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Ordeinio 2022: Selwyn Griffith

Dros Ŵyl Bedr eleni yng Nghadeirlan Deiniol Sant ym Mangor, bydd Selwyn Griffith a Helen Franklin yn cael eu hordeinio yn Ddiacon.

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 Selwyn am eu alwedigaeth i weinidogaeth ordeinedig.


Dywedwch ychydig am dy hun

Person milltir sgwâr ydw i. Cefais fy ngeni a fy magu ym Mhenisa’r-waun ym Mro Eryri. Ar ôl gadael ysgol, ac am 31 mlynedd, ymunais â’r diwydiant moduron. Dyna oedd fy mhasiwn i o’r dechrau. Os ro’n ni’n mynd yn ôl rŵan baswn i byth yn mynd i’r un trêd - roedd ceir yn wahanol adeg hynny. Roedd y pasiwn yna pan oeddwn yn blentyn, cael mynd i’r garej lleol efo fy nhad i drwsio ceir.
Ar ôl hynny cefais swydd gydag elusen addysgol yn dysgu sgiliau ariannol a busnes i fyfyrwyr.
‘Rwyf wedi bod yn aelod o gôr Meibion Dinas Bangor am y 5 mlynedd diwethaf, ac yn ddiweddar cefais fy mhenodi yn ysgrifennydd.

Ydi’r Eglwys wedi bod yn rhan o dy fywyd o’r cychwyn?

Cefais fy magu a’n annog o oedran ifanc i fynychu Eglwys Santes Helen yn rheolaidd, yno cefais fy medyddio a’m conffyrmio. Mae’r Eglwys yng Nghymru yn fy ngwaed ac mae Eglwys Santes Helen wedi bod yn rhan annatod o fy mywyd. Wnes i uno â’r PCC pan oeddwn yn 17 oed. Es i i gyfarfod unwaith gyda fy nhad a wnaeth y Deon Bro fy ngwahodd i i ymuno. Mae lot o blant yn dweud bod nhw wedi cael eu gorfodi i fynd ac yn casáu mynd oherwydd eu bod wedi cael eu gorfodi ond 'sgen i ddim teimlad fel ‘na. Roedd yn teimlo yn naturiol ac roeddwn yn mwynhau mynd. Rwy’n cofio ein hen set teulu a fy hen anti oedd y cyntaf i gael ei bedyddio pan agorodd yr eglwys felly mae’n eglwys deuluol i mi. Mae fy ngwreiddiau yna. Mae’n gartref ysbrydol i mi.

Gwnes ti sôn am bwysigrwydd eglwys a’r lleoliad yn eich bywyd. Sut mae dy ffydd yn wahanol i hynny?

Dw i wedi dysgu llawer yn y coleg. Ro’n ni’n teimlo cywilydd braidd, am fy mod i wedi mynychu’r eglwys mor rheolaidd, fy mod i wedi mynd ‘fath a pharot – yn dweud y geiriau yn awtomatig heb feddwl digon. Dw i’n siŵr nad fi oedd yr unig un. Dw i wedi dysgu tomen o stwff yn y coleg ac mae hynny wedi cryfhau fy ffydd. Dw i erioed wedi peidio credu. Dw i’n credu bod Duw yn fy nghynnal i ac yn ateb gweddi. Dw i wedi dod ar draws digwyddiadau yn fy mywyd lle dw i wedi teimlo presenoldeb Duw ac mae fy ffydd felly yn reit gadarn.

Felly, sut wyt ti wedi cyrraedd y pwynt yma o gael dy ordeinio?

‘Rwyf wedi gwrthsefyll yr alwad ers blynyddoedd lawer ond o’r diwedd ‘rwyf wedi ei derbyn.
Fe deimlais yr alwad nôl yn 1983 pan oedd oddeutu 22, wnes i fynd i Fangor gyda’r Parchedig Tegid Roberts i gael sgwrs ond des i o ‘na yn teimlo nad oeddwn yn barod, falle fy mod i yn rhy ifanc ac anaeddfed. Adeg hynny nes i addo i Dduw faswn yn gweithio i’r Eglwys mewn ffordd wahanol gan fod y galwad mor gryf. Bues i’n torri gwair y fynwent, llwyth o waith casglu arian, cynnal gwahanol bethau.
Ar hyd y blynyddoedd mae lot o bobl wedi bod yn gofyn, “Pam na ‘wnei di fynd ymlaen i’r eglwys?” Bob tro dw i wedi dweud nad wyf yn ddigon clyfar a fedrai byth gwneud y gwaith coleg - tynnu’n hyn i lawr. Dw i wedi dweud erioed nad wyf yn ddigon da a bues i’n defnyddio hynny fel esgus bob tro ond aeth yr alwad byth i ffwrdd ac roedd yn ofnadwy o gry’. Roedd ofn arna i wneud camgymeriad hefyd.
Rwy’n teimlo mai rŵan ydi’r amser cywir – ella doeddwn i ddim yn barod yn gynt.

