July 2024: Rev Alex MacCallum

The Church of Scotland's Talking Ministry series shares personal stories from those serving in Christian ministry, along with resources filled with questions, prayers and reflections to help encourage reflection on how God might be calling you at this time.

For July, Rev Alex MacCallum speaks about his role as the full-time minister of Word and Sacrament at the churches of Kilmore and Oban, linked with Tiree.

My ministry: Rev Alex MacCallum, minister of Word and Sacrament at Kilmore and Oban, linked with Tiree

Born in Dumbarton and baptised in his father's home town of Inveraray, Rev Alex MacCallum was brought up in his mother's home city of Belfast He worked in various management positions in the care sector before studying remotely at Highland Theological College and training for ministry. He is married to Adele, a cognitive behavioural therapist, and father to Eva (13) and Finn (9).

When did you begin to feel a call to ministry?

I had been very aware from a very young age that I wanted to be in ministry of some description. Certainly, from early secondary school, I was aware of a calling to something, but I couldn't quite discern what.

At the age of 16, I preached my first sermon – which was awful and still haunts me to this day, but that just reaffirmed that sense of calling for me. That came about because one of the caretakers at my school, who was a really devout Christian, asked if I would say a few words at his church about faith from a young person's perspective. That was the first time that someone had really affirmed that there was something there.

When I left school, the choice was either to go to university or ministry, but I just didn't feel ready at 19 to go into any form of ministry, so I moved to Scotland to study at the University of Paisley.

I completed my course and had a psychology degree under my belt, so ministry didn't seem too important and I went into the care sector. But at least every couple of months there would be a prompting or encouragement to get more involved with the church.

To be honest, I did battle against that because life was good. I had a good job, I had bought a house with my wife, we had kids, so it was all fairly steady.

He supported me and gave me that space and time I needed to really work out what I was being called to do.

Then at St Luke's Church in Milngavie, I became close to the minister, Rev Ramsay Shields, who took me under his wing and let me take services and preach and work with young people. He supported me and gave me that space and time I needed to really work out what I was being called to do.

That came to a head when I realised I wasn't happy and there was something missing, so I told my wife I was going to apply for ministry.

It was a huge leap of faith, to jump into the unknown and become a student again with two young kids depending on you, but throughout the training process, God always provided, and not just financially. There have been answers to prayers in many different ways.

God has always been calling, so for me, it was about having that bravery and willingness to acknowledge it. And, when you do acknowledge it, you are just letting God take control. Once you do that, you realise that God will open doors for you and it's up to you to step through them.

What drew you to parish ministry in Argyll?

I had been looking at options closer to home which would have made it very easy to stay in Milngavie, but we came up to Oban just to have a look. From the first meeting, we felt it was a good fit for everybody. Over the next few months of the application process, it became obvious this was what I was being called to.

A large part of that was the welcome we received as a family. The congregation made us feel as if this was our home, even before we set foot in the church. There was a sense of belonging and a sense that some of the ideas and visions that I was looking at were what they were yearning for.

I think that even on the way home, my wife, myself and the kids knew this is where we would end up. We got a real sense of calling and just coming back to Argyll through Inveraray, where I'd visit every summer, it felt like coming home for me.

As well as your mainland parish in Oban you also have an island parish in Tiree. What challenges does that bring?

This is new for Tiree because they had ministers on the island in the past, so it is about trying to be creative in our ministry there. That is probably one of the hardest parts of the role, to be honest, especially at those times when you can't be there if somebody is passing away. It's a four-hour boat journey and there is only one sailing a day, so you can't just pop over.

Before I came into post, the congregation were just getting recordings every Sunday. That was OK, but you can't take away from the in-person worship.

My parish assistant, Emily D'Silva, and I now each go out once a month to lead worship on a Sunday and the congregation themselves lead worship with our support. We are also setting up a livestream so they never have to just watch a recording and always get something more live and interactive.

We go out for a couple of days each month and plan that so we can do our visits and see the people we need to see. I am also trying to equip the people on the island so they are able to lead worship, do pastoral visits and be self-sustaining, but that will take time.

We've also benefitted from a generous financial donation and we used that to buy a cheap car which is left on Tiree. That means I can go across as a foot passenger, get the car and do what I need to do without worrying about getting a space on the ferry in the summer season, and it brings down costs because it is not cheap to take a car across.

Tiree is undergoing a real time of change and we are really trying to get the community involved in the future of the church. We're working closely with the Baptist church on the island and I have had meetings with them to ask how we can work together or if we can share buildings or share worship.

It is an island with a rich faith, and we don't want to lose that. The question is how to nurture it.

Has your previous career in the care sector helped you in ministry?

I look back on all the jobs I had and experience I gained and you can see how that prepared me; working with various different groups of people, including people struggling with mental and physical health, those with addictions, and across the care sectors. When you come into ministry, you take all that skill and all that knowledge and apply it in a slightly different way. That sets you in really good stead for connecting with people.

