anglican focus

The news site of the Anglican Church Southern Queensland: nourishing and connecting our faith community

Clergy wellbeing

Rebecca McLean pictured with Donna Thistlethwaite from Mentally Wellthy, The Rev'd Quinn Humphreys and The Rev'd Peter Jeffrey at Mental Health First Aid training at St Francis College in June 2023
Spotlight Q&A

Q&A with ACSQ Wellbeing and Development Officer, mum, former Sunday School teacher and Swizzle Stick sherbet fan, Rebecca McLean

Meet Rebecca McLean and find out about her current projects and activities, personal faith journey, secret skill, favourite hymn and what scent makes her nostalgic

Reflections

International Buy a Priest a Beer Day 2022

“All people like to be appreciated for their service and work. And, our clergy work really hard as they fulfill their unique calls to ordained ministry – whether in parish, chaplaincy, pastoral care, advocacy, Episcopal, theological education and managerial spaces,” says Wellbeing and Development Officer Rebecca McLean

Reflections

Finding the fountain of youth in retirement

“There was no set date for my retirement. No celebration. No intentional, ‘Now I begin a new stage of my life!’ Perhaps it was my decision not to continue lecturing at St Francis College that led to my retirement. I think receiving my Pensioner Concession Card was the clincher. Nevertheless, I simply morphed into retirement and I’m loving it,” says The Rev’d Dr Carol Hebron

Features

How do you “frame” your weekly day off from ministry?

“A common emerging theme in these chats is that clergy feel that the demands on their time exceed the number of hours in a day, but that being disciplined about their weekly day off is essential to their wellbeing. What I’ve subsequently discovered is that clergy conceive their day off in different ways – in ways that are uniquely authentic and nourishing,” says Wellbeing and Development Officer Rebecca McLean from the Parishes and Other Mission Agencies Commission