Well the wheels of due process can take a while to turn but turn they did and I last week I got some clarity on what the four statements in my deferment actually mean. (I've been insanely busy recently so it's taken a while to get around to posting)
So hear are the interpretations of what the statements mean...
"You become centred in the Uniting Church" means... Immersion in the uniting church. That is being more involved in the uniting church outside of my own congregation. So things like the Wednesday afternoon group that meets at the theological hall, visiting other congregations, being part of meetings at other churches, visiting other arms of the church like uniting care, justice, ethics and presbytery (regional) meetings or gatherings. This is not surprising as I'm as aware as any body else that I don not have much experience in the uniting church. It was suggested to me "is this not the case for most applicants?" and that this could be gained once I'd been accepted as a candidate. None the less perhaps outlined before hand what sort.
"You get help in managing your depression" means... doing psychological work not too work on current psychological disorder but to safeguard against potential future burn out. although not necessarily with a psychologist but with a mentor.
"You become centred in your own body" and "Undertake some training in using breath to centre and speak publicly" Means... Learning to breath with mydiaphragm which can be done with singing lessons or meditation. This is to give me gravitas or a projection of self confidence. Which will be useful when dealing with my church my way kind of people.
So there you have it.
I've yet to work out if I how I feel about these reasons for the decision. I do think that the UCA reserves the right to reject or accept people on what ever ground they chose. I do feel that there is something wrong with the process though especially as I think the full explanations don't match the summary statements.
I am thinking that perhaps after the Period of discernment there could be a period of preparation to candidate. My Depression / burn out could have caught here certainly the experience / immersion issue would have been.
Since my official ruling does not obviously and logically mean what it means. I think I should have been given a ruling (could be hand written) on the day. Later I could have been sent a detailed explanation in a letter. All of which should have a time line of when this will happen.
I'm not sure exactly what I'll do next. I will write all these suggestions to the relevant people.
So hear are the interpretations of what the statements mean...
"You become centred in the Uniting Church" means... Immersion in the uniting church. That is being more involved in the uniting church outside of my own congregation. So things like the Wednesday afternoon group that meets at the theological hall, visiting other congregations, being part of meetings at other churches, visiting other arms of the church like uniting care, justice, ethics and presbytery (regional) meetings or gatherings. This is not surprising as I'm as aware as any body else that I don not have much experience in the uniting church. It was suggested to me "is this not the case for most applicants?" and that this could be gained once I'd been accepted as a candidate. None the less perhaps outlined before hand what sort.
"You get help in managing your depression" means... doing psychological work not too work on current psychological disorder but to safeguard against potential future burn out. although not necessarily with a psychologist but with a mentor.
"You become centred in your own body" and "Undertake some training in using breath to centre and speak publicly" Means... Learning to breath with mydiaphragm which can be done with singing lessons or meditation. This is to give me gravitas or a projection of self confidence. Which will be useful when dealing with my church my way kind of people.
So there you have it.
I've yet to work out if I how I feel about these reasons for the decision. I do think that the UCA reserves the right to reject or accept people on what ever ground they chose. I do feel that there is something wrong with the process though especially as I think the full explanations don't match the summary statements.
I am thinking that perhaps after the Period of discernment there could be a period of preparation to candidate. My Depression / burn out could have caught here certainly the experience / immersion issue would have been.
Since my official ruling does not obviously and logically mean what it means. I think I should have been given a ruling (could be hand written) on the day. Later I could have been sent a detailed explanation in a letter. All of which should have a time line of when this will happen.
I'm not sure exactly what I'll do next. I will write all these suggestions to the relevant people.
2 comments:
That's fascinating, thanks Chris, as giving some insight into what the administrators and powerbrokers of my denomination think are the qualities desirable in a ministry candidate. (Perhaps I should declare an interest, in that I don't actually believe in the whole ordained clergy/laity division in the first place.)
The idea that "gravitas" is achieved by having good diaphragm control... that's somewhere between laughable and despicable.
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