In July last year I began as the school Chaplain at Launceston Church Grammar School. Beginning at ‘Grammar’ (as the locals call it) has been what I imagine drinking from a fire hydrant to be like. There has been a huge amount to learn in a very short time, and there is still more to go. Yet despite the challenges, I have loved almost every minute. Taking up the role of chaplain has felt like what I can only describe as coming home. It is the fulfilment of a call God put on my life a long time ago.
It was while attending school at Churchie (Anglican Church Grammar School) in Brisbane that I first felt a call to explore chaplaincy. Through the ministry of Ian Loom and attending the Inter Christian Schools Fellowship group ‘Wings’ I realised that faith needed to be more than an intellectual exercise. I was challenged to put my faith into action and I’m forever grateful for this.
As I spoke to others about this call, they suggested that I get some life experience first. Heeding their advice, I chose to study Chemical Engineering and worked in an alumina refinery in Western Australia for five years. The original plan was simple: go to Bible College, study theology become a school chaplain. Yet God had other plans.
Rather than heading straight into chaplaincy, I spent seven years working as a parish priest in regional and rural Tasmania. I can see how God has used this time to shape, grow and prepare me for school chaplaincy. This has been invaluable, as included in my role (as I’m sure it is in many others), is not just the students, but parents, carers, staff and alumni of the school.
In taking up the role as chaplain, I have found that one of the great joys of working at a school like Launceston Church Grammar has been its history. This year the school turns 180 years old. With that long legacy comes a long list of traditions and events that have occurred. In beginning at the school, I realised that I needed to know and understand these legacies. To do this, I have adopted a posture of curiosity, seeking to understand not just the details of the event but also the purpose and impact. Throughout it all, one thing I’ve realised is that I will never stop learning, and what a joy that is.