The Reverend Stephen Sealy was appointed Chaplain to the Betjeman Society at the Annual General Meeting on 26th November 2020.
Speaking about his appointment and involvement in the Society, Stephen said:
“I realise that for some members the presence of a Chaplain to the Betjeman Society could seem an irrelevance, as the Society has seemingly managed well without one since its inception. There may be others for whom JB’s strong Christian faith and religious leanings are not the most important part of their interest in him. Firstly, let me say that I do not see the Chaplain’s role as in anyway an evangelical or proselytising one. Having served as Chaplain to Air Cadet Forces and Royal British Legion groups in parishes, I have come to see the Chaplain as more of a pastoral figure, one concerned with the flourishing of individuals, with the good of the community and as one who could offer spiritual help if necessary. They seemed to appreciate a friendly face. In the Royal British Legion, members would sometimes come and ask me for prayers for something or other, in fact the phrase ‘say one for me’ would seem to encompass an important part of the Chaplain’s role in whatever organisation.
Lance Pierson, Chairman of the Society, suggested that the Chaplain would be someone specifically representing the spiritual and Christian dimension of JB’s life and work, and this would be something I should like to encompass. His faith of course was supremely important to him, but he was also a flawed human being in many ways, with fears of death, guilt over much in the past, and ‘lapses’ of one sort or another. In fact, he is just like many people in church pews now or people who may like to be in church pews but somehow feel they haven’t the right ‘credentials.’ His popularity has undoubtedly been partly due to people being able to identify with him in his aspirations, struggles and failures. Your Chaplain would certainly be among them!
A word about myself. After an undistinguished record at school, I worked with British Rail in an administrative capacity for eight years. I have sung in church and cathedral choirs since I was seven, and my vocation as a priest undoubtedly stems from this early exposure to sacred texts and inspiring music. In my early-thirties I read Theology at King’s College, London, then spent two years at Lincoln Theological College. I have served in five dioceses of the Church of England, and it was while at Canterbury Cathedral for five years in the 1990s that I developed more of an interest in JB, partly through an encounter with our Founder and Vice-President Philippa Davies. I have always said to myself that I would like to give more time to the Society when retired. I’m currently part-time vicar of Little Malvern Priory in Worcestershire; but not behaving, I hope, like the ‘lazy Rector living in Bexhill / Who most unwillingly on Sunday came / To take the statutory services’ (Summoned by Bells) ! However, my partially retired role does give me more time to pursue other interests.
I look forward to helping the Society and its members as best I can, and to meeting many of you either in person or ‘virtually’ in the coming years. I can best be contacted by e-mail: sealynk@btconnect.com or on 01953 859853.