THE ‘OTHER LANDSCAPES’ ENTERED IN TRAINING FOR THE PRIESTHOOD

What is a middle-aged lawyer with classical music tastes doing at Ikon and Jaks nightclubs, as one of Diana’s volunteers? I am training to be a priest in the Church of England and as part of that training I must spend some time “placed” with a chaplain. The usual thing is to link up with a hospital, prison or airport chaplain. My course tutor had other ideas: “you need to get out of your comfort zone and do something completely different, Brian!”

And different it is. I have attended several sessions from 10.30 pm to 3 in the morning in both clubs, wearing a Chaplain’s T shirt. I have learned about the work of Julian, the manager, and his staff, Stuart (at “the centre”, the CCTV control room), the doormen and women, the bar staff, the cashiers, cloak room attendants and not least Victor, the “gel and scents” man who sells his wares in the Ikon Men’s room. I have been privileged to see at close quarters how hard people work to provide a happy and safe place where customers can have a good time.

I have also been privileged to take part in conversations with staff and customers on all sorts of things – their work, their stories, personal matters and inevitably, because of my role, spiritual questions. People are willing to open up to Diana and her volunteers because we have no other role than to be available, to be rather than to do. Healthy and free young people are as much in need of “healing” as hospital patients and prisoners, but they don’t normally realise this.

It would be wonderful if more nightclub and entertainment industry chaplaincies existed. Are there clergy and church members with a vocation to come into the clubs and, like the psalmist, “praise His name in the dance”?

Brian McHenry
Brian was formerly Vice Chair of the House of Laity of General Synod. Now he is going over to a different knd of ministry we wish him well Ed.