Some Aussie youth workers discovered this site and interviewed the author...
STEVE, WE GOT TO HEAR OF YOU THROUGH YOUR WEB SITE. WHAT ELSE ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?
Well, first of all, the web site started as a bit of a hobby. I had space and a few articles and wanted to test my writing skills. It was for fun and I never thought anybody would ever visit the site! However, I am now in touch with the world through it and am having to relaunch a bigger better site (that which you are now in!!!!)and try to think more strategically about what I am doing it for. It has proved to be a great tool for ministry in the most lucky way. I of course use "luck" with it's full theological meaning. What I do is not at all computer based. Indeed I am thankful to the voluntary work that Andrew Kyle used to do and that is now done by Gareth Dunlop whose own site is well worth a visit (see under links - leviathan).
I am an ordained minister within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, where at present I am based in a Hall of Residence at Queen's University, Belfast. I have 87 students and my wife, daughter and I live on site and try to minister, pastor and develop community. I also do a weekly radio show on BBC Radio Ulster and try to write some poetry. I am involved in the music scene where I try to encourage artists to develop their gifts and abilities and that has led to my involvement in the Greenbelt Art's Festival. Wow! No wonder my wife complains about the time I give my family!
TELL US ABOUT YOUR TRAINING TREVOR SEMINARS.
Training Trevor is a Youth leadership training day that the Presbyterian Youth Board has run annually for the past four years. I have been on the planning group for that and have done seminars at the first three(went to the States this year - family!!!!)There are maybe 500 - 1000 youth leaders who come together from all over Ireland. The first year my seminar was very much about creative multimedia evangelism but my second one on disillusionment seemed to strike a nerve and I not only repeated it the following year but have been speaking and writing about it ever since.
IT COMES THROUGH STRONGLY IN YOUR WRITING THAT YOU FEEL A BURDEN FOR YOUNG PEOPLE DISILLUSIONED WITH THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH. HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THAT POINT?
Abit like the web site, by luck, default or a higher plan depending again on your theology! Basicly getting involved with artists, mainly musicians, I began to move in circles of young Christians who did not fit in easily to Church life. In wanting to be a fan or friend or help to them I became the link with the church for some of them. My heart for them made me commit myself to them and my heart for the Church made me want to build bridges back into the Church for them. They are so talented and the Church so badly needs them. And they need the Church for some kind of stability and even that at the very least for one hour a week they stop to think "God".
HOW DO YOU TREAD THE PRECARIOUS GROUND BETWEEN WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT THE CHURCH AND WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE DESIRES OF YOUNG PEOPLE?
Treaded precariously! I do believe that the Church is about all ages, and all of that, and that young people need to compromise too. I often tell young people that they need to understand the church elders who probably grew up in a world that change was a foreign thing, whereas young people know and expect change as an everyday occurence. I do try to open the eyes of young people as to why the problem exists and sympathise with the older people in their dilemma.
However, the older folk are supposedly the mature in the faith and therefore I expect more from them in the bridging of the gap. I remember being somewhere where a man said that older people might not be comfortable with some of the changes I was suggesting. That is a general response. Well that is an easy response to respond to. There is nowhere in the entire Bible from Genesis to Revalation where the Christian life is comfortable for anyone. It is all about sacrifice and indeed taking up our crosses daily for the salvation and spiritual well being of others.
For a long time I would have been seen as too critical of the Church and was asked before speaking some places to "go easy on the Church". Again I find this rather unBiblical. The prophets, the New Testament writers, Jesus himself was pretty critical of the apathy, irrelevance and lethargy of the people of God. So as you can tell I do not miss and hit the wall!!!!!!!!!!!
ALTHOUGH IT IS WELL KNOWN IN THE CHRISTIAN SCENE IN THE UK, THE GREENBELT FESTIVAL IS NOT WELL KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD. COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT THE FESTIVAL, THE EFFECT IT HAS HAD ON THE CHURCH YOUTH SCENE AND YOUR ROLE IN IT.
