Meet Revd Andrew Campbell
Revd Andrew Campell reflects on his year as a deacon intern…
My year as a deacon intern was spent in St Anne’s Cathedral Belfast, under the supervision of Dean John Mann. It has been a tremendous learning experience and the Dean has been a wonderful example and mentor to me.
Though I was involved in church work before ordination (I had been a youth worker in Carrickfergus and a Student worker in Jordanstown), the intern year has allowed me to be gently introduced to ordained ministry.
It has allowed me to experience preaching, reading services, and assisting at communion. It has allowed me to visit parishioners, both at home and in hospital, to lead confirmation classes and to be involved with youth work. I have been privileged to share important events in people’s lives, in baptism, in assisting at weddings and in being involved in funerals. It has been a great introduction to ordained ministry, but with the safety net of an intern rector to guide and instruct me.
In addition to these experiences the nature of the internship allows ministry experience to be blended with academic study, and my internship has allowed me to continue to work on a doctoral thesis examining the doctrine of atonement and ethics.
My experiences were slightly different to those of the rest of my year as I was placed in a cathedral. In addition to the normal experiences of internship I have also been involved in events that only a cathedral can provide, for example the Ulster Covenant service, the Memorial Service at the World Fire and Police Games and of course the Black Santa Sit Out.
These experiences have whetted my appetite for the years ahead. As I look forward to serving as Curate assistant in Bangor Abbey I do believe that the godly example of Dean Mann and the experiences I have had have further equipped me to answer Christ’s call in St Matthew 9:37 to be a worker in the harvest field.