serves the faithful group who gather from the churches around the parish and visitors from elsewhere in the diocese. The leadership also applies to house groups and study groups which are a vital part of encouraging the exploring of vocations of all sorts.

 If you have been in any of the Sens Kernewek cohort’s let me know what you would say to someone thinking of doing. 

Annual Reader Day

Is on Saturday 13th April at St Petroc’s in Bodmin. Some fantastic things have been planned and it would be wonderful to see a good turn out this year. More details to follow.

Training and Training Opportunities. 

The readers who were licensed last October and some more experienced readers gathered at Epiphany house on Saturday for a day on creating worship with Lydia. interestingly, the only person there who was not a reader was john Ievans, the director of Lay Ministry Training.  During the day several readers commented about how nice it was to have training specifically for them. There is a day on funeral ministry to which you will all be invited, but next year there will be no Post Licensing Group so it might be a good chance for training that we can all do. But….. what would you like to explore??

Chaplains blog Stardate 02-03-24

Incumbents come and go like the tide but us Readers / Licensed Lay Ministers remain on the shore.

I got that far with the metaphor but after that my thoughts went a little astray as always… but I wonder if some readers are like King Cnut/Canute attempting helplessness to hold back the tide. Others might be wandering the tide line picking up flotsam and jetsam deciding what might be useful and what needs to be put away in a black sack for the refuse collection.

Others might have their feet up in their deck chairs, a drink in their hand or cradling their thermos of tea watching the incoming tide from a safe distance. Then there will be the ones who push the paddle board out onto the waters ready to drag casualties from the waves of change.

Can you think of some others?

The transition period between incumbents is always a cross between limbo land and the relentless string of extra things to do and as I have become more experienced in parish life, the tasks get more rather than less.  Although making sure every member of our six worship settings (five Anglican churches and a Methodist church) had the opportunity to, not only voice their opinions, but also to make sure their opinions were represented in anything published proved a large but largely satisfying and worthwhile task.  Thankfully that task is over for now as we wait out the period before the next leader is announced!

Does anyone else remember the I-Spy books which encouraged children to spot and collect sightings of anything from Aircraft to ZOOs. For the adult range, I have often thought that the I-Spy book of NHS medical equipment I have experienced might be ‘fun,’ from the aerosol nose spray to the x-ray machine… now I am wondering about the I-spy book of Priests- which are becoming an increasingly rare breed.  

I am not sure that categorisation would be simple apart from the obvious, curate, deacon, vicar, padre, archdeacon, rural dean and so on but even those are a confused jumble. Then  you might think of evangelical, charismatic, liberal Anglo-Catholic, Catholic….  Er…… traditional, experimental, heretical…… it must be totally confusing to non-church folk!

My first Rector of Redruth back in the late 1970s was Canon Harold Hosking who was formally Anglo-Catholic and for whom a nave altar would have been sacrilegious and the thought of anyone reading the Gospel other than the priest would have been equally problematic. It says much when my five-year-old daughter had to stop being boat-girl because that was the upper limit for her gender to be in the sanctuary. Girls had to leave the choir at the age of 14 back then- I am not even going to speculate or say something funny about the reasons.

Following Canon Harold’s retirement, the next rector was Fr Graeme Elmore who arrived from Newlyn in 1984 and was altogether different  in his approach but Anglo-Catholic with an evangelical flavour!  He encouraged the house group we had in our home, Solomon’s Porch,  which, over the few years that he was incumbent spawned 2 Readers, 2 Methodist local preachers, 4 priests and numerous church-wardens, sacristans and other key workers. He took us on retreats and away-days and provided experiences, from the full easter-Triduum, to informal family services.  That sort of growth and change was not altogether popular with the older generation in the church and, especially when my wife, Lez was nominated as the first female and youngest church warden. The Masonic element in the congregation made a huge attempt to block it, even nominating a chap from their lodge who they had managed to get on the electoral role.  That sort of pettiness takes its tole on rectors and Graeme sadly for us left to become a naval chaplain…. Eventually leaving the Anglican Church over the little matter of women priests which surprised me!

