Ministry in practice - some stories of priests called, vocationally, to work outside and beyond the institution

Rather roughly speaking, there are two types of MSEs (ministers in secular employment). The first are those who simply ended up there, and see their parish, its church and its congregation as their main focus. The second group is made up of those who explicitly believed themselves called to serve as a priest in the sphere of (so called) 'secular' work.

As they come my way, I'll post short accounts and biographies here.

• Adele Philips: Taking the message of Christ into the workplace
• Hugh Valentine: on not removing vocation from context

Are you an MSE? Would you share your story here? We are looking for ordained women and men, who identify as priests 'in secular work', to contribute material. Following the model of Sunday colour supplement interviews, you are invited to answer these questions. Send your material to Hugh here.

The Questions
(feel free to depart from them or to add to them as you wish, though some consistency across the respondents may be useful)

• Name

• Date ordained

• Sphere of work

• Why did you become an SSM/MSE/WP?

• What's best about what you do?

• What's the most challenging?

• If the church asked, what would you say are the three most important things you have learnt from your work-focused ministry?

• If the church asked, what would you say are the three most important lessons for it which have emerged from your work-focused ministry?

• Why do you think the SSM/MSE/WP development within the CofE has, to date, been so lack lustre?

• What is it that SSM/MSE/WPs can contribute to the mission of the church today?

• What do you think SSM/MSE/WPs need to receive from the church in order to be effective in their unique ministry?

• Would you do it all again? (And anything else you simply must say!)

Adele Philips
The main focus of Adele’s ordained ministry is as a Minister in Secular Employment working within the Criminal Justice System on Tyneside. More