MT & D ???
There’s nothing we Anglicans like so much as naming things a bunch of initials! Unfortunately, it can sometimes then leave us confused as to what those things actually are. I’d love to share with you a bit about the ministry of MT&D Wives and invite you to join us and/or pray for us.
Jocelyn Loane is on the organising committee for MT&D Wives. She’s married to Ed and has been a ministry wife in parish, in a theological college and lately in a university college.
MT&D stands for Ministry Training and Development and refers to the program the Anglican Diocese of Sydney runs for newly ordained deacons for their first three years. Alongside this, we run a program for the wives of any of these deacons to support them in their first years in ministry in this new role.
Being a ministry wife has so many unique joys and challenges, and there is great benefit in being able to support and love each other as we seek to serve God and navigate this position. The role will look very different for every wife, but we share many things in common. We aim to provide a place for supportive and prayerful relationships among wives. We also run a program of excellent speakers who provide Biblical reflection and practical encouragement. The topics addressed vary each year, but we try to focus on things that will be particularly relevant to the minister’s wife.
We meet four times a year on a Friday morning during school term at Toongabbie Anglican, from 9.30am-1:00pm, with a small creche. Typically, we spend the first hour of the morning as a large group listening to a talk. Then, there is (a very large and delicious!) morning tea followed by time in small groups to discuss the talk and share and pray together. The small groups are divided into which year of the program you fall. They are facilitated by experienced ministry wives.
It can feel a bit intimidating to come along and join a group, especially if you didn’t know anyone very well prior to your husband being ordained. It might also be a very long schlep to get to Toongabbie from wherever you are in the Diocese! But I would really encourage you to make the effort to come along in these first few years. The group I starting meeting with thirteen years ago still gets together once a term to pray for each other and has been such a rich support through all the ups and downs of ministry life.
Last year, we spent some time thinking about emotions in ministry. The last talk of the year was on the little discussed topic of ‘Lament’ by Jane Tooher. I found it such a helpful talk. Jane showed us how the Bible gives us the language of lament to give voice to the strong emotions that believers feel in times of suffering. She shared how we have this Biblical pattern of being able to turn to God, voice our complaint and ask of him… but then leading us to a place of trust. Watch her talk below. Jane Tooher is on the faculty of Moore Theological College.
If you’re in your first three years of ministry, post-college - we’d love to see you. Or if you know someone who is, we’d love you to encourage them to join us. MT&D Wives kicks off for 2021 on March 12.
Find more information here. Or on Facebook at ‘MT&D Wives’.