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How I spent my sabbatical Billy Slatter
I have often said that I am not holy enough to be a minister retaining one foot in the world and that probably contributed to the motivation to spend part of my sabbatical looking at workplace chaplaincies. It is an area of work that is a little remote from church life and yet is probably more relevant to mission than any other. A Workplace Chaplain may wear a badge or a dog-collar to indicate an official presence, but the work that is done belongs to every Christian in the world of work. After working through the Industrial Mission Association induction course, I arranged a tour of England in which I visited ten different types of workplace situations so that I could compare and contrast how Chaplaincy operates. The workplaces I visited were; Manchester United Football Club, Bolton Wanderers Football Club, Outo Kumpo Ltd (Sheffield Steel) National Exhibition Centre Birmingham Newmarket Racecourse Felixstowe Port Poole Local Authority Bluewater Shopping Centre Gatwick Airport Marketplace Chaplains Europe It was very encouraging to find that without exception, the chaplaincy was valued and spoken well of. The most negative expression was that of indifference, and that was only found where the chaplaincy was not very well known. Where the chaplain was known, there was a welcome and appreciation of the independent interest and care that was available. I was surprised to hear some executives say that the Chaplaincy is vital to their business. There is a lot of good work being done in the workplace and it would benefit our church to find ways of engaging more with it. I took a holiday in the middle of the sabbatical and as I wanted to see Easter in an Eastern Orthodox context I went to Cyprus. It was Holy Week and the Island was preparing for the celebration of Easter that is as big a festival for them as Christmas is for us. The ‘higher’ western church had services throughout the week commemorating different aspects of the passion narrative – including a macabre ‘burning of Judas’ that I didn’t attend. On Easter morning I went to an Anglican service that had mainly an ex-pat congregation. I was surprised to find the whole event exactly as it would have been in England, there was no incorporation of any local traditions and no Orthodox influence on the service. It raised lots of questions about engagement with other cultures.
I was attached to an American group for a two week project building a house for a family. Being with the Americans added another interesting cultural dynamic to the trip, not least of which was teaching them to speak English properly. We stayed in very basic conditions in the African bush and the build work was hard as everything had to be done by manual labour since there were no tools. However, whatever we were able to contribute practically was more than rewarded by the hospitality and friendship given to us by the Zambian people. People who have done similar things with Jersey Overseas Aid will know that the African experience is truly life-enriching and unforgettable.
Filling in the sabbatical gaps I learned to construct websites and to create and edit DVDs so I managed to tick most if not quite all of my agenda boxes. I have many stories, experiences and memories so in the coming months I will, doubtless speak much more than I can write. The sabbatical has been beneficial to me in many ways; for the work that I have been able to do and for the space to think and develop outside of a circuit context. It’s been good to have the break; it’s good to be back. Billy |
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The
second half of the sabbatical focused on a trip to Zambia with a charity
called Habitat for Humanity. It was founded by the former U.S. President
Jimmy Carter with the mission to provide a decent home for everyone in
the world. It’s a big aim, but little by little it is making a
difference.