Trwyddedu ac Ordeinio 2021: Debbie Peck
Dros Ŵyl Bedr eleni yng Nghadeirlan Deiniol Sant ym Mangor, cafodd 14 o bobl ymroddedig, dawnus eu hordeinio neu eu trwyddedu i weinidogaethu.
Fe’u gelwir i “adeiladu corff Crist fel y cyrhaeddwn oll hyd at yr undod a berthyn i’r ffydd ac i adnabyddiaeth o Fab Duw” (Effesiaid 4).
Dyna’u tasg ar y cyd – ond mae gan bob un hefyd eu straeon personol eu hunain am alwad Duw ar eu bywydau.
Yma, cawn sgwrs â Debbie am ei galwedigaeth fel Gweinidog Arloesol.
Dywedwch ychydig wrtha’i amdanoch eich hun.
Dwi’n boen yn y pen ôl ac yn ddraenen yn yr ystlys! Dwi’n swnllyd ond dwi’n gobeithio fy mod i’n sensitif hefyd. Mae gen i gyswllt dwfn â lle dwi’n byw, dyna lle mae fy nghalon. Mae pobol yn bopeth i mi. Mae Duw wedi gwneud i mi deimlo fy mod yn cael fy ngharu gymaint a dwi am rannu hynny efo pobol eraill. Roeddwn i bob amser yn gwirioni ar ddrama a mi roeddwn i’n actores am ddeng mlynedd. Bues i’n gweithio yn y theatr ac mewn addysg.
Pa un ydi’ch hoff fisgeden?
Waffers pinc – maen nhw’n fy atgoffa o’m nain. Roedd ganddi hen dun fferins bach i fyny ar y silff yn y pantri. Dyna lle roedd hi’n cadw ei bisgedi bwrbon a’i waffers pinc. Ac roedd waffers pinc bob amser ar gael mewn partïon!
Beth sydd wedi’ch arwain i’r fan yma felly?
Wnes i erioed freuddwydio y byddwn i’n gweithio i’r Eglwys ond mi fedra i weld sut mae pob rhan o’m bywyd, nad oeddwn yn gweld y cyswllt rhyngddyn nhw ar y pryd, wedi bod yn rhan o ddarlun ehangach Duw. Mae’r cyfan wedi fy siapio, wedi fy helpu i dyfu ac wedi hogi fy sgiliau fel ’mod i wedi fy ngosod yma heddiw, yn gweithio i’r Eglwys! Gofynnais i Dduw agor y drysau i’r hyn y dylwn fod yn ei wneud. Nid dim ond agor y drysau wnaeth o, ond eu dryllio’n llwyr!
Sut wnaethoch chi ddechrau gweithio i’r Eglwys yn y lle cyntaf?
Hunanoldeb, mewn ffordd. Roedd fy mab wrth ei fodd yn mynd i glwb yn yr eglwys ond roedd yn rhaid i’r clwb ddod i ben am fod yr arweinydd wedi mynd yn sâl. Roeddwn i a dwy fam arall yn siomedig iawn a doedden ni ddim yn meddwl y gallen ni ei redeg ein hunain. Doedd ganddon ni ddim y sgiliau na’r amser. Felly dyma ni’n edrych ar yr hyn y gallen ni ei wneud yn lle hynny. Mi wnaethon ni redeg clwb gwyliau byr yn ystod pob gwyliau dim ond i gael y plant i mewn a chael tipyn o hwyl. Felly angen hunanol oedd o. Roeddwn i am i’m plentyn innau gael y cyfle yna ac felly dyma fi’n dweud, "wel dydi o ddim yn digwydd, gadewch i ni ei wneud o ein hunain." A dyna wnaethon ni.
Ac yna mi wnaethoch chi gais am swydd gyda’r Eglwys?
Dyna ni. Gofynnwyd i mi ystyried gwneud cais ond doeddwn i ddim yn meddwl y byddwn i’n gallu gwneud y gwaith. Syrthiodd popeth i’w le, yn union fel y dylai. Roeddwn i’n teimlo fy mod i’n cael neges glir ac rwyf wedi mwynhau hyd yn oed yn fwy gan mai Gwaith Ieuenctid Arloesol ydi o. Pobl ifanc yn eu harddegau sy’n fy siwtio i! Gorau oll i mi po fwya’ sarrug ydy’r llanc neu’r eneth. Dwi am wrando arnyn nhw, eirioli drostyn nhw a sefyll efo nhw lle maen nhw.
Dywedwch wrtha i am un agwedd ar eich gwaith sy’ wir yn eich cyffroi heddiw.
Dwi’n cael bod yn Gaplan ysgol a cherdded o amgylch yr ysgol amser cinio a siarad â’r plant. Mae’n gymaint o fraint. Dwi am iddyn nhw feddwl amdanaf fel rhywun sy’n eu hoffi, yn eu derbyn ac yn eu caru a dyna sut dwi’n ceisio dangos iddyn nhw bod Duw yn eu caru. Roeddwn yn yr ysgol un diwrnod a wnes i gyfarfod rhywun yn y coridor a oedd yn edrych yn ofidus iawn. Gofynnais oedden nhw’n iawn a dyma nhw’n beichio crïo. Roeddwn i’n gallu siarad â nhw a gofynnais iddyn nhw a allwn i weddïo drostynt. Roedden nhw’n rhywun sydd heb gysylltiad â’r eglwys o gwbl ac roeddwn i’n gallu gweddïo efo nhw. Am fraint!
