Ministry and Media: an interview
Kate Bottley is Vicar of the churches of Blyth, Scrooby and Ranskill and Chaplain to North Notts College. She trained at St John's, Nottingham and served her curacy in Skegby, in the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham. She hitting the headlines in 2013 when she led a 'flashmob' dance at a wedding that she had conducted went viral on YouTube; y'all can find the link at the cease of this article.
Kate kindly agreed to be do a virtual interview for the blog. This is what she said.
What are your current involvements in the media?
I take role in Aqueduct 4'south BAFTA winning evidence Gogglebox; I as well write for The Radio Times, The Guardian and The Independent. I am part of the squad for 'Pause for Thought' on Radio 2. I also accept part in local media and am regular on BBC Radio Sheffield, Leeds and Nottingham and NottsTV.
Gogglebox usually has an audience of iv million on the Friday night when information technology goes out with the largest audience share simply the accumulated figures (those watching information technology on catch up) make in one of the biggest shows on UK television. It's all rather daunting! I am a parish priest of 3 rural churches in due north Nottinghamshire (primal tradition) on 3 days a week and the rest of the time I am a chaplain at North Nottinghamshire college in Worksop, helping with pastoral care.
How did media involvement come about? Was it something you chose?
I've always done bits and bobs of tv and radio since I was a child. I went to Youth theatre every bit a teenager and did plays for Radio 4 and ITV. After I was ordained more and more opportunities to engage with the media arose and it'due south something I very much savor doing, I think I'yard good at and I believe is role of my calling. Gogglebox called considering they saw a flash mob I did at a wedding that went viral on YouTube.
What do you enjoy about media involvement?
I really enjoy my media involvement. Of course information technology has its dangers and pitfalls, just I have a great support network and lots of folk who hold me answerable and inquire the difficult questions. I savour surprising people that Christians (and vicars) tin can exist then 'normal'. They don't retrieve we are! I like talking to people and existence recognisable ways lots of opportunities to chat—though it does hateful a trip to the shops can take a fleck longer these days. The media stuff for me is an natural response to the part of ordinal that says 'preach the Gospel afresh to every generation'; I call it my 'other parish'. The media opportunities I'm currently involved in offer an unlikely pulpit.
What demands does it put on you lot?
Apart from the practicalities of managing three churches (3 days a week), a college chaplaincy and family life, the criticism and abuse is difficult sometimes. I am happy to be accountable and to ask difficult questions of myself but what hurts is when there is a presumption that I oasis't thought this through. I don't think people always understand what a risk putting yourself 'out there' can be and accuse me of 'just trying to be famous'. Of course ego is a cistron and as natural extrovert I'd be kidding myself if I said I didn't go a kick out existence recognisable. But the decision to say 'yes' when I'thou asked to practise telly is never taken lightly and information technology comes with a cost and a hazard. I'grand not sure this is always understood.
In what way do you understand this equally 'ministry'?
I come across the media stuff equally part of my calling. I don't believe as a nation we have lost our organized religion —only I suspect we might non be prepared to sit down in a cold building and mumble anymore. I hope by being 'normal' it helps people to run into that faith might just exist possible. Lots of people say to me what lots of people say to lots of vicars 'If more vicars were like you the churches would exist full'. Well, I am like me and my church is half empty! Clearly the personality of the priest does not have every bit much to exercise with it every bit we might think. They might come up to church for the 'Kate Bottley' show but they will quickly run across through that—and so what? The hope is that people might come across Jesus.
How practise you relate information technology to your calling to ordination, and to other aspects of what yous do?
I get a real boot out of people wanting to talk to me. I regularly have large groups of young people asking for photos in restaurants, shops and train stations (I'm there anyway I don't just hang well-nigh waiting for it). Ofttimes I'm the merely vicar they 'know' and I remember it'southward kind of brilliant they desire a photo with a eye aged woman in a dog collar, a visible Christian. That might sound like a empty-headed and superficial matter but I recall function of the mode our culture works now is through the selfie and the tweet. If that's how people communicate I want a Christian vocalisation to be part of that. Nosotros can choose to be dismissive of popular culture or nosotros can chose to endeavour and be office of it.
What does this involvement do to yous personally and to your spirituality, positively and negatively?
I have been naïve at times and expected anybody to be supportive. Some of the harshest criticism comes from other Christians and especially clergy. I don't wait everyone to understand or to concord only I do value prayer. There have been some letters and emails asking for me to be disciplined and taken in hand; my diocese have e'er been extremely supportive and I am grateful for that. A friend said to me recently 'Some of us are chosen to be repose in the library, others should be shouting in the playground.' I worry sometimes that the church building struggles to understand the states play ground shouters! I know I'thousand trying to understand the folk who would rather exist 'quiet in the library'.
For me there are bigger issues about the prejudice of introversion within the clergy and that existence an extravert is seen as not 'properly holy'. Inquire any extravert in the church—we've all seen the people rolling their optics when we walk into a room. I get enormous enjoyment out of media involvement—information technology is just a lot of fun! It'due south what I experience called to be office of, I'm good at information technology and I enjoy it. God loves to use our gifts and talents; I don't think having a passion for the popular media and the gift of the gab should be any different.
What advice would you give to others about handling media interest?
The media has the attention span of a toddler and and then often they will ask you to do something the same mean solar day. You get very little time to think and reflect; by the fourth dimension you get back to them they might accept establish someone else. Of class that might just be what you want simply it's best to think about a 'media policy' or program before information technology actually happens. What are you lot happy to do, what don't you desire to do and how might you respond?
Information technology's ok to say 'I can't practice this but have you lot tried to contact X.' And remember that not everyone involved in the media is a bad guy! Some of them are genuinely squeamish people who are good at their job and want to assistance shout about all the brilliant things people of faith are doing. Give them something to shout well-nigh! But, like anything, if it isn't part of your calling find someone for whom it is and release them and pray for them.
You can follow Kate on Twitter @revkatebottley
The flashmob nuptials dance can be viewed here:
Y'all can read my reflections at the time in this mail.
My ain comments about treatment the media can exist found in this postal service.
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