Trwyddedu ac Ordeinio 2021: Jan Webb
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 Jan am ei galwedigaeth fel Gweinidog Bugeiliol.
Dywedwch ychydig wrtha’i amdanoch eich hun.
Dwi bellach yn fy chwedegau, felly dyma ail hanner bywyd yn bendant. Dwi wedi byw mewn sawl gwlad wahanol – yn Seland Newydd ges i fy ngeni. Roedd dod yn Nain yn beth mawr. Mae gen i ddau fab a dwy wyres. Dwi am fod yn ddylanwad da arnyn nhw. Mi fues i’n gweithio i fel nyrs ac yna fel meddyg teulu yn y GIG am 42 o flynyddoedd. Byddwn i’n dweud bod hanner fy ngwaith wedi bod ynglŷn â materion emosiynol, seicolegol a lles meddyliol.
Pa un ydi’ch hoff fisgeden?
Dyna un hawdd. Jammy Dodgers! Pan fydden ni’n cael ein cyfarfodydd coffi yn y practis, byddwn yn flin iawn pe bai rhywun yn mynd â’r Jammy Dodger.
Dywedwch ychydig wrtha’i am eich taith tuag at gael eich trwyddedu fel Gweinidog Bugeiliol.
Mi wnaeth ffrind sydd o ddifri ynglŷn â threulio amser efo Duw fy helpu ac mi wnaeth hithau f’argyhoeddi mewn ffordd dyner mai dyna’r rhan bwysig o fywyd. Pan symudon ni i Aberffraw roedden ni eisiau bod yn rhan o’r eglwys leol. Mi wnes i helpu efo’r blodau a’r glanhau a darnau eraill o waith a dod yn y pen draw yn Warden yr Ardal Gweinidogaeth. Roedd fy ngŵr, Nick, yn hyfforddi fel Darllenydd ond doeddwn i ddim yn meddwl bod hynny’n iawn i mi. Roedd yr Esgobaeth yn cynnig y cwrs Cyfarwyddwr Ysbrydol ac roeddwn i’n meddwl y byddai hwnnw’n adeiladu ar yr hyn dwi wedi’i wneud mewn gwaith Iechyd Meddwl. Roeddwn yn meddwl ei bod yn ddefnyddiol iawn gwneud cwrs mwy ffurfiol a chyfarfod â phobol eraill sydd â diddordeb yn yr elfennau bugeiliol a gofal am gynulleidfa mewn gweinidogaethu Cristnogol.
Beth sy’n eich cyffroi am fod yn Weinidog Bugeiliol? Beth wnaeth eich denu at hynny?
Os ydych chi’n meddwl am ddod yn Gristion yn nhermau ‘mae hynny’n golygu bod rhaid i mi droi i fyny i’r eglwys bob dydd Sul’- os mai dyna’r cyfan ydych chi wedi’i weld ac mai dyna sut rydych chi’n meddwl am ffydd, golwg wael iawn rydych chi wedi’i chael ar bethau. Mater o rannu doniau ydi o a dylanwadu ar eraill, heb yn wybod weithiau. Eich ffydd eich hun yn dyfnhau a chithau’n dod yn fwy ymwybodol o’r angen i fod mewn cymuned, nid bod yn annibynnol ond yn rhyng-ddibynnol. Mae’n fater o greu cyfle i bobol archwilio lle maen nhw efo Duw a beth all Duw fod yn ei ddweud wrthyn nhw.
Pa wahaniaeth, os o gwbl, ydych chi’n meddwl y bydd cael eich trwyddedu yn ei wneud?
Mae’n ymrwymiad ar fy rhan i i’m taith fel disgybl. Ymateb ydi o roedd gofyn i mi ei wneud. Mae bod yn rhan o dîm ac o rwydwaith yn bwysig iawn neu fel arall gallech chi gychwyn ar hyd llwybr anghywir, a dylai fod rhyw fath o wirio, "Ydi hyn yn iawn?" Mae’n ffordd o fod yn atebol.
Sut ddechreuodd taith eich ffydd?
Mi ges i brofiad Ffordd Damascus go iawn. Daeth fy chwaer yn Gristion ac roeddwn i’n ymweld â hi un penwythnos. Roeddwn i’n darllen y Screwtape Letters gan C S Lewis ac wedi sylwi ar y ffordd roedd yn ysgrifennu am ein meddyliau a’n hunan-dwyll ac mi wnaeth pethau fy arwain i sylweddoli nad dim ond cyfeirio at beidio torri’r gyfraith oedd Iesu wrth sôn am ‘fod yn dda’. Y penwythnos hwnnw es i i ffwrdd a darllen Efengyl Ioan.
Doedd gen i ddim Beibl ac es i i’r Co-Op i brynu un a gofyn, "Oes gynnoch chi Feibl?" Eu hateb oedd "Does neb wedi gofyn hyn’na i ni o’r blaen!" ond yn y pen draw mi ddaethon nhw â hen gopi llychlyd o’r KJV allan. Cefais afael ar esboniad ac mi ddechreuais gyda Genesis 1! Roeddwn i’n mynd yn ôl i gartref y nyrsys a’r bobol gyntaf wnes i eu cyfarfod yn y lifft oedd cwpwl o ferched o’r Undeb Cristnogol ac mi ofynnais a allwn i fynd i’w cyfarfod. Mi wnaethon nhw wir ofalu amdana’i a dweud wrtha’i am y gwahanol gyfieithiadau o’r Beibl, gan ddangos adnoddau astudio’r Beibl i mi a dweud wrtha’i am y gwahanol eglwysi. Pe na fydden nhw wedi gwneud hynny yna byddai’r profiad Ffordd Damascus wedi diflannu.
