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Tuesday, 11 March 2008

Starting Back at Swanwick

I'm back at the BU council in Swanwick. It's an interesting one given the enormity of what happened last time. How do you follow a gathering that is being freely described here as a pentecost?

Yesterday we looked at the issues of children's workers. There was a move to have them put on a 'recognised' list. The aim being to show that their work is highly valued and to give them access into further support and training. This looked like a no brainer to start with. Why not.

Well, as it turn out the why not lays in definition. So why would we 'recognise' a children's worker but not accredit them. There was dispute over whether their job was ministerial or not. There was dispute over the role of children in communion and whether that made a difference to the nature of a children's workers role.

We talked and talked and then it was slung back to the ministry department to have a look at again. We are not likely to see this come up again until council reviews who is on the accredited list and why and apparently that won't happen much before 4 years time.

Now all this is pretty, well..... committee esq. It struck me though particularly at this council because the one thing this discussion lacked was the physical presence of a children's worker and the story they could bring. What do they think about going on a list and which list would they want to be represented on and why? The last council was so incredible because we allowed people to speak. We heard voices from those concerned. The model was successful and I am now wondering if it is just to be left as an exception in the past or if we can implement this as a rather good way of doing business. Not just in council but in association and beyond......

11:28 Permalink | Comments (3) | Email this

Comments

Hmm, interesting one! Since we already list/accredit/recognise/whatever Youth Specialists then why not Children's Workers? But if them, then why not Older People's Workers? Or Middle Years Workers? Or etc etc.

It isn't that I have a problem with recognition, just wonder if we are just falling into a trap of some sort - maybe carving up church by age bands, or devaluing older people, or something that just doesn't feel quite helpful somehow.

Is there a (hypothetical) danger that we end up with a list of persons recognised as workers with left-handed 45-year-old, grumpy spinsters living in Leicestershire?!

Enjoy Council!

Posted by: Catriona | Tuesday, 11 March 2008

Yep. You have it in a nut shell. It seems the only way of the BU affirming people is to put them on a list with a bunch of criteria they need to meet so they can be there. One of the criteria suggested for this particular list which made me smile, was that children's workers should do a course on Baptist history and principals. It was a bit nuts.

Posted by: Kez | Tuesday, 11 March 2008

I think a course on baptist history and principles is important, if you're going to go that way and make a list. i'd actually make some sort of course essential to all those becoming members in baptist churches. I'm more concerned that those who work with children and young people have some theology - theological questions begin from a young age, it seems important that we recognize that and make sure those working with these age groups are theologians, that is, care enough to read ... we expect too little of too many of how ministers and workers when it comes to theology. see council itself. soap box over.

Posted by: andy goodliff | Friday, 28 March 2008