Learning for Leadership
“Real leadership is about getting alongside people and helping them achieve things themselves.”
The Revd Becky Roberts grew up in a church family in the Diocese, at St Mary’s, West Moors. She is now the vicar of Harnham in Salisbury.
“I was an altar server from the age of 11. Before the service began, we had to spend 20 minutes in silent prayer. That’s where I learned to listen for God.
“I knew by the time I was 17 I wanted to be a priest, but in those days it was still impossible for women to be ordained.
“At university in Pontypridd, I attended a very charismatic Baptist Church. It was spiritually very important to me, but I couldn’t sign up to all of it. I wouldn’t be baptised twice or accept male headship!
“I trained as a teacher, and worked in East London and then in Tanzania with CMS. On coming back to London, the call to ordination resurfaced quickly.
“Since ordination, I’ve worked both in parish ministry and as a teacher.
“I came to Harnham four years ago. There is a great sense of community and school links. The people are prayerful and faithful to the Church.
“Because I’m a teacher, I have a passion for learning and helping other people learn. When I came to Harnham, I had been out of theological learning for over a decade and I missed it.
“With Sarum College on my doorstep, I decided to study for their MA in Christian Leadership. To me, leadership is finding your authentic voice, whilst listening and responding to the voice of the community and God.
“One thing I value about the course is that it gives me the chance to study younger women leaders, in a world where leadership is felt to be something done by older men.
“Ordination can be seen that way too. But I’d encourage anyone at any stage sensing a call to ordination to explore it with their vicar and the Diocese.”
Would you consider a return to study for a postgraduate qualification? Sarum College runs taster days for people to experience first-hand what its MA courses are like. The next is on 11 March: more info here.