Greenbelt is 25 years old and is a four day arts festival taking place in England each summer. It had it's origins in the Christian music scene of the early 70's and still has a foot in that world with recent years seeing bands like DC Talk, Newsboys, Jars Of Clay and All Star United playing. We have, though, moved out from that and see ourselves as a place to support Chrsitians in the real world as opposed to the too easily ghettoised Christian scene. Thus we've had Midnight Oil, Moby and Bruce Cockburn as well as guest acts like Mike Scott from The Waterboys and The Sneaker Pimps.
It has become much more than music too. Every aspect of the arts is present and we have a seminar programme running all day with speakers like Mike Yacconelli, Tony Campolo, Tom Sine and your Australians like John Smith and Dave Andrews. Radical speakers who are keen to see how the word of God caresses and collides with modern culture.
I think for me and for many like me Greenbelt has been a place where I have found it safe to question and to seek relevance and creativity and imagination about my faith. It certainly deeply effected my ministry in looking out from my safe little Church background. I think there are many like me who have been encouraged to risk and live dangerously applying faith to every aspect of our society.
I have been on the Board for two years, booking the bands. There has just been a restructure so I am off the Board now and part of the Planning committee, still booking the bands. Just booked my all time hero Bruce Cockburn. I'll keep you all in touch with latest bookings as they come in!!!!!!!!!!! If you fancy a holiday in Pomland next summer then July30-August 1st in Cheltenham.
WHO COMPRISES YOUR RADIO AUDIENCE?
Actually it is a hugely varied age range from the teens through to octoganarians. Musically it is very much aimed at a younger audience though I think late 20s and early thirties would probably be most comfortable with it. Rich Mullins, Bruce Cockburn are regulars along with REM, U2 and the Christian acts like All Star United, The Vigilantes Of Love. Many of my older fans tell me how much they love the show but hate the music!!!!! I realised early on that it was the chat as much as the music that people wanted, so basicly I have taken themes each week and sermonetted using the music to hang it all on. The audience has picked up quite alot in the two and half years I've been doing it. I am very encouraged. Tapes have even found their way to people Stateside and influencial folk have been very kind with their encouragement
YOU ARE INVOLVED AS DEAN OF RESIDENCE AT QUEEN'S UNIVESITY, BELFAST. HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE THE GOSPEL IN A UNIVERSITY SETTING?
I have a wonderful job. Basicly I get to be a student without the lectures, essays and exams! As I said earlier, we work specifically with 87 students who live with us in a purpose built Hall. I obviously try to reach out into the wider University context but I see these 87 students as my parish. To live and minister in community is such a wonderful thing. I get to throw out Christian truth at our events and then I get to wrestle out the implications of it over coffee, in kitchens, tv room, over pool tables etc, the rest of the week. I have to say that I would get frustarted now just haveing an hour on a Sunday and a midweek prayer meeting with my people. You can only do so much. the word needs spoken but also needs to become flesh and that is what we get to do.
Many of our students would be Chrsitians and I see my task as taking them from the relative shelter of home and Youth Fellowship life and developing their thinking towards the rest of life. It is a very vital time when they are moving from what home believed to what they believe. We provoke and inspire through various creative events to open the word into their world.
We do have those who are not believers living with us too and I have found it interesting that quite a few have come to faith, not because we have done anything specifically evangelical but because we have tried to live out our faith among them with vitality, honesty and integrity. I am writing an article for the Web site at present and for a magazine here based on a seminar I gave last year at another Conference here in Ireland called New Horizon. It had the title "Is what they are hearing what we are saying" and I base it around the premise that missions are a public confession of our failure to evangelise. We are bad at getting involved with people and being salt and light to them so because we have hidden are lights under bushels we than have to suddenly take off the bushel once every few years, erect a tent and hope that those we haven't contacted will come to hear us shouting at them. If we were truely living as disciples of Christ we'd be so involved in everyday evangelism that we 'd have no time to plan such events.
IN ONE OF YOUR ARTICLES YOU CLEVERLY ADAPTED PAUL'S ACTS 17 SERMON, REPLACING PAUL'S QUOTING OF GREEK PHILOSOPHERS WITH LYRICS FROM THE SPICE GIRLS. IT SEEMS THAT YOU ALSO FEEL THAT PART OF YOUR MISSION IS TO APPLY A NON HYSTERICAL CRITIQUE OF CURRENT YOUTH CULTURE. HOW HAS THIS MESSAGE BEEN RECEIVED BY YOUNG PEOPLE WHEN YOU MENTION THINGS LIKE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY LEVIS SPEND TO SELL JEANS TO THEM?
