In the September of 1992 I moved into skills development at Selfridges. That same year, in the November, the General Synod of the Church of England voted overwhelmingly to approve the ordination of women to the priesthood.
As the news was announced, it utterly overwhelmed me.
- I fell to the floor sobbing.
- I had no idea why.
- At that time I was a Baptist and so it made no difference to me at all.
The following year I became an Anglican. Over the years, I (and a number of other people) have wondered whether I was called to the priesthood. However, for various reasons I don’t think so. As one person put it
You don’t need a dog collar to do what you do Janet. In fact, it might actually get in the way.
In 2020 God gave me a vision that I was doing the right things but in the wrong places and the wrong things in the right places. Great. That’s clear then!
So here I am, 2022, and launching a new way of working by providing those secular skills that I have been delivering but to a different audience; those who are called to the priesthood, especially women.
For example:
- how to be assertive
- understanding the impact of our values and biases on how we behave
- managing others
- setting goals and time management
I have 30 years experience as a learning and development professional, managing teams and running projects. All of that experience must be for something.
I was licensed as a Reader in the Diocese of Chichester in September 2019 and worship at All Saints, Wick.