It all depends where you stand …
A recent lunch with one of our colleagues from the Diocesan Board of Education led to a very interesting conversation around the relationships between our church schools and our parishes.
For many years, new clergy appointments to a parish would not even include a visit to the school, let alone ask the Head Teacher or Chair of Governors to be part of the interview process. Now, of course, the Parish Profile for the new priest will include details of schools, and the interview process most often includes a visit to the school, some interface with the staff and pupils, and some informal interview with the school Head or Governors.
Our conversation came around to the appointment of school chaplains, in particular to the new Academies. Full time school chaplains are a luxury, and indeed, with a decreasing number of stipendiary clergy, would there be a sufficient pool of potential clergy to meet these new appointments? I pushed the boundaries a little further. I was certain that these school chaplain appointments could not successfully be part time appointments with dual roles including a parish priest role – the management of the boundaries does prove a challenge. I had been a part-time chaplain to a joint Anglican-Catholic Secondary School, and it was hugely fulfilling, but also a huge frustration, and the scope for developing the role could not happen whilst I was still expected to be in the parish five days a week.
So – do we need to continue to look for parish clergy who are able to offer some chaplaincy role to the school? Or, if you consider the development of our school age children between 5-18 years to be the urgent priority for our faith community, do we need to look for clergy who are full time school chaplains, based in our primary and secondary schools, who can offer a couple of days a week to be chaplains to our congregations?
What difference would it make if we trained all our clergy to be school chaplains, as the norm, and then let them use their spare time at evenings, weekends and school holidays for work in the parish, developing teams of lay ministers and ordained assistant ministers to be the church presence throughout the parish during the day?
What difference would it make …? Where do you stand …?
July 8th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Ok, so I’m biased as I am the parish priest in a place where there will soon be an academy, but I welcome the debate. I have to say that someone to fulfill some of the potential of schools work will be most welcome, but only if that is linked somehow to the parish and wider christian community. The idea of putting it the other way round – missioner in school and chaplain to the congregation is fascinating. Is this admitting that the little used building and the couple of dozen people that meet there for an hour a week is irrelevant and that the school community is where the life is? Maybe that’s a good thing? Keep stirring the brain cells Alan, thanks!
July 8th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Thanks Simon. I don’t think I want to say the church building, congregation, and the time spent with the two together is irrelevant – just makes you think, as you suggest – where is the vibrant life in the local community, and where does the church meet that life?
What do others think?
July 8th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Why does a chaplain have to be a “cleric”? There are lots of caring, competent, trained and passionate LLMs and lay people out there who already have a ministry in schools – or who would welcome the opportunity to grow a chaplaincy role. LLMs and other lay people take collective worship, are on a governing body or drop in and out of school to help overstretched staff. Where a parish priest is spread thin across rural parishes, it is often the lay people of the congregation who relate closest to their local school.
July 8th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
You are absolutely right Chrysogon, of course, there are thousands of lay Christians engaging with schools in very many ways, very few have a label like LLM. LLMs have a distinctive ministry in preaching, teaching and a diverse range of gifts and skills that are essential to maintian the life of our schools and parishes, and as Vice Warden of Licensed Lay Ministers in Salisbury Diocese, it is good to know you are there.
Just for a moment, if you fantasise with me and the conversation I had about clergy deployment. If we locate our stipendiary clergy in schools, and not parishes – would the LLM ministry take on a different focus, either in our parish churches, or in our schools?