Beth ydi’r peth gorau am eich ffydd?
Dwi’n teimlo mod i’n cael fy nal yn llaw Duw a’i fod yn edrych arnaf â chariad a derbyniad llwyr a ’mod i’n ddiogel yno. Dydy pobol sydd y tu allan i’r Eglwys, â heb gyswllt â hi, ddim yn gwybod faint maen nhw’n ei golli a dwi am gyfleu’r neges honno.
Beth sy’n eich cyffroi fwyaf am y dyfodol?
Gallu gweithio gyda phobl ifanc nad ydyn nhw’n gwybod dim am Dduw a’u gwylio’n tyfu, a natur ddigymell y gwaith hwnnw.
Pa gyngor allech chi ei roi i rywun sy’n meddwl tybed beth arall y gall ei gynnig i Eglwys Dduw?
Byddwch yn onest a byddwch yn chi eich hun. Rydyn ni’n gwneud camgymeriadau ac yn colli’n ffordd, efallai fod pobol ifanc hefyd, ond mae Duw bob amser yn aros gyda breichiau agored i’n croesawu’n ôl ac mae angen inni fod y rhai sy’n gwneud hynny ar gyfer ein pobol ifanc. Ond byddwn hefyd yn dweud, os byddwch chi’n gweld rhywun arall dawnus, gwahoddwch nhw i wneud cyfraniad.
Hollalluog a thragwyddol Dduw, sydd trwy dy Ysbryd yn llywodraethu ac yn sancteiddio holl gorff yr Eglwys: gwrando ein gweddi a offrymwn dros dy holl bobl ffyddlon, iddynt allu dy wasanaethu mewn sancteiddrwydd a gwirionedd yn eu galwedigaeth a’u gweinidogaeth er gogoniant i’th enw; trwy ein Harglwydd a’n Hiachawdwr Iesu Grist, sy’n fyw ac yn teyrnasu gyda thi a’r Ysbryd Glân, yn un Duw, yn awr ac am byth. Amen.
Licensing and Ordinations 2021: Debbie Peck
This Petertide at St Deiniol's Cathedral in Bangor, 14 dedicated, gifted people were ordained or licensed for ministry.
They are called to “build up the body of Christ until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Ephesians 4).
That is their common task – but each also have their own personal stories about God’s call on their lives.
Here, we talk to Debbie about her vocation as a Pioneer Minister.
Tell me a bit about yourself.
I’m a pain in the bottom and a thorn in the side! I’m loud but I hope I’m sensitive too. I’m deeply connected to where I live, it’s where my heart is for. People are my everything. God has made me feel so loved and I just want to share that with other people. I was always mad on drama and was an actress for ten years. I worked in theatre and education.
What’s your favourite biscuit?
Pink wafers – they remind me of my granny. She had a little old sweet tin up on the shelf in the pantry. It had her bourbon biscuits and pink wafers in it. And there were always pink wafers at parties!
What has brought you to where you are now?
I never ever thought I’d be working for the church but I can see how each part of my life, which I thought was unconnected, is part of God’s bigger picture. It’s all shaped me, helped me to grow and honed my skills such that I am placed here now, working for the church! I asked God to open the doors to what I should be doing. He didn’t just open the doors, he blew them off!
How did you first start working for the church?
Selfishness, in a way. My son loved going to a club at the church but it had to stop because the leader became unwell. Me and two other mums were really disappointed and we didn’t think we could run it. We didn’t have the skills or the time. So we looked at what we could do instead. We ran a short holiday club during each holiday just to get the children in and have a bit of fun. So it was a selfish need. I wanted my child to have access to that and so I said, “well it’s not happening, let’s do it ourselves.” And we did.
And then you applied for a job with the church?
Yeah. I was asked to consider applying but I didn’t think I’d be able to do it. Everything fell into place, just as it should. I felt like I was getting a clear message and I’ve loved it even more since it’s been Pioneer Youth Work. Teenagers are my thing! The moodier and the grumpier the teenager the better for me. I want to listen to them, to advocate for them and be in their corner with them.
Tell me about one aspect of your work that really excites you now.
I get to be a school Chaplain and just walk around the school at lunch time and talk with the kids. It’s such a privilege. I want them to associate with me that I like them, accept them and love them and that’s how I try and show them that God loves them. I was in the school one day and I met someone in the corridor who looked really upset. I asked them if they were okay and they burst into tears. I was able to talk with them and I asked them if I could pray for them. They were someone who has no connection with church at all and I was able to pray with them. What a privilege!
What’s the best thing about your faith?
I feel like God’s hand is cupping me and I’m being looked at with absolute love and acceptance and that I am safe there. People outside the church, who are un-churched, don’t know what they are missing and I want to communicate that.
What is it that excites you most about the future?
Being able to work with young people who know nothing about God and watch them grow and the spontaneity of that work.
What advice might you give to someone who’s wondering what more they can offer to God’s Church?
Be honest and be yourself. We make mistakes and take wrong turns, young people might too, but God is always waiting with open arms to welcome us back and we need to be the ones who do that for our young people. But, I would also say that if you see somone who is gifted, invite them to be involved.
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified: hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people, that in their vocation and ministry they may serve you in holiness and truth to the glory of your name; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.