Trwyddedu ac Ordeinio 2021: Keith Wadcock
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 Hugh am eu alwedigaeth fel Darllenydd.
Dywedwch ychydig wrtha’i amdanoch eich hun.
Mi wnes i ymddeol yn gynnar yn 2012. Mae fy mywyd i gyd wedi bod mewn addysg, gan gynnwys ugain mlynedd yn brifathro ysgol gynradd. Roeddwn i’n byw yng Nghilgwri ar y pryd. Penderfynodd fy mhartner a finnau y byddai’n dda cael newid llwyr yn ein bywydau ac roeddem yn teimlo atyniad at Ogledd Cymru. Mi ddaethon ni ar wyliau dirgel i Benmachno. Mi gyrhaeddon ni yn y tywyllwch a phan wnaethon ni agor y llenni yn y bore dyma ni’n syrthio mewn cariad â’r dyffryn.
Mae gen i ddau o blant. Mae fy mab yn 40 a fy merch yn 38.
Ers ymddeol dwi wedi bod yn gweithio’n cynorthwyo athrawon dan hyfforddiant i ddod yn athrawon heddiw ac yfory.
Mae gen i enw drwg am wneud rhestrau o bopeth ac er y gall hynny fod yn gryfder dydw i ddim am atal gwaith yr Ysbryd. Dwi’n casáu gwrthdaro – dwi’n ei chael hi’n anodd iawn delio â hynny. Dwi’n berson caredig sy’n gwrando.
Pa un ydi’ch hoff fisgeden?
Dwi’n hoff iawn o fisgedi ond ddylwn i ddim eu bwyta nhw. Yn y lle cyntaf, mi ddwedais ’mod i’n reit hoff o deisennau Berffro. Ond yna mi feddyliais am Butter Swirls o Lidl. Maen nhw’n hyfryd.
Sut ddechreuodd y cyfan?
Aed â fi i’r Ysgol Sul mewn eglwys gynulleidfaol pan oeddwn yn dair oed. Roedd fy mam yn feichiog ar y pryd a byddai hi’n aml yn dweud wrtha’i, "Roedd yn rhaid i mi eistedd ar stôl fach a finnau’n drom feichiog efo dy chwaer oherwydd fyddet ti ddim yn gadael i mi fynd adref." Mae’r Eglwys wedi bod yn rhan o ’mywyd erioed.
Sut aethoch chi o fod yn yr Ysgol Sul i gael eich trwyddedu fel Darllenydd?
Yn y 1980au mi ges i fy nghomisiynu fel Pregethwr Lleyg Methodistaidd ac roeddwn wrth fy modd. Roedd yn wych.
Ar ôl symud i Ogledd Cymru roeddwn i eisiau rhywle i addoli am fod yn rhan o eglwys mewn cymuned a oedd yn ymateb i anghenion y gymuned honno. Pe byddai hi’n Eglwys Fethodistaidd byddai hynny wedi bod yn fonws ond roedd yr un agosaf yn rhy bell i ffwrdd. Roedd fy nghymydog yn mynd i Eglwys Penmachno ac mi wahoddodd fi i fynd hefyd.
Mi es i Eglwys Tudglyd Sant a sgwrsio â’r ficer, Clive Hillman, am gael rhywbeth mwy rheolaidd, o gofio mai dim ond unwaith y mis roedden ni’n cyfarfod bryd hynny, a rhywbeth i deuluoedd a phlant. "Dyna syniad gwych, i ffwrdd â chi" oedd ei ateb. Ac i ffwrdd aethon ni! Felly dyma fi’n ymuno â’r Anglicaniaid achos mai dyna oedd yr eglwys yn y gymuned.
Beth wnaeth i chi newid o fod yn un o’r addolwyr i fod yn Bregethwr Lleyg yn yr Eglwys Fethodistaidd?
Dwi’n cofio eistedd yn ystafell yr athrawon yn yr ysgol un diwrnod a chlywed athro’n rhefru ac yn rhuo am rywbeth. Dwi’n cofio meddwl bod hynny’n ofnadwy a ’mod i am newid hynny. Yn hytrach na throi i’r chwith i fynd adref mi droais i’r dde i fynd i’r Mans a chael sgwrs gyda’r Gweinidog ac oddi yno mi benderfynon ni y dylwn ddod yn Bregethwr Lleyg.
Hoff nodwedd Duw?
