Episode 3 Vicar Academy

The Church in Wales, a traditional institution of hymns,

prayers and communion.

Business has been good for millennia,

but with ageing congregations,

falling numbers, and abandoned buildings,

the church is facing a serious religious recession.

So does the answer lie within these walls

at St Michael's College, Cardiff?

A new generation of priests is being prepared for a life

that is as likely to include the prison cell as the pulpit.

And they're taking their message to the most unlikely places...

Still got to write my sermon for tomorrow.

The new recruits are stepping out of the scrum to tackle old ideas.

As a woman, you've got the Vicar of Dibley stereotype,

then you've got the lesbian stereotype.

There aren't many hot Christians.

But will the church authorities embrace the new generation?

I really do worry that the church isn't ready for people like me.

And what will congregations make of the young upstarts?

She was very confident.

And what will their reactions be when they try to mash up the mass?

In the 21st century, the clergy have to get out there.

This is a fully working embalming theatre.

But will the new kids at the altar get their dog collars?

Talked about leaving. Yeah, itchy feet.

Tonight, Huw's put to the test at Cardiff prison.

I just don't want to cock it up.

Second-year Lorraine has important guests to impress.

I'm starting to get really nervous now that Archbishop Rowan

and Archbishop Barry are here.

And Steve's getting his hands dirty.

It concerns me in some ways that people don't really know

about the Easter story. They don't really know

about the symbolism of what we're doing.

This is the roller-coaster ride of the Vicar Academy.

We've been given unique access behind the scenes

for an entire year at the Church in Wales' own college

for training vicars.

These students will face a unique set of challenges.

A third of the clergy are about to retire.

Congregations have dwindled and buildings have closed.

A major part of their three year degree is Bible studies,

which they need to know chapter and verse.

Assess the presentation of Jesus' relationship

-with Roman authority in the gospel.

-Something else.

Third-year student Steven is one of many facing the final test,

and he has a rather unusual solution to the challenge.

-I've forgotten it all.

-There you go. It's everything you need.

-You're not taking that in with you.

-That's just rumours

-that you can't take notes in with you.

-Is it?

-Yeah. You can take the Bible in as well.

And if bending the rules fails, there's always divine intervention.

THEY PRAY

But the students are also expected to be familiar

with all the practical aspects of the role of the vicar as well.

Today a group from the college are visiting Thornhill Crematorium,

to get an understanding of the practicalities of the funeral service,

and to make sure they don't make any mistakes when it matters most.

Roger Swann, the Crematorium Manager,

shows the students round, and points out those all-important buttons.

You just press the playback on there and the hymn will start playing

all the way through and stop by itself.

The schedule then will jump down ready for the next hymn

or piece of music to play. And also then when you're ready for the curtains

it's just pressing down on the button there,

and the curtains will close around the coffin that's on the trolley there.

Some people aren't keen on seeing that at the end of the service

and then having to get up and walk away like that.

They prefer the coffin to still be visible.

What has second-year student Huw Bryant got out of today's visit?

We've got to get used to coming to these places

and know our way round them and know what happens,

cos when you visit the families they may have questions as well.

So it's just part of the development of that.

Like knowing where the buttons are and which ones to push,

showing that there was two different controllers there.

You don't want to close the curtains when you're supposed to be starting the hymn.

To get an understanding of how the religious and the practical

come together, the students are also sent on placements to schools,

hospitals and care homes, where they're mentored

and assessed by experienced clergy.

Steve Bunting is under the close eye of none other than

the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon.

Single dad of three Steve has to juggle family commitments

with study at the college.

He's also turned his back on a successful career as a banker

to become a vicar.

These are my employee of the month trophies.

It's just a reminder to me that

this was another life before the one I'm leading now.

With Easter being one of the busiest times of the year for the clergy,

Steve's getting a taste of the hectic schedule of a bishop.

Today he's finding out about a modern twist

on the traditional Easter story.

This morning we're in Swansea Market in Swansea city centre,

and it's Maundy Thursday, which is the day where we remember

that Jesus washed his disciples' feet at the Last Supper,

which we'll celebrate in church tonight.

Traditionally we wash people's feet cos that's what Jesus did

at the Last Supper. But here in Swansea, the bishop and myself

are here shining people's shoes instead of washing their feet.

As part of that we're asking for donations for the Lent Appeal

charities, like Maggie's Cancer Care, things like that.

So people get attracted to see a bishop in his purple robes

washing people's feet, well, shining their shoes.

-There we go.

-Thank you very much.

It's not long before Steve is rolling up his sleeves

and following the bishop's example.

If you just come round here.

