revealed 30 April 2024
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Gorebridge Parish Church was filled with mates, household, congregation members and well-wishers for the ordination of the Rev Tim Linford as Assistant Minister of the Lothian Kirk.
“I really feel actually excited,” Mr Linford stated, the morning after the service, which was led by the previous Moderator of the Common Meeting, the Very Rev Dr Susan Brown.
“It’ll give me the chance to study extra about what makes Gorebridge actually profitable, which is seeing the church as a household and as valued people – everybody has one thing to contribute.
“I’ll combine a few of that, but additionally construct on what I began within the ministry.”
Nevertheless, this was not a primary for the Linford household.
His spouse was a minister at Stow and Heriot Parish Church in Borders Victoria, though he has now withdrawn from parish ministry and works within the workplace of Chief Clerk on the Church of Scotland Workplace in Edinburgh, drawing on his background in company legislation.
Mr Linford admits it’s helpful to have one other minister within the household for some assist and recommendation.
Whereas Mrs Linford was parish minister, he was a locum minister at a neighboring parish and the couple had been in a position to bounce off one another’s concepts earlier than every went their very own manner.
The ordination wasn’t the one huge occasion for the couple, who’ve two adopted sons, Kieran and Luke.
Their first grandchild, Noah, was born three weeks in the past and fogeys Kieran and Sophie introduced him to the ordination.
“It was nice – Noah obtained plenty of hugs,” marveled his proud grandfather.
Path to ministry
The ordination was an vital remaining step on what Mr Linford admitted was a protracted and generally bumpy highway to ministry.
Initially employed within the protection sector the place he labored for British Aerospace and Marconi Avionics, he moved into IT with native authorities on the flip of the millennium.
He then took a profession break to take care of Kieran and Luke whereas his spouse started her personal ministry profession and made her personal first inquiries about becoming a member of the ministry.
He utilized once more in 2015, after discovering he was identified with dyslexia, earlier than lastly being accepted in 2019.
“I felt it was, in a wierd manner, fairly well timed as we hit the pandemic in the beginning of 2020 and all my previous techniques engineering expertise began to return to the fore,” he stated.
“I already had theological coaching so I began mixing digital ecclesiology and on-line media, which set me aside from different folks.
“I ended up utilizing my graduate research to analysis hybrid church buildings. I used to be coaching in actual time because it was occurring and located it helpful.”
The digital church
He met the Rev Mark Nicholas of Gorebridge Parish Church at one other ordination and felt the Holy Spirit directing him to work in Gorebridge, the place Mr Linford had accomplished his probationary interval earlier than ordination.
“The entry expertise has been wonderful,” he stated.
“Once more, all the things appears to suit collectively by mixing the technological and the private and the web.
“My final analysis paper was trying on the methods of Fred Rogers, who starred within the Tom Hanks movie A Lovely Day within the Neighborhood, and studying from what he did.
“He was an ordained Presbyterian minister within the US in addition to a tv presenter, and noticed what we might do now with digital streams and blended it in particular person.
“That is what we’re doing in Gorebridge.”
Autism Mission
Contributing to the ministry’s “bumpy experience” was the late analysis of autism.
This has had an impression on Mr Linford’s method to ministry, however one he considers very constructive.
“There may be loads of neuro-diversity in Gorebridge Parish Church, however there are lots of people who really feel they will come and really feel snug as they’re.
“We’re actually performing some good work with them,” he stated.
“It is wonderful to me, to see a few of our guys enhance.
“I have been fairly open about my autism analysis and what I can do they usually’ve been inspired by that.
“Lately there was a deeper understanding of autism and the way it impacts so many individuals that I consider there’s a actual mission on this and I wish to perceive the place I am going subsequent.”
Mr Linford stated he had achieved loads of analysis on the situation.
“I researched the expertise of an American pastor who was identified with autism and the way his ministry grew because of being open about it.
“Lots of people have advised me I am main one thing right here, however it’s additionally felt like being the heatshield on an area capsule going into the environment.
“I feel I’ve collected loads of warmth at instances, however my ft are on the bottom now so I survived it!”
In the end, Mr Linford’s ambition is to have his personal cost, however within the meantime he’s trying ahead to extending his keep in Gorebridge.
“It seems like that is the place God referred to as me and the church individuals are very joyful that I am staying,” he stated.