Mae yna emyn sy’n dechrau ‘There’s a wideness in God’s mercy’. Mae’r emyn hwnnw’n siarad â mi’n ddwfn iawn. Mae’r pedwerydd pennill wir yn gwneud i mi feddwl am y nodwedd yn Nuw y byddwn yn mynnu ei chadw pe bai’n rhaid i bopeth arall fynd. Dydy cariad Duw ddim yn barnu.
Beth sy’n eich cyffroi fwyaf am y dyfodol?
Dwi’n edrych ymlaen at gael pregethu. Dwi’n gweithio’n galed ar fy mhregethau – efallai mai effaith fy magwraeth yn yr Eglwys Fethodistaidd ydy hynny. Dwi hefyd yn edrych ymlaen at fod yn greadigol yn ein gwasanaethau boreol. Mae ehangu’r weinidogaeth i deuluoedd ledled yr Ardal Weinidogaeth hefyd yn rhywbeth arall dwi’n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at ei wneud.
Dwi’n edrych ymlaen at allu mynd at y cymunedau lleol a gofyn iddyn nhw, ‘Beth allwn ni, yr Eglwys, ei wneud i chi?’ Bydd angen llawer o iacháu wrth i ni ddod allan o’r pandemig. Dydw i ddim yn gwybod beth ydy’r atebion a dwi ddim yn gwybod beth dwi’n mynd i’w wneud ond dwi’n edrych ymlaen at ei wneud.
Pa gyngor allech chi ei roi i rywun sy’n meddwl tybed beth arall y gall ei gynnig i Eglwys Dduw?
Byddwn i’n eu cynghori i wrando. Peidiwch â rhuthro.
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: Keith Wadcock
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 Hugh about his vocation as a Reader.
Tell me a bit about yourself.
I took early retirement in 2012. All my life has been in education including 20 years as a primary headteacher. I lived on the Wirral at the time. My partner and I decided it would be good to have a compeltely different change to life and we felt drawn to North Wales. We came on a mystery holiday to Penmachno. We arrived in the dark and drew back the curtains in the morning and fell in love with the valley.
I have two children. My son is 40 and my daughter is 38.
Since retiring I’ve been working to support student teachers to become the teachers of today and tomorrow.
I’m notorious for my lists and while it’s a strength I don’t want to suppress the work of the Spirit. I hate conflict – I find that really hard to deal with. I’m a kind person who listens.
What’s your favourite biscuit?
I love biscuits but I shouldn’t eat them. First of all I said I’m quite partial to a shortbread. But then I thought Butter swirls from Lidl. They are gorgeous.
How did it all begin?
I was taken to Sunday School at a congregational church when I was 3. My mother was heavily pregnant and often told me, “I had to sit on a little stool heavily pregnant with your sister because you wouldn’t let me go home.” Church has always been part of my life.
How did you go from being in the Sunday School to being licensed as a Reader?
In the 1980s I was commissioned as a Methodist Local Preacher and I loved it. It was wonderful.
After moving to North Wales I wanted somewhere to worship and to be part of a church in a community that responds to community needs. The criteria of it being a Methodist church would have been a bonus but the nearest one was too far away. My neighbour went to Penmachno church and invited me along.
I went to St Tudclud’s and spoke to the vicar, Clive Hillman, and asked about something more regularly, given we were only meeting once a month then, and something for families and children. “That’s a great idea, off you go.” was his answer. And off we went! So I threw my hat into the ring with the Anglicans because it was the church in the community.
What made you switch from someone in a pew to being a Local Preacher in the Methodist church?
I remember sitting in the staff room at school one day and hearing a teacher ranting and raving about something. I can remember thinking that that was awful and I want to change that. Rather than turning left to go home I turned right to go to the Manse and had a conversation with the Minister and from there we decided I should become a Local Preacher.
Favourite characteristic of God?
There’s hymn called ‘There’s a wideness in God’s mercy’. That hymn speaks to me very deeply. The 4th verse really makes me think about what it is about God that I would cling onto if everything else had to go. God’s love is not judgemental.
What is it that excites you most about the future?
I’m looking forward to being allowed to preach a sermon. I put a lot of work into my sermons – maybe that’s my upbringing in the Methodist church. I’m also looking forward to being creative in our morning prayer services. Extending the family ministry across the Ministry Area is also something I’m looking forward very much to doing.
I’m looking forward to being able to approach the local communities and asking them, “What can we, the Church, do for you?” There’s a lot of healing that’s going to be needed as we move out of the pandemic. I don’t know what the answers are and I don’t know what I’m going to do but I’m looking forward to doing it.
What advice might you give to someone who’s wondering what more they can offer to God’s Church?
I’d advise them to listen. Don’t rush.
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.