I responded to a call to the ordained ministry in 2004 which meant that in my last year on Synod as its lay vice chair I was proceeding on what was described to me as a gentle escalator towards my selection conference.

I was thrilled to reach the top of that escalator and to be accepted for training in the summer of 2005. That however meant that I was soon to be on a very different escalator, and one which moves very fast.

Since September 2005 I have been a student at SEITE (the South East Institute for Theological Education) alongside students from several dioceses Southwark, Chichester, Rochester, Canterbury and London. Our age range is very wide from the thirties to the sixties. Our backgrounds are very varied GP, senior nurse, teacher, college administrator, charity work, local authority, PR, school bursar, insurance, church administrator, lawyer. Some have young families, others have demanding caring responsibilities. Some are on their way to stipendiary ministry, others to non stipendiary. Most are Anglican but a minority are from other churches such as the Lutheran or Methodist.

We have all been brought together to be trained and formed to be ministers in the Church. It is not a doddle! In addition to a weekly evening class, several weekends away a year, meetings with tutors, work consultants, spiritual directors and one’s own parish priest, and a week long residential school in Canterbury in the spring. There are approximately 20 pieces of work to be submitted in the course of the academic year, often in the range of 2 to 2500 words each, all properly referenced and free of the sin of plagiarism. The standards are high.

All this is done alongside our day jobs and family life. It would be silly to pretend that we find this easy. The only way to survive and benefit from the course is to become focussed. The strong advice is to withdraw as much as possible from your former church life. In addition evenings and weekends became dominated by the relentless deadlines homework for the next class, essays to complete, group work.

There are many good things. We have made close and lasting friendships. We have learned a great deal. The tutors are excellent. Above all we are being formed and are continuing to be formed hopefully to be effective priests and ministers in local churches and in workplaces, to help alongside all of God’s people to bring the good news to this generation.
Would you pray for us all, please? Thank you.

Brian McHenry

Brian hopes to be deaconed at Michaelmas 2008 and to serve his title in South East London. He was formerly Vice Chair of the House of Laity of General Synod. Ed.