printed 19 September 2024
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Due to his lifelong involvement within the Church, Lewis Purden was requested if he would observe in his father’s footsteps and turn out to be a minister within the Church of Scotland.
His reply was not all the time a really clear one.
“I delay the establishment of the church and located extra freedom outdoors of the church,” he admits on this month’s Speaking Ministry characteristic.
But he couldn’t resist the decision and, because the Rev Lewis Purden, he grew to become a parish minister within the second technology of his household, serving the Midlothian city of Bonnyrig.
Whereas this will replicate a change in his angle in the direction of the Church of Scotland – a Church he has all the time liked, he notes – he believes it signifies a change within the Kirk itself.
“It has been actually fascinating since my mandate to see us actually take into consideration how we work outdoors the church,” Ms Parden stated.
“It appeared like the suitable time to come back into the church with all of the adjustments and rethink issues. Now is an effective match.”
Though a minister’s daughter, Mrs. Purden will not be fairly a “little one of Manse.” His father, the Rev John McPeak, started coaching for the ministry after a profession at BT after which went on to function minister at Liberton Northfield Church in Edinburgh for 13 years.
Having each father and daughter “on the job” has introduced them nearer, Ms Parden believes, regardless that their approaches to ministry could also be very totally different.
“My dad’s palms are off, however I imply in a great way,” Ms Parden stated.
“He is allowed me to create my very own story and my very own perspective. We’re very totally different in our kinds and opinions, and he is all the time been very supportive of letting me be me.”
Lockdown classes
Mrs Parden studied at New School in Edinburgh, working in the direction of a theology diploma to take care of two younger youngsters, Ryan and Christina, with the assistance of her journalist husband Richard, then went on to complete her exams beneath the Rev Keith Mack at St John’s. and King’s Park Church in Dalkeith.
Nonetheless, the problem of learning for the ministry was quickly adopted by an sudden problem that everybody needed to face only a month after Bonirige was appointed as minister because the nation went into lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“But it surely was really very encouraging as a result of I began within the job ‘I do not know what I am doing’ and I used to be seeing ministers who had been in the identical place for 30 years, so it was a terrific degree. That all of us simply messed round,” she stated.
There was disappointment. As a brand new minister, he felt he had not had the chance to get to know the congregation or the place it was most wanted, however the lockdown additionally introduced alternatives.
“We had been capable of set up screens and cameras within the church and there was an adjustment and a progress that may have taken rather a lot longer had it not been for Covid,” Ms Purden added.
“After all, the large lesson for all church buildings was that the church will not be a constructing. Then, after we had been capable of conduct companies, there was a really clear consciousness that the church will not be a service both. I’ll always remember seeing individuals. Filed in, separate from one another. Sitting down, and submitting once more and figuring out that it wasn’t even about us.”
An introduction to the group
4 years later, he’s totally concerned within the rising and busy group of Bonnyrig, a spot that’s excellent for all of the household.
It additionally introduced alternatives to work with different organizations and different church buildings. Bonnyrigg Parish Church has partnered with a neighboring congregation to recruit a youth employee, Mrs Parden is properly outfitted to assist her together with her personal background as a household assist, youth and group employee earlier than coaching as a Minister of Wards and Sacraments.
Church buildings have additionally joined forces with different group initiatives, corresponding to Toasty Tuesdays to feed Laswad Excessive Faculty college students, or the Friday Pop Up Pantry. Offering meals for everybody at low value.
Mrs Parden stated: “All native church buildings are concerned, and we’re enthusiastic about partnership and constructing the Kingdom, not constructing a selected church or group.
“We’re enthusiastic about every kind of inter-agency work. We’re realizing increasingly, as funding and sources dwindle, the significance of working collectively.
“The Church is in an important place the place we will and ought to be raised. Up to now, we’ve got superior in medication and schooling and the Church has been so related, however not too long ago we do not fairly know the place we slot in, so this may very well be a terrific alternative. .”
The enjoyment of range
It’s this range of parish ministry, extending past the boundaries of the kirk partitions and a Sunday morning service, that he finds so rewarding.
“Ministry is ideal for me as a result of I get bored actually simply and so I like selection, and I’ve had the respect of main new mother and father by means of their religion whenever you’re doing a funeral after which having the privilege of seeing and supporting them. Sunday for worship. Selecting what we sing,” he stated.
“Each day being so totally different is only a pleasure.”
You may learn the complete interview with Rev Lewis Purden on our Speaking Ministry web page.