Well there is no doubt that I am seen as being very culturally aware even maybe to the point that I'm seen as trying to compromise the faith. However, I am not slow to tell young people that the Gospel is opposed to culture in so many ways. In what school is the wee square boy in the corner deemed to be first and the beauty queen or sports star seen as last? In a very image related society I think eating disorders and inferiority complexes among girls needs to be tackled head on as a disease our socity has thrust on them.
So I am strong on the critique of culture as well as using the culture as a tool in the same way as Paul did. I reckon that because I am seen to engage with youth culture and not just to misquote a random pop lyric that many uninformed vicar might do that young people are prepared to listen. I am probably seen by them as a sympathetic voice for them which gives me more of a voice among them. The only criticism they often give me is "yeh but that is so hard to live out". Makes me feel their at least understanding what following Jesus is all about!
HOW IS YOUR STYLE OF MINISTRY RECEIVED BY THE NORTHERN IRELAND EVANGELICAL COMMUNITY.
It hasn't been without it's difficulties and hurts. I am pioneering thinking and lifestyle, not that that is so difficult in a conservative place like Northern Ireland. I am not that radical but here I am the most way out dude they've ever seen or heard!!!!! A older colleague told me 9 years ago that the stuff I was saying would not be accepted and that I'd be in the wilderness for about ten years and then I'd be more and more affirmed. At the time I had never had an criticism and didn't know what he was talking about. Within a year I was in the wilderness and now I am very definitely being affirmed though there are many who would burn me at the stake. My ten years are nearly up!!!!!!!!
I am now asked to speak at very prominent Church wide events as well as to speak around the country at services and missions and schools. That suggests the affirmation. I do really believe that the radio stuff has helped. Before I was doing radio people could spread rumours and gossip about things I said. Now everyone can hear it for themselves and that has helped my profile. God has been good, although like a pace setter in a long distance race I'd love to just tuck in behind another pioneer for a year or two!!!!
IT MUST SEEM TO BE A DIFFICULT TASK WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY DISILLUSIONED WITH THE CHURCH, IN A PLACE LIKE BELFAST, WHICH HAS SEEN SO MUCH VIOLENCE COMMITTED IN THE NAME OF THE CHURCH. HOW DOES SECTARIAN VIOLENCE TOUCH YOUR WORK?
This question has quite fascinated me. Firstly I don't think anyone here really thinks that the violence has been done in the name of the Church. Outsiders see the Catholic, Protestant labels and conclude that but this war has very much been tribal. I have to deal with non violent sectarianism and Jesus did say something about hating your brother being murder in your heart. In some ways the non violent inner sectarianism is more difficult to deal with. My students would have bigotry and bitterness and prejudice of a very respectable kind that is almost seen as a spiritual value. Bringing Jesus radical teaching about loving enemies and doing good to those who hate you is a very strong challenge and we would spend much of our time in ministry skirting around the fringes or right in the heart of that dilemma.
This term we looked at grace and God's unconditional love. That was very comforting until we realised that he expected us to do that to those around us. So what about our catholic, nationalis politician or terrorist! Again following Jesus gets tough. It would have been so much easier if he'd said "Peter pray this prayer" or "Peter put up your hand at a meeting" or "Peter believe this theology". Sadly he said, "FOLLOW ME" and it is a tough old journey trying to follow him anywhere, not just Northern Ireland.
Still I believe we are living in very exciting days in Northern Ireland. It is a moment of grace that I hope we can grab hold of. We now take two steps forward for everyone back which is a turn around from even five years ago. Historical and miraculous with a long hard road to go. Maybe some of your readers in far away places should also be aware that Belfast is and has been for thirty years the safest city to live in in Europe. When all your criminals are tied up in highly disciplined organisations, every day crime is very low. One of the bad effects of peace has been the rise in crime. Ironic! Keep praying for us!
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