Journey of a Local Preacher in Training

In the circuit, group of churches, each active preacher is requested to undertake approximately one service a month.  The tradition emphasises the priesthood of all believers, and the value of a good service.  In order to train their preachers to the standard sought, a comprehensive training course exists and I have just reached the half-way point (subject to the assessments being passed). 

Each March and September a call goes out to those who need to submit work reminding them of the impending deadline.  The course consists of 17 units and a project.  The units are broken down into sections, and each section should be submitted all in one go.  I have recently been working on middle two sections which has provided me the opportunity to look at:

• sacrifice and festivals to see how they have inspired the way we conduct worship today.
• the importance of structure in worship, with a focus on involving others.  The assessment encourages exploration of the reasons why worship is led in the way proposed.
• The way we consider Jesus as both the messiah and an historical figure.  Through this we are encouraged to look at how Jesus both fulfilled and challenged the expectations which went before him. 
  
• The Holy Spirit offers the inspiration for the final unit of this section.  The assessment encourages a critique of charismatic leadership within the church.
  

Most assessments also include the opportunity to write prayers or propose sermons related to the work covered.  Also, each section requires essays on specific biblical texts, an assessment of a service led by someone else and a report on a service led by the preacher-in-training.  As such, each unit and section requires a lot of work.

As I get closer to March, I am working to submit an additional section, which would take me to three quarters of the way through the course.  In order to do that, I must consider Christian Anthropology, Sacrament and Atonement and following in Jesus’ footsteps through both faith and action.  These, like the sections before them, need to be accompanied by the essays and reviews so, should you find me scrawling away one Sunday, you know what it’s for.

If all goes well and work is successfully submitted for March, I will have one final section and a project to complete.  If I achieve pass marks in all that work, I will be a fully accredited local preacher!

To reassure that the experience is not just one of learning and preaching, there is the opportunity for the other local preachers within the circuit to interview a trainee with a view to exploring their vocation.  The first such interview occurs half way through the course, and mine will come in April.  The final interview follows the final submission of work and it is based on all these things that the local preachers recommend (or not) that training and subsequent accreditation goes ahead. 

As I approach the end of my training (hopefully) it is with great delight that at least two of my peers complete theirs despite having started long before me.  On Sunday 25th January 2009, South West Birmingham circuit accredited their most recent local preacher.  In April I will be trekking halfway across the country to share in a similar celebration with one of my university friends.  It’s a delight to be able to share this experience with a good number of people my own age, and hope to follow in their footsteps this time next year.