You always ask people how they are and they say "fine", but if you have spent any time in care work, you know that "fine" isn't really what is going on.

Certainly, and especially with the big funeral ministry we have here, you need to have that pastoral knowledge of just being able to walk alongside people and share your faith and be excited to share that faith.

I think that resonates with people here, having that little bit of confidence to say who you are and who you serve. That is a real message that people have got on board with.

As a relatively new minister in your first parish, what has surprised you since coming to Oban?

It has been a fantastic nine months.

I have been blown away by the people who have been returning to church and the new people coming along and who keep coming back.

Church attendances have grown significantly and our young ministry has developed. I now have about 25 kids who attend regularly.

We are trying to embed ourselves as part of the town and the congregation have been very supportive of the new ideas or things we haven't been able to do for a while.

Things like the warm places we have set up, streaming services, setting up fundraising groups, and being creative in worship. What I'm finding is that when people are invited and encouraged, they will come to church.

I take no credit for that. You are just preaching the Gospel and trusting God to do the rest, feeling called to do what you are called to do, and having a bit of fun with it as well.

Worship should be uplifting, worship should be encouraging, and if we are not enjoying worship, then something's wrong. And the way I see it, if I'm enjoying myself, then the congregation are enjoying themselves.

We are at a crossroads in the Church, but I see this as a wonderful time to come in and rip up the map. This is a new dawn for us and we will make mistakes, but as a Church and a people of faith, we have to be gracious and loving enough to accept that.

It's been a tiring nine months, moving the family, setting up a home again, moving into a new job and the kids into new schools, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

It's a wonderful challenge. It's something different every day and I wouldn't even call it a job. It's something you are called to and I feel very fortunate, blessed and lucky to have the opportunity to be in parish ministry and also to be a parish minister across the charges I am in.

As I said to my congregation the other day, I wouldn't be here if I didn't fully believe in my heart that God is doing something here and it has been heartening seeing what God is doing in Oban, Kilmore and Tiree

July Discernment Resources: Where the Spirit Leads

What is God saying?

God calls every believer to a life of service and gives each of us gifts and talents so we can serve. Sometimes we know exactly what it is we are to do. That can be great news, but not if we'd rather do something different.

Sometimes we struggle to work out what our calling is. We're not sure what God wants.
Sometimes God's signals are contradictory. One day we think it's one thing, the next another.

God guides us by the Holy Spirit. One of the pictures Scripture uses to describe the Holy Spirit is wind.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4).

Sometimes the wind is strong, unmistakeable and inescapable. Sometimes the wind is gentle, subtle and unobtrusive. Sometimes the wind changes direction, swinging round from the east to the west. Whether it's a gale or a breeze, and no matter the direction it comes from the wind is intangible, uncontrollable and irresistible. So it is with the Spirit of God. We cannot contain the Holy Spirit. We cannot bend the Spirit to our will. The Spirit will not be co-opted to our agenda. Where the Spirit leads we must follow.

Such a simple idea … until we try to put it into practice.

What do I do if the wind is blowing strongly in a direction and it's not the one I want to go in? What do I do if I sense God is calling me along a path that will throw all my well-laid plans into confusion?

What do I do if the breeze is very gentle and I can't work out which direction it is coming from? What do I do if I can't work out what God is calling me to?

What do I do if the wind keeps changing direction, one day from the east, the next from the west? What do I do when I get strong prompts from God but they are not consistent?

Breathe through the heats of our desire
thy coolness and thy balm;
let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,
O still small voice of calm!
- John Greenleaf Whittier

To contemplate/discuss

God's people often find discernment to be frustratingly intangible, just like the wind. Perhaps these questions may help you.

If you don't want to go in the direction you are being pointed towards …
Why is it that I am resisting the direction God seems to be blowing in? Who might I talk to about this to help me work out if this is genuinely the Spirit's leading?

If you can't work out where the wind is coming from …
How might I create a pool of quiet, or a pattern of stillness so I can listen for the Spirit's gentle prompts? How might I reduce the volume of background noise in my life so I can hear the 'still small voice of calm'?

If you are pulled in different directions …
In what direction is the prevailing wind blowing? Keep a record over a period of time: what is the persistent thing I'm aware of God saying to me?

Prayer

Holy Spirit, wind of God, show me the way to go.
Holy Spirit, breeze of God, give me courage to follow.
Holy Spirit, breathe of God, calm my anxious heart.
Holy Spirit, life of God, enable me to serve you.
Amen.

More information

If you would like to consider how God might be calling you to serve at this time, you may want to discuss further with your minister or be in touch with your Presbytery to explore local opportunities.

If you are interested in exploring a call to the recognised ministries of the Church, you can find more information on our vocations page and can contact ministry@churchofscotland.org.uk for a Discernment Conversation with one of the Recruitment Team.