Although I was sure I was called to the priesthood, I didn’t feel naturally ‘wired to be a pastor’. I knew I was ‘called’ to that aspect of priestly ministry, but I certainly didn’t feel especially ‘gifted’ in that direction! Although my early training included the usual elements of psychology and practical skills, I’ve always been aware that there is plenty more to learn, so I’ve grabbed learning opportunities with the aim of keeping skills and knowledge up to date. Especially I thank God for the gifted and effective pastors, ordained and lay, that I have encountered in my Christian life: I have learned so much from them, in my wish to be a competent pastoral minister – the best I could be – for God. Continuing my own life-long learning became even more of a priority for me when I found myself teaching ‘spirituality’ to candidates for ordination in 1989 (the syllabus for the course turned out to be a blank piece of paper!). Since that date, as well as continuing to serve parishes (mainly rural) in Wales and England, I’ve enjoyed various roles in training people to serve as Readers and in similar licensed ministries.
I’ve always been heartened by the Bible saying that
(God) “gave gifts to people”; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. He did this to prepare all God’s people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ. Eph 4, vv11-12 (Good News version)
I gladly embraced the truth that God’s gifts are shared out in the Church – surely a sign of God’s sense of humour, that such unlikely gaggles of people would need to learn to work together in order be the Body of Christ in that place! In recent years the emphasis has moved towards ‘Every Member Ministry’ – sometimes through genuine conviction, sometimes as a strategy to compensate for a shortage of clergy and money to pay for them. Pastoral care is one of the main roles being delegated to willing(?) volunteers today. Yet here is the rub: a Church which has largely forgotten what pastoral care is really about then tries to get the laity to take on that work, often on the basis of a six week course in a cold Church Hall. Yet we are asking those volunteers to go with limited support into situations that may need skilled and delicate ministry – a bit like like a health service deciding to delegate sophisticated surgery to first-aiders!
This blog sets out with two aims – one is to encourage good pastoral care in God’s Church, the other is to offer a particular ministry of pastoral support and spiritual guidance to those who strugle to find it in more usual ways. In doing this I feel I am am responding to a Call from God, who is moving my own ministry in this unexpected new new direction, of offering pastoral and spiritual help via the internet.
Thank you for reading this far: I hope you’ll pray now this new venture, and come back to the site on future visits to see how it all develops. In the meantime, may God bless you in your own walk with Christ.
Father Chris
Ask Father Chris 