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PERSPECTIVES ... |
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Past, Present and
Progressing
SPA ministry has emerged as an authorised ministry specific to Southwark - a particular strand within the Anglican church which found expression through committed lay ministry, largely exercised by women, some of whom were recognised and their ministry formalised in the office of Deaconess. Pastoral ministry, in the community - not necessarily just the community of the church, but the wider context in which that community of church is found and must find appropriate expression, has long been at the heart of this lay working. The emergence of the 'corpus' identity of Southwark Pastoral Auxiliaries as an authorised lay ministry seems to date back to around 1970. Since then the structure and content of training have themselves developed and indeed continue to evolve. Through the 80's candidates for training would opt for either the 'Pastoral' or the 'Community' module as a significant preference shaping the focus and direction of their anticipated ministry activity. But that drive to be relevant and connected to the community 'out there' led to the incorporation of the 'Community' module into the required curriculum by the end of that decade - an enrichment both to the course and its participants. The training has sought to be accessible to people whatever their previous experience of formal education, but it does always seem to prove to be stretching to the participants. There is a strong emphasis both on developing appropriate skills for the practice of care and also the knowledge and understanding related to assessing and responding to pastoral care needs - and the integration of these with spiritual growth. Visits and placements provide opportunities for people to 'stretch their wings' and to learn about care work in a variety of settings. So though accessible the training is challenging, and the experience of being stretched, both inwardly and outwardly, can at times feel more demanding than more academic processes or even than a vigorous course of aerobics! Collaborative working has also developed as part of the training. Where in the period covering the later 80's and into the 90's candidates were required to submit some from of individual project work (a wide and varied choice was always offered to allow for the variety of learning styles and other preferences), with the later 90's, the move was made to the present format where the year-group is evenly divided into teams who work together on a series of themes, chosen through consultation and publicly presented in the later Autumn term. 'Project Day' still tends to loom large for those in training and preparation for it, but invariably seems to result in growth - in confidence, in insight, in collaborative skills (not to mention skills of presentation) and whatever the topic - and some very searing and challenging subjects have been addressed in recent years, the participants themselves seem to emerge from the experience almost exultant - surprised by joy, one might almost say! This kind of in-depth involvement with real issues would doubtless deeply please a main founder 'mover' of SPA ministry, Cecilia Goodenough (after whom the Trinity House Meeting-room is named). She once wrote a small booklet entitled "Theology in the Gutter" and spoke of herself and those with whom she met, discussed, reflected, studied and prayed, alongside their working out of this sense of call and who shared a concern to minister relevantly - as "gutter people". There is both shock and challenge in such a sentiment. Making connections was essential to such an approach - and the connectedness had to have flow - into action. Such action found Ceilia Goodenough in a wide variety of socially challenging contexts, from mothers and families in deprived social situations to working with the male inmates of Wormwood Scrubs. "We do theology from where we are" she once said - and such theological reflection whether or not it is currently defined as such has come to be integral to SPA Training and Ministry. The days when this area of ministry within Southwark had its own Lay Training Team have passed, but the fruits of collaborative working have in part resulted in a far greater ongoing involvement of trained SPAs who contribute to ensuing training in a number of ways. Also the relevance and opportunities offered by SPA ministry are reflected in and complemented by the growing awareness that this ministry is not gender-based. Indeed the current Co-ordinator is male! See "Pastoral Care: Women's work?" in The Bridge December 2004. The Hind Report has enabled Southwark to continue to own and further develop this very particular form of lay ministry. Perhaps this facet of evolution in our shared history as the Church of England may offer new avenues into which the 'SPA experience' can flow, and hopefully contribute creatively and relevantly as we seek to express and be true to that shared sense of call which continues to draw such a wide variety of men and women (increasingly of men!) to respond to a sense of God's call within and upon our lives. Whatever the future shape of SPA ministry, it is notable that each year the gathering of this lay group in training gives rise to a genuine 'corpus' who quickly recognise and come deeply to value a real sense of shared identity, which is bonding across all divides - and which seems to endure across numbers of years. The diversity of people, backgrounds and ministries is considerable - but there is a core identity to being a SPA for which those who undertake this role are surely indebted to Southwark and its provision. To have a sense of call can be puzzling and disturbing: to be enabled to respond, explore it and participate in such a vocational way is indeed a privilege. |
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Diocese of Southwark Last updated: 16/02/05 Webmaster |
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