Twenty or so years ago, a whole cohort of Uniting Church mob engaged in the Specified Ministry of Youthworker and historically as Youth Workers, on minimal wage and conditions, out of a sense of call over the previous decades, were invited to discern whether this 'call' might be to the Ordained Ministry of the Word or Deacon - or to move into the Ministry of Pastor, Youthworker! Churches like 'order' and people in stipends or remunerated ministry, to be in a 'defined relationship' with the Church! This, to be fair, included required skills and experience for roles and decent income for people participating, regulated roles and support...
There is a generation of those gifted and edgy folks, serving in a variety of roles, many innovators or agitators, some 'burnt at the stake,' others passed away, most still trying to draw us to the edges, to the margins of church life and community, with a renewed invitation to 'participate in the mission of God, where we live!' This includes Moderators of broadly 'State based' Synods and Presidents of the Uniting Church Nationally!
It came about as pressure from longer serving Queensland colleagues, rolled into a Ministry Review which included the above recommendation and established the Lay Ministry of Pastor, with competency based assessment alongside Role Descriptions. We had always advocated the 'lifelong' nature of how many of us felt about this vocation! The Review Report included an acknowledgement we were teaching the Church something new about the nature of Ordination (and this is why I stepped back from years proclaiming, "I won't be getting ordained, its not my call, I won't be turning to the Darkside!"
Even in the discernment time, where past experience and learning was recognised, where each was recommended areas of study or skills training, to grow their capacity, I was working hard on what the Review Report insights meant for me... of course it has meant Ordination in 2010, taking postures, standpoint and approaches to ministry, among people of all ages, in now Congregational Ministry!
The 'Darkside' indeed!
I will always be Youthworker first and forever! Often now this means knowing more about what shouldn't be done, or is unlikely to 'work,' BUT former colleagues and young people I've worked with, have wonderful, subtle, loud or story based ways of reminding me what a rare privilege it has always been, to engage in their lives and times, to invite 'following in the way' and to do many many legendary and life changing things together! I copped some crap along the way, some whitening, under resourcing and poor decisions, BUT they're far outweighed by seeing peers and kids excel and do the impossible, loving it! Better still, the thanks of parents, who saw and appreciated the mentoring, empathy and listening it all took to hold and glue stuff together! The richness and longevity of this is hard to top!
'Darkside!'