There we are, let's have this one.

Good as new, look.

-You'll need to find somebody to take you out tonight now.

-That's lovely.

-Thank you.

-Now worries. Christianity tends to do a lot of things behind closed doors,

and it's not the way Jesus did it and it's not the way

we should be doing it, so we should be taking this opportunity

to be out in the city centre, being seen, being faithful,

doing active service to attract people and then people

might be encouraged to go along to their local church tonight.

Don't think, hang on, hang on, don't you get away with it,

come here, you. You can have these done as well. Aw-w!

Go out dancing. There we are.

Look at them. As good as new.

But what does the bishop make of Steve's efforts?

He's somebody with a very good public face.

He mixes well with people, he's also got a love for the faith

deep in his heart, but he demonstrates that through

getting involved with people where they are and that's essential.

Yeah, it's been successful. We've had quite a lot of people coming through.

Lots of opportunities to chat to people.

We've had people from Swansea, people from Devon,

people from Minnesota.

Most people are quite interested in what we're doing.

I suppose it concerns me in some ways that people don't really

know about the Easter story.

They don't really know about the symbolism of what we're doing.

People have come over and asked why is he doing that.

For me that gives us an opportunity,

it's all an opportunity to be able to tell people.

So, the less people know, the more opportunity we've got to tell them.

So it's all good.

In a previous life, Steve was used to handling larger sums of money,

but the contents of the charity box probably means more to him

today than any big deals in his former career.

Back in Cardiff, plain-speaking Roz is not the average trainee vicar,

and recently she's had her doubts about staying on the course.

It'd just be so much easier just to do something different.

Prop forward Roz has thrown herself into the world of the rugby club

to get away from her college doubts.

But sometimes her troubles on the course spill over onto the pitch.

Some training sessions I get really annoyed at myself

cos I won't be able to train properly cos I'm frustrated about whatever.

We had a match, it was my first time propping.

I'd had a really stressful day...

It's on Sunday, you know, so what happens in church sometimes can reflect.

I think it was a...

I didn't enjoy the service or I disagreed with what was said

or something had happened, and I was just like...

when I got to the match I just couldn't switch on.

I was so annoyed. The best way to be is to leave everything

and just be playing the game.

While the match starts off well, things don't all go Roz's way,

and she has to make an early exit.

I got my first yellow card in the last ten minutes of the game.

Er...just took out somebody around the neck,

which you're not meant to do. I didn't mean to.

Sitting on the sidelines, she has time to think.

For me at the moment rugby's kind of my staple, it's my reason to be here.

It gives me a purpose. College doesn't do that for me.

Like, at the moment, realistically, I've got no purpose in the church,

and it's just like, well, I'll go somewhere where I've got

a purpose and that, you know, gets translated into this kind of thing.

So far, there's nothing that's inspiring about wanting to get

ordained in what I've done.

There is, cos you're obviously around all these amazing people

who are doing. But I don't feel that I've got a meaning right now.

In Cardiff prison, Huw's also had time to reflect.

His rebellious past, filled with youthful run-ins with the police

and protest marches around the country could have

brought him to a place like this under different circumstances.

If I'd been born in a different place, would that be me in there?

I mean, you look around the prison and you just think,

"There but for the grace of God goes you or I."

Now he's under the supervision of mentor Mark John, an experienced

chaplain at the prison.

From day one, Huw has shown his nerves, but also

a willingness to put himself out there.

Mark wants to see if Huw can cope with the demands of the prison,

and has arranged for him to do an induction - a one to one

interview with a prisoner on his arrival at the jail.

What I thought would be a good thing is for you to help us

with one of those induction interviews. You've seen me do a couple

and you've seen some other bits and pieces.

The prisoner you're about to see is someone I know quite well.

He's been in and out of here a lot of times.

You'll probably feel a bit nervous going through the questions, probably a bit awkward.

I just want you to go into his cell there with him now. I'll leave you to it,

and you see what information you can get out of him, OK?

-OK.

-Happy?

-As I'm going to be.

Right.

-Nice to meet you.

-Huw from the chaplaincy.

We'll just run through some of these questions on here.

-Were you working before you came in?

-Erm...no, no.

Erm...cos I'm one of the detox script Subutex.

-It's like, I suppose, still using. You're not liable to work.

-Methadone?

No, it's similar to that, but, like, Subutex is, erm...

like, methadone you can use on top and I was scared I would.

-Ah.

-So, Subutex, as soon as that dissolves under your tongue...

-Yeah?

..you CAN use. Best way to describe is, you know the Ready Brek advert

with the little kid with the glow around him?

