40 years on

I chalked up 40 years of Ordained Ministry in June 2014.  What nobody knows is that I wanted to quit by 1977.  There was no specific reason, just a general realisation that perhaps this career path wasn’t for me, although my congregation in this, my first Charge, were lovely.

I remember taking my infant son, Matthew, into Stirling (the nearest town) to buy him clothes in a wonderful young-kiddies shop, and stopping, on the way back, at the Job Centre (it was probably called something else in these far off Bay City Roller days).

The middle-aged chap,who interviewed me, turned out to be a Kirk Elder and a Boys Brigade Officer in his church, and, boy!, was he totally flummoxed!

“What?! You want a different job?!! And you’re a minister. I’ve never heard of anything like this before!”, said he, puzzled and with a look of pity, mixed with incredulity.

There was little or no more interaction, and I left……..to carry on ministering

And here we are, after 40 years of toil, sweat, tears, overwhelming joy, and a wonderful journey which I’ve never since thought of leaving!