After Graeme came Canon Michael Simcock to soothe the troubled waters by preaching calming sermons often about the Ffestiniog railway. I was training to be a Reader when he arrived and I seemed to be on the rota entirely for Matins and Evensong and the hospital, I don’t think I ever preached in a communion service.  Canon Michael was very middle of the road but retired after three years and this heralded the arrival of the Company of Mission Priests!

The Company  (The Company of Mission Priests (CMP) is a “dispersed community” of male priests of the Anglican Communion who want to consecrate themselves wholly to the church’s mission, free from the attachments of marriage and family.)  were part of a religious order who had a “father knows best” approach, had no idea what to do with Readers, appeared to scorn home groups as something could not control and whose closed ranks tactics was personally depressing, especially when the hugely popular Christmas Eve with the Children service was wrested from my grasp with a negative impact on numbers. They were as close as one could get to Rome without actually being in the Roman Catholic Church. They were very good pastorally with old ladies but they too succumbed to the vote to allow women to be ordained and they left on block in 1992 to join the Roman Catholic Church.

Another calming force in the shape of Fr Roger Bush took over in 1993 and he remained for a decade before being appointed as dean of Truro Cathedral.  Roger managed largely to please most of the people most of the time by treading a safe and gentle middle path and his time at Redruth  is spoken of most fondly to this day.  

Fr Simon Cade took up the reins after an 18 month interregnum and was with us for ten years until the Diocese decided that he should be doing higher things, first with education and latterly as Diocesan secretary.  His Anglo-Catholic approach was both  challenging  and innovative and had a big impact on my own preaching style. I had never seen a preacher wander the aisle leaving the safety of lectern or pulpit or put such drama into services such as The Watch. The stories are many but not for this piece.

Following Fr Simon we had someone with a  wholly different approach in Caspar Bush who was from the other end of the candle but managed the tricky task, eventually, of pulling together a strong team and  succeeding in joining three parishes, 5 DCCs and 6 worship settings into one parish just in time for his successor to benefit.

Our new incumbent will break new ground and unlike the septuagenarians of the last century when i was in my 20’s and 30’s, I am looking forward to the journey, the challenges ahead and discovering God’s path for the parish and it’s new rector.

From the Darkness Came Light…

The early morning dark walks are gradually becoming lighter and the glowing Collie with his eerily glowing ball will not be seen very often until next winter. How wonderful to have a dry day, a clear sky and a few less protective layers.

This week I missed the Sens Kernewek Course with my ongoing winter cough- and lucky I did because a few days later the dreaded extra line appeared on the Covid Test which took me by surprise as it is the first time I have had it….. that I have noticed! Thankfully the vaccines have done their job for me and it has proved only an inconvenience. My son, however has not fared as well and rues the lack of a booster vaccine for the under 50s! 

Zoom, fortunately allowed me to meet with folk without risk of passing on any viruses and one of those was with a church warden in another area for whom “The Diocese” had provided no “spiritual leader” and were having some difficulties linking with other churches in their area. It seemed a bit of a revelation to him that they should consider looking within their congregation for someone to do Sens Kernewek, or Foundations in Christian Ministry or become a worship leader…  there is much provided to support and encourage, but unless folks get the message by word of mouth or reading the mass of advertising, the notion that, “The Diocese,” like some benevolent parent, must provide continues to persist.  Yes, fewer professional clergy, the move to oversight ministry and the dependence on volunteers is not ideal for maintaining the way things have been done in the last half century but it is also an opportunity to explore new avenues in building the kingdom of God.  it is amazing how many people have said to me, “but we have always had a vicar every Sunday and had communion” and pointing out that when I first trained in the late 1980s my first years were a diet of evensong and matins and not a clergy person in sight. 

Transition / Vacancy / Interregnum 

This Sunday marks the 22nd week since the Rector fled over the border to England leaving us with one or two things to do!  This week I breathed a sigh of relief having written the parish profile, consulted with many many people, re-written the parish profile (about 394 versions!), consulted about the advert and been general go between for committees and the archdeacons Office…. (thank goodness for the hard-working and ever cheery Fiona!)  the sigh of relief is because the closing date for the advert has passed, the panel chosen and prepared, the short listing done and now all that remains is to pray for the discernment process and the interviews.