It's like that with me. I've got an invisible protection barrier around me.

-It's quite a new thing.

-Yeah. I'll have to look that one up.

It's all a learning curve for Huw,

but there are some experiences from his past that he's happy

to share with the prisoners in order to make a personal connection.

I was on a scheme with the probation,

voluntary pilot scheme, where they give you a tag around your leg

and they can monitor you if they need to 24 hours a day from a computer.

They can find out where you are three feet in front of you,

three feet behind you and three feet to the side of you with this tag.

Yeah, I had a mate who was on one before.

They always used to drag him out his house to set it off.

Yeah, that's a different one. That's a curfew one.

-This is one that just tracks you everywhere?

-24/7.

So if they come and said, "Right, you done a burglary,

"at the beginning of the month at so and so,"

they can go back on the computer, the team in probation,

and say, no it wasn't him, or yes, it was him.

If there is any help you do need, then, you know,

I hope you do feel you can ask

and anyone in the chaplaincy team will come over and have a chat.

Yeah, I know that, yeah, yeah. Is Sister Yvonne still there?

Sister Yvonne? Yeah, I think she is still around.

-She was the first one there when my daughter died.

-Oh, right.

Even thought I was out and I tried to save her,

five days later I went silly, got stupid drunk.

I've never drunk to this day since,

but I found myself in here for a week.

It's all right, that's one of the things I got done for.

Well, we all have our flaws.

We all get done for something at some point.

Again Huw's unfazed by sharing details of past experiences

to gain trust and to build bridges.

I'm in here for the week, but, you know, as you said,

I might see you outside. But Mark will be here all the time anyway.

-Thank you.

-Thanks very much.

-Thanks very much, mate.

-Cheers.

-Thank you. Bye.

He seems to know the system better than I do

and I think he was teaching me half the time.

They need help, not locking up.

So, hopefully between chaplaincy and then when they get out,

not just churches, but secular charities as well,

maybe we can do some good and help break the cycle.

Having spent the morning polishing shoes for charity with the bishop,

Steve's travelled to Brecon Cathedral for a more traditional

take on Maundy Thursday.

Whilst fundraising in Swansea market provided a modern way

of getting out to the community,

the evening service shows Steve the traditional side of the church.

I've taken part in small cathedral services

but never a service of this size and this kind of...fussiness,

for want of a better phrase. I'm doing various bits and pieces,

I'm serving at the, erm...thurifer.

And I'm washing feet and having feet washed. All in one service.

This is brand new for me. I'm quite excited about it.

The service is one of the most poignant during Easter,

and involves members of the congregation having their feet washed.

With the incense and choir, it's a million miles

from Steve's more modern church background.

There is something very poignant about kneeling down on the floor

and washing somebody's feet, you know.

Obviously that's what Jesus did, you're mimicking his actions

and it is quite humbling to do that.

I suppose before the service you have a bit of a laugh and a joke about,

you know, "Have you washed your feet?" Messing about, that kind of thing.

But when you're actually doing it, it is a fairly sombre thing to do.

It's really great to be part of the drama of the occasion.

I think it has been a contrast, cos one minute you're in the market

shoe-shining and having an opportunity to speak to the public.

And then in the evening you're in an ancient building

with members of the public, just celebrating in a solemn way.

Re-enacting Jesus, the Last Supper

and it is quite a striking balance, really.

It's the two aims of what we do as a church.

We come together in the church building to celebrate

parts of Jesus' life and then we go out to do things

and to tell people about Jesus' life.

So, they're both the dual purpose of the church, really.

At Cardiff prison, Huw's started to put his nerves to the back of his mind.

Chaplain and mentor Mark wants to see evidence of him

working independently during his rounds of the health-care

centre as part of his next test.

You coping all right, like?

Having been encouraged to look for signs of vulnerability or

distress, Huw spots a prisoner who's at the end of his tether

and decides to take the initiative.

-Mark, is it all right for me to go in?

-It is. Yep, no problem.

Of course it is.

'Huw's just doing his ordinary rounds.

'Getting more confident as he's been going on and now, he just called me

'to open a call door for him because he hasn't got keys, he can't get in.'

And there's a prisoner who is in quite a lot of distress, so he's spending some time.

That's the perfect thing in this experience.

He was saying to me before, "I haven't got much experience.

"I find these sort of things difficult."

The only way you get experience is to sit down.

I noticed the way he was sat in there, his body language was

very open and laid-back and allowing the guy to talk to him.

So, hopefully again he's doing my work for me, which is nice.

But he'll gain experience which will equip him well in the future.

The poor lad's cracking up in there,

cos he just doesn't know what's going on.

