“One of the great things about my job is that it’s completely varied. One minute I’m talking with someone who’s sleeping on the street and the next I’ll have a meeting with a CEO, or be taking communion to older parishioners at home who can no longer physically come to church.
Being ‘called’ to this work has given me a window into people’s lives, and that is a real privilege.
Church has always been a normal part of my world. I grew up in Lower Hutt in a family that went to church every Sunday and were very involved in the parish. I was surrounded by strong, vibrant clergy – people who made faith a real living thing, connecting it to the world and making a difference in people’s lives, and who were an important part of why I ended up in the church myself.
At 19 years old, which sounds a bit crazy now, I went to see my vicar to tell him I wanted to explore a call to the ministry. He said, ‘That’s absolutely fabulous, but finish university, get married (I was already engaged) start your life off and then we’ll talk again.’ That was a really sensible answer, because I was far too young!
So I did a degree in languages, then a diploma in social work before starting the more formal process of selection for ordained ministry – including a degree in theology. A lot of clergy joke that we do all this study on theology and church history and yet end up worrying about buildings and finance. It’s like running a big enterprise.
Denne historien er fra February 17 2020-utgaven av New Zealand Woman's Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra February 17 2020-utgaven av New Zealand Woman's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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