 My other prayer is that God has someone in mind to appoint now so that I won’t have to go through it all again and re-advertise etc. We watch and wait till the period of great secrecy ends to find out.

Prayers and the Prayer list.

 

Please keep the chaplaincy team informed about Readers and their families who need prayer. This month keep those suffering dementia and those who care for them high on your list.

The Wardens Group and Reader Day

The group meets this week to raise matters of Reader Ministry. Part of the coming meeting will be planning the Reader Day in Bodmin  on Saturday 13 April 2024. Please do put it in your diary and lets see if we can get a really good level of participation. 

First a couple of reflections by the amazing peter Coster who continues to producece these thoughtful reflections every week. 

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I could not resist reposting this meme from social media- it just about sums up how I feel about the amount of rainfall this winter- even Noah only had to put up with it for 40 days. 

A few years ago we were having Sunday lunch with the gathered children and grandchildren and the subject of Noah came up, I can’t remember the context, but it was unlikely to have been deeply theological. 

“I dont like God, he’s nasty,” said one of the kids

“but God saved Noah and his family and the animals from the flood.” one of the adults reminded them gently.

“yeah- but he killed everybody else!” was the instant riposte.

Patronise children with easy answers at your peril!  

it is well known that I keep my New Year resolutions – at least the one I made as a teenager that I would never again make a new year resolution. 

That is not to say that I never resolve something, such as not taking on too much and like the cartoon, doing exactly the opposite- but the difference is that if the resolution made on NYE falls at the first week of January, that’s it for another year whereas if you make one on other days of the year and fail at it you can always begin again the next day and have another go. (there is a sermon in there somewhere!)

The temptation, particularly in times of transition / vacancy / interregnum is to cover anything we are sked to keep the show on the road- but it should not be a the expense of our health, after all if we get ill we are of no use to anybody!

Chaplain’s Blog Christmas 2023

I can’t quite believe that 2023 is almost over and 2024 looms ahead full of the promise of……  well uncertainty, turmoil, change and opportunity. How we deal with hose things will depend on our attitude and outlook whether they are personal, church or wider-afield.  

Locally, like many of you, we in Redruth will be hoping to appoint and welcome a new Rector and in the Diocese we have the search  for a Bishop in the knowledge that whoever is chosen they will not be the right choice for everyone.

In the National Church the discussions around Living in Love and Faith and the ceremonies /prayers used for same sex unions will rumble on and the various pressure groups from GAFCON to the Single Parish movement will be fighting for their causes while the rest of us will be desperately trying to just keep our churches going in times of ever decreasing person-power. Whatever the views and I am avoiding writing about my own here, my hope is that love will be the key factor in all discussions rather than dogma and legality. my further hope is that all engaging in discussions will get to know people who disagree with them and try to see things form their point of view. tough I know, but it is the only way that we can be true disciples… “love one another as I have loved you.” 

With the increasing age and decreasing energies of our retired priests, and the growing need for oversight ministers to manage ever larger groups of churches the desire or perceived need for weekly communion services is problematic. But how do you change the mind-set of folks who believe that a diet of weekly communion services has been something that has happened for ever, or at least as long as they can remember.  I am not at all sure that Communion by Extension is the answer!

So maybe the church, in its widest sense will have to think more creatively. Here are some thoughts in no particular order of importance and not necessarily my view on things!

    • Struggle on regardless
    • Allow for communion by extension by wider groups of folk with some sort of training…. Eg church wardens and worship leaders.
    • Change the designation of readers to permanent deacons….
    • Make readers who go through a local discernment and training process local ordained ministers who can officiate at communion.
    • An edict across the board that says one communion service a month is to be the standard – and other services will be made up of traditional Morning or evening prayer, evensong and matins or worship in Fresh Expressions.
    • Close a few more churches!
    • Join more congregations with the Methodist church

I am sure you can think of more…… which do you think have mileage and which would you throw out without a second thought?