And obviously, what he says he did

and what the charge sheet says might be different.

Got to take everything with a pinch of salt.

But...he's still in a mess and he still needs us

to go in and check on him.

Sometimes they just need reminding that there are people out there

who care and they have got something to look forward to, to live for.

And try and get to focus on the positive of the future that they

might have, if they can sort themselves out.

Rather than going over the past in a downwards spiral continuously.

With some early successes under his belt, Mark wants to see

if Huw can pass one last test before he gives his final

verdict at the end of the day.

As part of the course, the students are expected to

take on the role of Deacon in services,

looking after many of the practical elements.

Sometimes special guests are invited, and today is

particularly nerve-wracking for the student at centre stage.

The Archbishop of Canterbury

and the Archbishop of Wales are visiting the college.

And all the responsibility is on second-year Lorraine's shoulders.

When we got the rotas out at the beginning of term, I looked at the rota

and realised that I was deaconing this service, which is normally fine.

But actually the Archbishop of Canterbury's coming,

as well as the Archbishop of Wales, for this service.

So, it's quite a big service to be organising

and it represents the college, so...I wanted it to be a good service

that properly represented the college and all the diversity that we've got.

There are plenty of last minute preparations to ensure that

everyone knows their part,

and the clocks ticking for the arrival of the main guests.

I was nervous first thing this morning. I'm OK at the moment.

But I know I'm not very good at small talk,

so I'm really nervous about

doing small talk with the archbishops, and also I'm

singing the psalm and my voice always wobbles when I'm nervous.

So, I'm hoping that is going to be OK.

As the two archbishops prepare for their part in the service,

Lorraine keeps a keen eye on proceedings

while she tries to control her emotions.

I'm starting to get really nervous, now...

now Archbishop Rowan and Archbishop Barry are here.

I keep looking at my notes and thinking, "What am I going to forget"?

It's good to be with you here this morning

and it's especially good that Archbishop Rowan is with us.

And it's also meant that I don't have to preach this morning,

as I was due to do, because he is going to preach the sermon.

-Yn enw'r Tad a'r Mab a'r Ysbryd Glan.

-Amen.

There's no hiding place for Lorraine, but will her

singing voice betray her nerves as she steps up to sing the psalm?

SONG: "PSALM 51"

# Have mercy on me, O God

# And cleanse me for my sins

# Have mercy on me, O God

# And cleanse me for my sins. #

With the psalm having gone well, Lorraine

and the rest of the students can sit back and listen to

a specially tailored sermon from the Archbishop of Canterbury.

I used to teach in a theological college,

and indeed I was in a theological college.

Some people feel their spiritual life goes to pieces once

they're ordained.

But what all that is about, of course, is that the pressure

of being in Christ is always taking us in the direction of Christ.

"Where he is, his servants will be."

Trying to learn how to trust that he is ahead of us,

even when we don't see the way.

And trying to trust that he is at work in us,

even when we can't begin to see how.

I've never done with believing in God.

I've never fully learned how to believe in God.

Every day of my life, I am learning how to believe in God.

May God help us in our ministries, to enable the world to "get" Jesus,

to see the mystery exploding to the ends of the earth,

penetrating every corner of the human experience.

Amen.

The end of the service is an opportunity for the students

to take advantage of the ultimate Anglican photo opportunity,

and for Lorraine to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

I'm really glad it's over. It's such a relief.

I really enjoyed the service. It was really good.

I would be looking forward to a glass of wine,

except I've given it up for Lent.

And as Lorraine celebrates without alcohol, both archbishops think

back to their own college days at a very different time.

I was in theological college 40 years ago, believe it or not.

And what amazes me is it never crossed my mind that there

were no women training for ministry.

And since then, of course, I'm convinced that that's the right way.

And I think it's been a very interesting trend in the last five

to ten years that the average age does seem to have gone down again.

And that's important in role-modelling for younger Christians.

It's important in getting the sense that we have people

who are taking a long view.

They're prepared to be giving the rest of what could be quite a long ministry.

And before they disappear, there's just time for God's team photo with

both captains at centre stage.

In Cardiff prison, it's time for a quick fag break.

Huw is really getting the hang of things,

but mentor Mark wants him to face his toughest test.

On a previous day, Mark had to break the news of the death

of a grandmother to a prisoner, and now it's Huw's turn to follow it up.

In terms of the guy with the bereavement,

really just check up how the week's been, how he's feeling.

Does he know when the funeral is? Get the information off him.

Very straightforward. You don't need no expertise to do that.

You can go on 101 courses about how you do bereavement counselling

or whatever, but it's actually just listening to the guy

and responding to what he's saying and how he's feeling.

