Reflections On A Year In Full Time Ministry

I realised today that I have been serving God and the Methodist Church of Great Britain as a Probationer Presbyter for exactly a year; and was surprised by how quickly that year has gone and how much I have learned and changed over the past year.  To those of you who’ve been in active full time ministry for many years, if not decades, the passing of twelve months might seem fairly insignificant, but for me it marks a real milestone in my Christian journey.

I still remember how nervous I was as I sat here a year ago, thinking about the fact that the next day I officially started as a Probationer Presbyter, that from 1^st September 2012 I had pastoral oversight of four congregations; that the very next day I could receive a call from somebody whose loved one had just died and have to do a pastoral visit…..

I don’t know why I was worried.  I had several years’ experience as a Local Preacher and had just received two years excellent training and formation at Wesley Study Centre, St John’s College, Durham, including placement experience in several different areas of ministry.  I still felt strongly that God had called me to ordained ministry and knew that God would be with me, and yet the concern was still there.   I found myself reflecting on some words spoken by the Lancashire District Candidate’s Committee Secretary: “The medical profession is very careful about who they allow to become doctors because they care for people’s bodies.  The church must be even more careful about who they recognise as Presbyters and Deacons because they care for people’s souls!”

If I talk about even that first week in detail then this will be a very long piece.  Instead I’ll just briefly reflect on some of the highlights of my first year.

I remember the first service of Holy Communion I presided at, having received a dispensation from Conference.  It was at Bramhope Methodist Church and was also the very first service I did at the church.  I used Ordinary Seasons First Service from The Methodist Worship Book.  I was nervous because the previous Presbyter had worn cassock and stole when leading worship and I wondered how my attire of suit and clerical shirt would be received by the congregation.  Silly perhaps, but there you go.  In the event I has some very warm and positive feedback at the close of the service, with several commenting that they’d never had a minister like me before (I think it was a compliment).  Most of all I remember the moment of the epiclesis, what a very sacred moment for me it was, how strongly I felt the very presence of God.

My next first was my first funeral service, or Thanksgiving For and Celebration of Life Service, as I prefer to call them.  I was very nervous about the initial visit and prayed before leaving the Manse.  God was with me throughout that visit, guiding me and giving me the right words to say; as he has been with me through every visit since.

I remember my first Remembrance Day service at the war memorial in Bramhope.  I was, apparently, the first minister of any denomination to ask the gathered people to join with me in saying The Lord’s Prayer!

I’ll reflect on first Christmas and Easter in my next blog, but my next ministry first was a baptism.  This took place at Norwood Chapel and Retreat Centre in the beautiful Washburn Valley.  This was very, very special for me.  The baby behaved perfectly, not a tear in sight; she just sat in my arms and gazed into my eyes.  What a special privilege, to dedicate a new life to her God who will always love and care for her.

My next first was a Lambing Service.  This is a service in which a representative lamb is blessed on behalf of all the flocks in the area.  I held a week old lamb in my arms and as I prayed the prayer of blessing she nuzzled into my shoulder and licked my ear.  I haven’t eaten lamb since!

The final first of the year was a wedding in August.  In some ways I had looked forward to it and in other ways I hadn’t.  I was dreading filling in the registers and marriage certificate and making sure all the legal stuff was right.  I was looking forward to the actual service and preaching at a wedding.  I must have done something right because the couple asked me to be in two photographs.

There is a lot more stuff I could cover, but I’ll bring this to a close.  If you are a Probationer Presbyter or Deacon about to start your first year in Circuit then I pray that you will be as blessed as I have been, with supportive Circuit colleagues and congregations, with good friends to encourage you and by a God who is always with us.  You are about to embark on the best and finest vocation to which a human being can be called.  If you have been in ministry for many years I hope you still have that enthusiasm for serving God that you had then, or even that it has grown.

Most of you reading this won’t be Presbytyers, Deacons, Vicars, Priests in Charge or anything like that.  Be encouraged that whatever you do for God he will be with you, helping you, guiding you and empowering you!  I don’t just write this because it is in the Scriptures; I write it because I know it to be true.