Keep Thinking

Mirror - Signal - Manoeuvre

The mirror is an essential tool for the driver. Not to see where you’ve been but to help you progress safely to where you want to go.

1st September sees two major changes for Wesley church, Caerphilly. Along with many other churches in Methodism we will have a new minister but at the same time we move from being the largest part (in terms of number of members) of a Circuit of only 2 churches with a single minister to being part of a Circuit of

22 churches and 12 ministers (of which 2 are deacons).

It is inevitable that there will be an element of looking backwards to

“what we used to do” and how things “used to be”,

 but I hope and pray that the backward glance will be used as wisdom of lessons learnt in order to concentrate our thinking on how best to move forward,

rather than as a nostalgic “wallow”.

There is a danger that we expect the minister to be Wonder Woman or Superman who can, and does, do everything on our behalf and also allows us as individuals to do our pet thing and to recognise our contributions at all times and in all places. At the very least they should be:

•Inspiring preachers with “sound” theology (i.e. agree with us)

•Well read, with a good grasp of local and world-wide issues

•Good listeners and people of prayer who can help people get through hard times

•Present in personal emergencies and difficult times, such as bereavements

•A guide through the intricacies of planning and performing weddings, baptisms and funerals

•Visionary leaders who can help churches grow

•Active supporters of all existing initiatives and activities and any new ideas that might be suggested

•Decent writers, at least for the church newsletter

•Perfect administrators who ensure that all the paperwork is done and that everybody who “needs to know” is kept informed

•Able to respond intelligently to 101 personal and theological questions

•Readily available, and a regular visitor, to all the church members or anybody with some connection with the church

•A representative of the church in all ecumenical matters as well as in the community at large.

•Perfect examples of Christian behaviour –

•patient, understanding, compassionate, honest, fair etc.

Of course there is nobody who can live up to our wish-list. Whilst it may be fair to expect a person of prayer who will lead the congregation in worship,

the personality required for one of these requirements is probably the opposite of that required for another. We need the grace to recognise the strengths that we all have to offer, and the “gaps” that need filling, so that together we can move forward, looking beyond our own insular viewpoint,

to work for God’s kingdom on earth.

Anthony Thomas (accredited Local Preacher)

Samuel Anstee: samuel@caerphillymethodistchurch.org

Philip Begley: philip@caerphillymethodistchurch.org