At beth wyt ti'n edrych ymlaen yn y gwaith?

Mewn cyfarfodydd a sgyrsiau gydag Archddiacon Mary fuon ni’n drafod dyfodol yr eglwys a beth oeddwn i am wneud gyda’r eglwys ro’n ni’n teimlo bod tân o’m fewn. Mae’r Eglwys yng Nghymru yn golygu llawer i mi – y sefydliad, y traddodiad a bob dim. Dw i’n teimlo fy mod i’n rhedeg ras relay ac mae’r baton yn fy llaw i a dw i isio pasio hwn, y ffydd Gristnogol, ymlaen i’r genhedlaeth nesaf. Mae’r iaith Gymraeg yn bwysig yn hyn i gyd hefyd – y gallu i weinidogaethu yn y Gymraeg gyda phobl Gymreig. Rwy’n teimlo bod gweinidogaethu yn lleol yn rhan o’r alwedigaeth.

Pa gyngor fyddet ti'n rhoi i rywun sy’n ystyried galwedigaeth gan Dduw?

“Peidiwch amau, peidiwch frwsio’r teimlad o dan y carped.” Byddaf yn rhannu fy nhaith a fy mhrofiad i gyda nhw. Dw i am drïo cefnogi pobl ifanc, Cymraeg i’r weinidogaeth a chwilio am gyfleoedd i wneud hynny’n bosib.


Cymraeg

Ordinations 2022: Selwyn Griffith

This Petertide at St Deiniol's Cathedral in Bangor Selwyn Griffith and Helen Franklin will be ordained as Deacons.

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 Selwyn about his calling to ordained ministry.


Tell me a little about yourself

I’m a ‘mile-square’ person. I wan born and brought up in Penisarwaun in Bro Eryri. After leaving school, and for 31 years, I joined the motor trade. That was my passion from the start. If I were to go back now though I wouldn’t have joined that trade at all – the cars were so different back then. But I loved going to the local garage with my father to fix cars.
After that I worked for an educational charity teaching financial and business skills to students.
I’ve been a member of Bangor City’s Male Voice choir for the last 5 years and was appointed as secretary a short while ago.

Has the church always been a part of your life?

I was brought up in and encouraged to attend Saint Helen’s Church, that’s where I was baptised and confirmed. The Church in Wales is in my veins and Saint Helen’s Church has been an intgral part of my life. I became a member of the PCC when I was 17 years old. I went to a meeting with my father once and the Area Dean at the time invited me to join.
A lot of people say that they were forced to go to church and hate it as a result but I don’t have that feeling. It felt natural and I enjoyed going. I can remember our old family pew and my auntie was the first to be baptised there after the church was opened so, it’s my family church. My roots are there. It’s my spiritual home.

You’ve spoken of the importance of the building and its location. How is your faith different to that?

I’ve learnt so much in college. I felt a little ashamed, I had been to church so often that I was just saying the words automatically without thinking enough. I’m sure I’m not the only one. I’ve learnt a huge amount at college and that’s strengthened my faith. I’ve never not believed. I believe that God sustains me and answers prayer. I’ve faced so many experiences in my life where I’ve felt God’s presence and so my faith is really strong.

How have you reached this point of ordination?

I’ve resisted the sense of calling for many years but I’ve finally accepted it. I first felt called to ordained ministry back in 1983 when I was about 22 years old. I went to explore this in Bangor with the Revd Tegid Roberts but I didn’t feel I was ready, that perhaps I was too young and immature. I promised God, then, that I would serve the church in ways. I cut the grass in the cemeteries, I helped raise money and supported all kinds of other things. Over the years, however, lots of people have asked, “Why don’t you go forward for ordiantion?” My reply would always be that I wasn’t good enough, that I wouldn’t be able to do the college work. I’d pull myself down. I used that as an excuse but the sense of calling never went away and it was extremely strong. I was also afraid of making a mistake, but I feel that now is the right time – maybe I simply wasn’t ready before.

What are you looking forward to about ordained ministry?

When I was in discussions with Archdeacon Mary we would talk about the future of the church and what I wanted to do, I felt a fire inside me. The Church in Wales means so much to me – the institution, the traditions and everything it is. I feel like I’m running a relay race and the baton is in my hand. I want to pass the baton, the Christian faith, on to the next generation. The Welsh language is also extremely important to me too – the ability to minister in Welsh with welsh people. I feel that minsitering local is a central part of my calling.

What advice might you gove to someone else who was exploring their calling from God?

“Don’t doubt it, don’t brush that feeling under the carpet.” I would share my journey and my experience with them. I’d love to be able to support young welsh people into ministry and find ways of making that possible.