Beth mae eich ffydd yn ei olygu i chi?
Dwi’n credu mai cydnabod a dechrau deall mai cariad ydi Duw. Dyna’r pwynt mwyaf dwi’n meddwl. Fy nghefndir a’m personoliaeth ydi fy mod i’n un sy’n gwneud pethau. Dwi’n canolbwyntio ar gyflawni tasgau. Dydw i ddim yn un dda am fod efo pobol. Cariad ydi Duw – felly sut mae hynny’n dangos yn eich bywyd a sut ydych chi’n ymateb i gariad? Ni ydi dwylo a thraed Iesu. Rhaid inni fod yn wrthddiwylliannol a herio pethau yn ein bywydau ein hunain.
Pe bai rhywun yn dweud wrthych eu bod yn meddwl bod Duw am iddyn nhw gynnig mwy, beth allech chi ei ddweud wrthyn nhw?
Ewch yn ddyfnach. Peidiwch â dibynnu ond ar ddyddiau Sul a pheidiwch â dibynnu ar eich Ardal Gweinidogaeth chi yn unig. Peidiwch â gadael i’r hyn rydych chi’n gweld pobol eraill yn ei wneud gyfyngu arnoch chi. Mae mwy allan yna! Mae Esgobaeth gyfan allan yna a thu hwnt i honno mae Talaith gyfan gyda llawer o adnoddau. Gofynnwch beth arall sydd o gwmpas a byddwch yn rhan o gymuned.
Licensing and Ordinations 2021: Jan Webb
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 Jan about her vocation as a Pastoral Minister.
Tell me a bit about yourself.
I’m now in my 60s, so this is definitely the second half of life. I’ve lived in many several different countries – I’m a New Zealander by birth. Becoming a Grandmother was a big thing. I have two sons and two granddaughters. I want to be a good influence on them. I worked as a nurse and then as a GP in the NHS for 42 years. I’d say half of my work was in emotional, psychological, mental wellbeing issues.
What’s your favourite biscuit?
That’s an easy one. Jammy Dodgers! When we had our coffee meetings at the practice I would be really grumpy if someone took the Jammy Dodger.
Tell me a little of your journey to being licensed as a Pastoral Minister?
I was helped by a friend who is really into spending time with God and she gently encouraged me that that’s the important part of life. When we moved to Aberffraw we wanted to be a part of the local church. I helped with flowers and the cleaning and other bits and then ended up being Ministry Area Warden. My husband, Nick, was training as a Reader but I didn’t think that was for me. The Diocese was offering the Spiritual Director course and I thought it would build on what I’ve done with Mental Health work. Doing a more formal course, meeting other people who are interested in the pastoral and shepherding side of Christian ministry I thought was really helpful.
What is it that enthuses you about being a Pastoral Minister? What drew you to it?
If you go into being a Christian thinking ‘that means I’ve got to turn up to church every Sunday’ - if that’s all you’ve been exposed to and that’s what you understand about faith, that’s such a poor diet. It’s passing on the baton and the people you influence, without knowing it sometimes. It’s your own faith deepening and becoming more aware of the need to be in a community and not be independent but inter-dependant. It’s creating a space where people can just explore where they are at with God and what can God be saying.
What difference, if any, do you think being licensed will make?
It’s a commitment on my part as a way of discipleship. It’s a response that was required from me. Being part of a team and a network is very important otherwise you can just go off down a wrong road and there should be some form of checking, “Is this right?” It’s a way of having accountability.
How did your journey of faith begin?
I had very much a Damascus Road moment. My sister became a Christian and I was visiting her one weekend. I was reading the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis and the way he wrote about our thoughts and self delusion and things led me to realise that when Jesus was talking about ‘being good’ he wasn’t just talking about not breaking the law. That weekend I went away and read John’s Gospel.
I didn’t have a bible and I went to the Co-Op to buy one and asked, “Have you got a Bible?” They said, “We’ve never been asked that before!” but they eventually brought out a dusty King James one. I got a commentary and started with Genesis 1! I was going back to the nurses home and the first people I met in the lift were a couple of girls from the Christian Union and I asked if I could go to their meeting. They really took me under their wing and told me about the different translations of the Bible, showed me Bible study guides and told me about the different churches. If they hadn’t done that then the Damascus Road moment would have disappeared.
What does your faith mean to you?
I think it’s recognising and beginning to understand that God is love. I think that’s the big one. My background and personality would be that I’m a do-er. I’m very task-focussed. I’m not a very good people person. God is love – therefore how does that show in your life and how do you respond to love? We are the hands and feet of Jesus. We have to be counter-cultural and challenge things in our own lives.
If someone were to tell you they thought God wanted them to offer more what might you say to them?
Go deeper. Don’t rely just on Sundays and don’t just rely on your Ministry Area. Don’t be restricted by what you see other people doing. There’s more out there! There’s a whole Diocese out there and beyond that there’s a whole province with many resources. Ask what else is around and be in community.