In Redruth, our ministry team is pretty realistic about what can and cant be done and we do not expect a miracle worker for our new rector- we will be supporting them rather than looking for them to rescue us!  

Back to Christmas. Christmas Eve With the Children is the manic festive offering at St Andrews – this year led by two young people in year 7 and 8 with support from willing adults! I only hope that social media advertising and tradition bring folks to it because the resources to do the normal leaflet drop were poor. The congregation has suffered a number of illnesses and worse that reduced our volunteer capacity- something, I suspect, is true of most places.  But we are people of hope, people of faith and people who live the joy of Christ each day.

So I wish you a merry Christmas with as much peace as you need and enough energy to send you into 2024 with hope and joy. I leave you with a little something to make you think…..

A possibly unsettling / thought-provoking / challenging (depending on your own belief) poem by Kaitlin Hardy Shetler from her book “I hope they sing Christmas carols in hell”

i hope they sing christmas carols in hell: holiday poetry for heretics: Amazon.co.uk: Shetler, Kaitlin Hardy: 9798867523466: Books

sometimes i wonder

if mary breastfed jesus

if she cried out when he bit her

or if she sobbed when he would not latch

and sometimes i wonder

if this is all too vulgar

to ask in a church

full of men

without milk stains on their shirts

or coconut oil on their breasts

preaching from pulpits off limits to the mother of god

but then i think of feeding jesus

birthing jesus

the expulsion of blood

and smell of sweat

the salt of a mother’s tears

onto the soft head of the salt of the earth

feeling lonely

and tired

hungry

annoyed

overwhelmed

loving

and i think

if the vulgarity of birth is not

honestly preached

by men who carry power but not burden

who carry privilege but not labour

who carry authority but not submission

then it should not be preached at all

because the real scandal of the birth of god

lies in the cracked nipples of a

14 year old

and not in the sermons of ministers

who say women

are too delicate

to lead

#poemsfortheresistance

A month had passed since the last blog piece and what a busy month it has been! In amongst the normal call of a few funerals and sermons to write there has been the pressure of all things Transition (interregnum/ vacancy) and the deep relief at all the key players agreeing that the profile and the advert are fit for purpose.  ((if it interests you – they will be published at … Vacancies- Rector – The Benefice of Redruth with Lanner & Treleigh (redruthchurch.org.uk) ))  I think I succeeded in consulting so much that it battered people into a state where they were happy not to be consulted any more!

I have also had the great joy of doing a couple of days of chaplaincy for the Foundations in Christian Ministry Course and for the First Post Licensing training day for the new  Readers.  The two things have a connection in that the FICM course is a must for all potential Readers / Licensed Lay ministers and is so well put together that as Readers we should be looking around for people who might just benefit from it and then pointing them in the direction of Sally Piper to begin the discernment process.  https://trurodiocese.org.uk/resources/ministry/foundations/

Four Readers (including me!) have been taking part in the latest cohort of Sens Kernewek ((Sens Kernewek Archives – Truro Diocese : Truro Diocese  ))exploring aspects of Local Lay Leadership. I have found the sessions to be interesting, occasionally inspiring and always valued for fellowship. This week we were asked to write a litany working in pairs. I was working with Alice who is doing some amazing work with Night Church as well as working with the homeless at st Mary’s in Penzance so our litany reflects the recent issues there with the vandalism of the tents and few possessions of the homeless folk being helped by the church. It is published in the next box! If I were to add an illustration it might be the cartoon in the Guardian today. 

 

 

A Litany for Sens Kernewek

Alice and Jim

 

Call:                       For those who are chained by addiction

Response:           This is not a lifestyle choice.

Call:                       For those who live and tents and doorways

Response:           This is not a lifestyle choice.

Call:                       For those who struggle with mental illness

Response:           This is not their choice.

Call:                       For those who are stigmatised for using foodbanks and warm spaces

Response:           This is not a lifestyle choice.

Call:                       For those who occupy the family pew and deny change & growth for others

Response:           Is this a lifestyle choice?

Call:                       For those who hunger and thirst to know God

Response:           Life is the choice!

 

 

If I were to add an illustration it might be the cartoon in the Guardian today.