![]() I enjoyed his tussles with that unhelpful dogmatism that insecure people adopt in the name of clarity and firmness. Through the ebb and flow of parish life and the everyday business of the Church, he confronts where necessary and takes his opportunities of teaching discipleship every bit as effectively as any programmatic approach. What gave me greatest pleasure in this book was to see how often Wilbourne manages to rise above that implied criticism. Finding little or nothing of that, they might wonder if this is just soap opera with added religion. And they cut him a bit of slack: “You modern clergy may be a bit wet but at least you’re kind.”Ī visitor from today’s Church would probably ask about the five-year strategic mission plan, the discipleship and education programme, the encouraging of the ministry of the laity. Their hard-won faith and the way they put it into practice shames mine.”Īs pastoral clergy have done through the ages, he shares the lives of his people - the humour and the tragedy. And they in turn recognise that, whatever his inexperience, he is the “genuine article”. Wilbourne loves people and simply enjoys being with them. Passion for ministry shines through every page of this book. In short, it’s part Kilvert, part Rev., and part The Vicar of Dibley. Indeed, James Herriot has a cameo role as a local celebrity. ![]() It’s a sort of James Herriot of rural ministry. Youthful inexperience, energy, and enthusiasm meet the stolid characters of Yorkshire country life. DAVID WILBOURNE has written a charming account of his years as the new vicar in a Yorkshire country town.
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