Pastoral Assistants are trained and authorised by the local diocese. They undertake all kinds of caring roles including visiting the sick, baptism visiting, home communions, leading small groups and so on. In this church we have one authorised Pastoral Assistant – Pam Kilby – and two Pastoral Assistants in training.
Pam Kilby
I used to be a member of All Saints Church New Eltham in the Diocese of Southwark. I worshipped there after moving to the area after my marriage when I was 21. My three daughters all came to church with me every Sunday. When my youngest was about 18 months old, I discovered that I had a vocation to work for the church but I had no idea how I could fulfil it. One Sunday a Sister from the Society of the Reparation was visiting our Parish, I managed to have a long conversation with her about my feelings of having a vocation and her helpful words were instrumental in my trying to find out how I could move forward.
I was accepted for training as a Southwark Pastoral Auxiliary. The training was in it’s infancy and quite different from today’s. We each had a Personal Tutor whom we visited each week and took study material home. We also each had a Spiritual Director and I was fortunate to have the Head Deaconess Rev Cecelia Goodenough as mine. I used to visit her at her home from time to time (and have lunch!)
I enjoyed my work once qualified and used to do most of the Baptism Visiting, supervise the Sunday School, assist with Confirmation preparation and run Junior and Senior Youth Clubs after Evensong each Sunday. I had a particular responsibility to visit young mothers who had lost young babies.
I worked for a time at St Giles Camberwell. The staff team were Chaplains to St Giles Hospital where the Vicar, Canon Douglas Rhymes and I were responsible for the Psychiatric Wards.
Changes took place in my family life and I moved away from New Eltham.
I then trained and qualified as a Psychiatric Nurse and worked in the Health Service before moving to Social Services in Bexley providing Residential Rehabilitation for people leaving hospital with mental health problems. I later became a Disability Manager managing a Computer Training Project for people with Physical Disabilities partly funded by the European Social Fund.
I had been member of Christ Church for 10 years or more, and was delighted when having a conversation with Sue one Sunday, she suggested that I return to Pastoral work as a Pastoral Assistant at Christ Church. All the necessary preparations took place and I was thrilled to be Authorised at St Albans Dartford last November.