New minister ready for wherever God calls

A former charity worker is celebrating the end of a journey to become a Minister of Word and Sacrament which saw her combine her studies with the challenges of Covid and having a new baby to look after.

Rev Cat Rawlinson-Watkins was ordained as Assistant Minister at Davidson's Mains Church in Edinburgh, but her first service as a fully qualified Church of Scotland minister was at St Stephen's Comely Bank, where she is providing temporary preaching cover.

"The St Stephen's service was special, not only because it was a family nativity and Christingle service, and my first service as an ordained minister, but because that is my home congregation. Then in the evening, I was back in Davidson's Mains for Carols by Candlelight, which was quieter and calmer, more reflective. Both were outreach services, something I'm very happy with" she said.

Reaching out to the community has always been a priority for Mrs Rawlinson-Watkins, who previously worked for the Bethany Christian Trust, which was launched by Edinburgh minister Rev Alan Berry to support homeless and vulnerable people in the capital, and EMMS International, Scotland's longest-serving international healthcare charity.

"I have always been interested in people living on the margins and I have always served practically with my hands, so when I was called into ministry, I was quite surprised to be asked to serve with my mouth and speak," she admitted.

"I spent a lot of time figuring out what it is I have been called to and how can I best use my gifts and experience to serve God in this role."

Mrs Rawlinson-Watkins, who is originally from Lancashire and rather surprisingly for a minister can trace her ancestry back to the last highwayman to be hanged in England, George Lyon, revealed that she was happy in her charity sector role, but decided she needed to explore her call to ministry.

"It's just been such a journey," she said.

"Just after I entered the period of discernment, I learnt I was pregnant with my third child, so I juggled pregnancy with discernment and then the degree with a new born. I am very grateful to Highland Theological College (HTC) for being able to study online and through the modular system. That made all the difference in being able to do a degree and juggle family life."

Covid presented an additional challenge as it meant she and husband Pete having to home-school two primary age children, James and Ellie, while also looking after new baby Robert – and also interrupted her first placement at Corstorphine Old Church with Rev Moira McDonald, but in a contrast from parish ministry, her next placement was at HMP Edinburgh, also known as Saughton Prison.

She explained: "I wanted to do something that drew on my experience of working with people in the margins and helped my understanding of the church. As well as working in the prison, I saw what churches were doing with prisoners after their release as well, which was fascinating."

An appetite for faith

Following another placement at Palmerston Place Church in the centre of Edinburgh, she had expected to complete her probation in a priority area, but has found working at Davidsons's Mains to be very rewarding.

"I've been able to see the church at work, serving people every day from teenagers to older members of the community. It's been a really good all-round experience," she said.

She will be staying on as an assistant minister which she will combine with one day a week at the Grassmarket Community Project, where she previously had a placement while participating in the Forge Pioneer Ministry course during her probation.

"That looked at how the church bridges into community work," Mrs Rawlinson-Watkins explained.

"As part of that, I did lots of fascinating research about spirituality among the marginalised and the results were amazing. The appetite for faith was so strong that it took us all by surprise. As a result of the research, a group started because people wanted to carry on and explore faith and spirituality and what it meant to them."

Her ordination service was "overwhelmingly wonderful", bringing together people who have supported her throughout her ministry journey, including her mother, who made the journey from Wigan to Edinburgh.

Now she can look forward to a new year and the next stage of the journey.

She said: "The Church is changing and I just feel I need to be ready for wherever God calls me, whether that be parish ministry – which I have thoroughly enjoyed at Davidson's Mains and other churches – or be it something more unusual like pioneer ministry.

"I'm excited to find out what the future holds."