So, I just don't want to cock it up. Something like that...

He seemed quite willing for you to talk to him.

So, he's not going to do something that somebody doesn't want to do or whatever.

Just checking up. It's just what we do naturally, after a couple of days.

Just check up on someone and see how they are.

You can mess up 101 things as a vicar,

but you mess up a funeral or a bereavement...

You know that, so you won't, will you? You won't. You're not overconfident.

It's overconfidence that does it.

With apparent nerves, Huw faces his most challenging test,

and one he feels ill-prepared to deal with.

He knows full well that all his previous good work will

count for nothing if he makes a mess of this.

-We'll just have a chat with you, all right?

-All right.

Sorry, I know it's a difficult situation for you, but it's useful

for my training to see how you deal with things like that in here.

-Because, it's not easy, is it?

-It's not, no.

It's just one of them things that you've got to deal with

when you're in here.

You can't ask to go out, because they won't let you out. So, basically, the funeral's tomorrow.

Everyone's a bit sad about it.

I have a visit with my brothers tomorrow in here and we'll have a chat

and take it from there.

So, all you do is buckle down and get on with it.

Cos she was ill, she had cancer of the throat and various other things.

It doesn't matter how expected it is, once you get that news.

It is hard. I was shocked.

But I knew it was something up when I seen the card on the door.

It was bad news.

I knew something would have been happening with my grandmother.

I can't do anything, I'm just upset, depressed.

Can't sleep for the last couple of days, thinking of what's going on.

All my cousins are going to be there.

Uncles, aunties, they're all going to be at the funeral.

And I'm going to be in here.

Stuck in for another six weeks until I go back.

So, it's just six weeks you've got, as well?

-So, at least it's not too long.

-No, it's not too long.

It feels like an eternity when you're doing it, I'm sure.

My father said, "Look, when you get out,

"make sure you go and see her grave and put some flowers on it."

That's what I'll be doing, anyway.

I will pray for her and light a candle,

say goodbye in my own way, because it is tomorrow.

And that's all I can do.

-And I'll say a couple of prayers myself, you know.

-Thank you very much.

With some of the most difficult encounters at the prison

under his belt, Huw's placement finally comes to an end.

But what does he make of the experience,

and would Mark welcome him back with open arms?

-Well done, Huw.

-Thank you, very much.

-Thank you very much.

If you ever want to be a prison chaplain, come and see me.

Well, I might see if I can come back for another placement, maybe.

It has been good to have you here. We've had a good time and I hope you've enjoyed yourself.

Thanks very much. Cheers. Bye.

'It's going to take quite a while to process it all, I think.'

You've got the extremes.

You've got the guy whose grandmother died

and he just gets on with it, brave face on.

Whereas, you open another cell and say, "Hello - chaplain,

"how are you getting on", and they just burst into tears.

You just got the generic question of how do you deal with grown men crying?

If he was working in Cardiff, I would be happy for him to come

and work in Cardiff prison with me.

I just feel that at this stage in his ministry,

he feels called to work in a rural environment

and that's something that he should treasure and get on with.

We have to deal with the fact that we are there for everybody

and regardless of whether they're a Christian, as well.

The Anglican church is probably unique in that a parish system,

we are there for everybody.

We have legal duties to everybody in Britain...

..regardless of what they think of us.

As the Easter term comes to an end, rugby-loving Roz is trying to

make the toughest decision of her life -

whether she's going to stay on the course.

Today she's come to a conference that may allow her to combine

her twin passions - God and rugby.

There's a serious need for sports chaplains, say.

And they're trying to spread it out

and get as many people involved as possible.

I think there's a serious need for pastoral support

and just a caring person who's there, who's neutral.

Not part of the coaching team, there purely for the holistic

needs of the players, at the amateur or professional level.

It's my great loves all boiled into one thing.

So, if I can fulfil that, I'd be just really happy.

For Roz, there's just one big drawback to

sports chaplaincy - it's currently not a career funded by the church.

It's not a full-time job,

unfortunately the church hasn't always been sport savvy.

It would be great to just do voluntary work all the time,

but it doesn't pay the bills.

Whilst the day has been a success for making contacts within

sports chaplaincy, time is ticking for Roz.

The college authorities need a decision, and she's going to

have to think long and hard over the next few days.

Next time,

the students let their hair down at the end of year celebrations...

..Roz comes to a final conclusion...

I don't think this is necessarily the wrong or the right thing, but it's a decision.

..and for those who get their dog collars, what's life

really like in the church?

It was brilliant, I really, really enjoyed it.

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