College under scrutiny

College re-started today with Morning Prayer at a quarter to eight. In my locum capacity as acting Dean of Residential Training, I must be there with other staff members at morning and evening services, Monday to Thursday, and that means rising at seven to be there before time. That was fine in Sicily, when seven was first light, a natural time to wake up, but here and now with Cardiff's grim cloud cover most days, it's a struggle. I'll get used to it, once I've adjusted to an earlier bed time. I often work late and do my best thinking at night, when there are fewer distractions, but the change will do me good, I hope.

It was good to catch up with more returning students and hear news of who's been placed in which Parish for their first Curacy, and who's still waiting to hear. Each diocese does things differently, as resources, needs and circumstances surrounding openings for new ministries vary considerably, and it's all made more difficult by shrinkage in serving clergy numbers, funding limitations, and availability of suitable candidates. 

The College will be subject to a review of its work, plans and programmes in the next couple of months, a consequence of the recent Church in Wales Review, with its recommendations for radical re-configuration of ministry to parishes through the creation of teams covering large population areas with many more churches in them than existing Rectorial Benefices and rural incumbencies. It's good to be looking at whether courses offered are serving and can serve the changing purposes of the Church. 

The first step will be the writing of a Vision statement of ministerial by two of the Bishops to guide and inspire the review. Co-incidentally, when I returned home after breakfast, BBC Radio 4's 'Start the Week' programme featuring several professional writers from different backgrounds was discussing George Orwell's essay 'Politics and the English Language', and his assertion that sloppiness of language reveals sloppiness of thought. Discussion wasn't limited to the quality political writing, and was insightful about the how the use of jargon and trendy phrases can permit someone to use a lot of words to say very little of any value. I wish the Bishops would listen to the programme repeat (here on iPlayer) before getting to work. Best practice, as applied to political writing applies to spiritual writing also. Above all, the Vision statement must inspire, as well as guide or nothing much will come out of the College review.

 

I hope the review process will include St Mike's graduates now working in Parishes. We see them during the year as they come for in-service training. Their feedback on the usefulness of academic learning and the community learning experience of College life will be of great critical value. 

In the afternoon, I spent a couple of hours at the CBS office then returned to College for the first Family Service of the term. One of the students, an ex-primary school head teacher did a lovely Maths Magic presentation with a spiritual message for the children present. He had them, and the adults in the palm of his hand for ten minutes. In a couple of weeks from now four children, all from the same family, will be baptized. A special occasion for all of us.