Edward McMillan officially began his term as parish intern at St Giles on 1 September. Here he offers a few words of introduction: I first began to attend church at school in my teenage years. In addition to compulsory Sunday Chapel, at the prompting of the school chaplain, I began to volunteer to read and help at the mid-week choral services. Initially, I was drawn to the beauty of the evensong liturgy and the community life of the church. After a little time, however, I began to consider the importance of faith and worship in my own life: why exactly I was drawn to this rather unusual schoolboy activity.
The ministry of the school chaplaincy proved incredibly important to me. The kindness and encouragement of those clergy proved a bedrock in the formative years of my faith. I was baptised at sixteen and confirmed a year later. St Giles’ Prayer Book aficionados will I am sure be heartened to know that the service was “for such as are of Riper Years.” I was delighted, then, to represent the school in the Prayer Book Society’s Cranmer Awards: one of my greater school achievements, notwithstanding my “Z” team soccer captaincy and second-team croquet appearances.
In 2018, I went up to Scotland to read history at the University of St Andrews. Thrown into the life of kilts, ceilidhs and kirks, it has been my delight to embrace all things Scottish in the best traditions of Scotland’s most English university. I joined the town-and-gown chorus and had the opportunity to sing in Handel’s Messiah in Advent of my first term. Having volunteered as a chapel usher since the first year, at the encouragement of the Chaplain I joined the University’s ministry discernment group. This proved a wonderful opportunity to explore Christian vocation alongside other students.
While I don’t come from a church-going family, the gentle ministry of close friends and family has helped to foster my own sense of vocation. I most look forward to re-paying some of that kindness, particularly in working to build up a university congregation at St Giles. I am sure it will be an exciting year and I am very grateful to you all in inviting me to share it with you. The Rector says: I am delighted to welcome Edward into the position of Ministry Intern at St. Giles. Edwards brings with him a depth of intellectual wisdom, a keenness to share the Christian faith and extol the virtues of The Book of Common Prayer. I look forward to working with him to grow the community of St. Giles and to welcome into the fold those whom God is calling.