The life and work of a Chaplain

Chaplaincy is often the unseen ministry, quietly and sensitively bringing God crisis and the lives of vulnerable people or people at the most vulnerable times of their lives.

We spoke to a university chaplain, LGBT+ chaplain and prison chaplain. Here they give us special insights into their daily work.

Rev’d Belinda Huxtable-Goy is a chaplain for Cardiff University. She said:

As university chaplains we are in a privileged position, sent by our Church seen as the face of the Church, not employed by the University but present in the community this means we can connect with people in a unique way. This includes dog walks, lunches, and services. Everyday there are opportunities to speak and meet people. Chaplaincy is very much about being present, being seen and being known.

Rev’d Belinda Huxtable-Goy

The beauty of chaplaincy is that you are at the service of the other in its truest sense. You have to embrace vulnerability. You can’t change the situation, but you can embrace all that a person offers, listening deeply and drawing upon God’s spirit in that moment.

As a chaplain you sit in the gap in between, on the periphery or margin but also in the midst of ordinary everyday life. We engage daily with people most of whom profess to have no faith, may not be necessarily looking for us but we are looking out for them.

Being a chaplain encourages creativity and calls for flexibility, it can be challenging but it’s so rewarding to be with people in the messiness of life and to bring hope in a sometimes-dark world.

Gareth tells a story demonstrating how important chaplaincy is to an individual and their journey:

“Will I be safe?”. That was the first question Grant (not his real name) asked me when I phoned him after he’d submitted an online-referral form for the LGBTQ+ Chaplaincy. Is that something you ask yourself before heading off to church on a Sunday morning?

Rev'd Gareth Rayner-Williams

Grant had found faith during COVID. He’d never attended church before, but now he wanted to give it a go. “I want to belong”, he said, but he was afraid that it would not be safe to do so. And “If I do go, would it be better to pretend I don’t have a partner?”.

Grant apologised multiple times for his questions, worried that I might find them rude and disrespectful. I assured him that the LGBTQ+ Chaplaincy exists to find you a safe and dignified place in the Diocese of Llandaff. A place where you will be loved and welcomed, and your partner with you.

This is a new ministry in the Diocese of Llandaff – one of radical welcome and deep pastoral kindness. The Chaplains work professionally and carefully to help those who make contact with us know that they are deeply loved and welcome and that they will be safe (we will make sure of that).

The chaplain for Cardiff HM prison is the Rev’d Nick Sandford:

Prisons exist to keep society safe both by keeping people in Custody and preparing them to lead law abiding lives in the community. As Chaplains we believe that Faith has a role to play in this. Everybody who comes into prison has a right to practice their faith and it is our responsibility to ensure that this is carried out. We run weekly services or meditation groups as well as faith classes so that men can learn about their faith.

Research shows that if you give somebody hope that they can change their lives it can give them the motivation to change. But we all need support and faith communities can offer the support that men need when they leave prison. Those who feel connected to others in a (non-criminal) community are more likely to stay away from crime.

The Gospels tell us that forgiveness is open to all and none of us is written off by God no matter how often we offend and we try to put this into practice with the men that we meet every day. The best joy in our work is when the men leave us and don’t come back.