Finding a Substitute

My recent long break was the first time I've been in the position of leaving the parish to its own devices without any ordained person around. Previously, so far as services are concerned, I could leave our curate Marion to do the lions' share and call in an odd favour or two to make sure she wasn't overburdened. This time, Swanvale Halt has no curate, so lots of favours had to be called on. My stand-ins this time were an ordained couple who are on the staff of Hilltop and are always happy to come to us; an NSM from a neighbouring parish; Catherine, who used to be a member of our congregation before her ordination and now looks after a tiny church nearby; and Colin, chaplain of a public school for whom I have done several weddings and whose chapel I've agreed to preach in later in the year. Just as well, as his was the biggest favour: I wanted him to cover a baptism for a couple who were anxious to have their son baptised before his second birthday and had already delayed the service twice due to plague. Just as knotty a matter as the services is Church Club at the Infants School: for that, I roped in the families worker from Hornington Baptist Church who to my relief found the children 'delightful' and apparently had them acting out the story of David being chosen as King of Israel - not his fight with Goliath, that could have got dangerous.

Parishes in need of a priest to cover a service can always apply to the Register of Clergy on Call, but if they do, they have to pay them the standard fees and expenses. For the period of my holiday, as I worked out the duties, doing that would have cost us £231 rather than the four bottles of wine and a box of chocolates it did, and I'd rather have people I know looking after the congregation, in any case.

As I was in the middle of trying to arrange the cover, the Area Dean reminded me that we'd agreed as a Deanery not to approach people individually, but to send out a general request for help through the Chapter secretary. I thought nobody would respond if I did that, but complied. Nobody responded. Thankfully Catherine and Colin aren't in the Deanery.