Back from some time off, and ready to get back to work! This morning I will be worshipping with the wonderful people of All Saints’ Culmstock, and this evening I will be celebrating Harvest at Culm Davy Chapel. You will be very welcome to join me.

Recently I accompanied my Churchwardens to be ‘sworn in’ by the Archdeacon. Churchwardens are elected annually, so this is quite a regular occurrence in the life of the church. Despite the term of office being just one year (six consecutive years are allowed) there is a joke that you can only leave the post when you are carried out of church in a wooden box! At the annual swearing at the Archdeacon event, a quick poll was taken to find the longest serving churchwarden, and it isn’t too much of an exaggeration to say that there were some who had been serving longer than I have been breathing. As we applauded these good and faithful servants, I wondered if this was something that we should truly be celebrating.

We reward long service rather than good service (which can be both), we value those who work hard, we revere our elders, and in doing so we can become like the labourers in the vineyard.

Jesus tells the parable of the landowner who goes out early in the morning to hire people to work in his vineyard. There is much work to be done so he goes out time and again and continues to employ men at the same rate: a full day’s labour. When it comes time to pay the men their wages he begins with those recruited latest and pays them a full day’s pay, as had been agreed. Those who have worked longest are disgruntled to say the least, when they too are paid a full day’s wage and nothing more. This doesn’t seem fair. They had laboured longer and obviously deserved more.

Sometimes we see this in churches where those who have been worshipping the longest are given the greatest respect, and everything needs to be passed by them. There can be great wisdom to be found amongst our elders, but our incomers can bring innovation and energy which are much needed in any community. We hush them at out peril.

Why did I feel so uncomfortable lauding long serving churchwardens? Finding churchwardens is a common problem in the Church of England. They are often overworked and undervalued, and sometimes, become gatekeepers to the community in an unhelpful way. Churchwardens serve without any chance of a sabbath rest: Sundays no longer offer a leisurely breakfast with a loved one, or the opportunity to enjoy a dogwalk before church, because someone has to open up! Once worship has begun it is so easy to be distracted from the prayers or the sermon by another lightbulb that has blown, or a leaky window, or, heaven forbid, a falling piece of masonry! Abiding by the regulations that churchwardens serve no more than six years in a row, enables them to enjoy a full year (or more) of being able to simply worship when they come to church. Rest is important, but so is work.

Those who join churches do so for a variety of reasons. For some there is a need to find a role they can fulfil, a place where they are needed and useful. If all the church roles are filled in perpetuity, how can they belong?

The labourers who were employed last, are the ones who had been looked over and rejected, the ones who would have nothing to take home to feed their families. Labourers would assemble in the market place early every morning, and those with work needing to be done would come and select those they felt most suited to the job. They would choose the fittest, the strongest, the experienced. Everyone else was rejected. The landowner doesn’t reject anyone. He choses the fittest and strongest to do the hardest work, he selects first those with the strength to do a full day’s work, and then comes back for the others allowing each to work to their abilities. All have worked to their ability, each has been willing to work for a fair day’s pay, and the landowner knows that each will need to take that money home.

When we only offer the ‘top jobs’ to the same old people what message does this give to newcomers?

Now I know finding a churchwarden can be difficult. It is a voluntary role with a lot of responsibilities, and I have never had an election for churchwardens which has been contested. It is more likely that we don’t have enough candidates than we have too many, so we tend to hold on to the ones we have. Or we jump on anyone new who walks through the door and scare them away.

So what can the solution be?

We need to begin by adhering to the Sabbath principle: six years of service maximum before a full year of rest, even if that means attending a different church for a while. We need to value our newbies and not overshadow them by those long serving members who have gone before. We need to grow church membership rather than congregations, where everyone has a role to play, where everyone takes a different responsibility; and we need to encourage rest.

If you think serving as a churchwarden is something you might be able to do, even for a year, please do tell your vicar!

Read the Parable of the Labourers here.