Every two years Diocesan Pastoral Care Advisers have a conference in order to share concerns and resources and to be of support to one another. This year we met at the Offa Conference Centre in the Coventry Diocese 12-14 May. The theme of the conference was POWER AND INTIMACY IN A PASTORAL CONTEXT. It was based on the premise that power and intimacy are on a continuum; the more power which is present in a relationship, the less intimacy and vice versa. We were particularly concerned not only about power/intimacy issues in the pastoral relationships with our clients, but also within parishes and the Anglican Communion as a whole.

We had three speakers to introduce issues for discussion, which was primarily done in small groups. These remained constant throughout the conference.

Kate Litchfield, (author of Tend my Flock, Sustaining Good Pastoral Care) made a presentation on ‘Power, Authority, and Vulnerability’. After the presentation, members of the conference got in touch with their own feelings through focussing on a wide selection of different works of art, which touched on aspects of intimacy within them and brought to the surface deeper aspects in their own lives. It was a very moving and productive session, which many members said opened new doors for them in quite a creative way.

Beaumont Stevenson presented a paper on ‘Approaches to Resolving Power Dynamics in Groups’, This presentation explored systems theory in terms of a way of looking at power conflicts, which arise when boundaries are broken or bypassed , not only in families and parishes, but in the Anglican Communion as a whole. Using Systems Therapy as a model, approaches were suggested for bringing secure boundaries back into these structures, by reforming stereotyped subgroups (which resulted in power plays for control of the organisation), into functioning subgroups, which could be used to build stronger bonds within a working organisation.

Mary Fraser Travis presented a paper on ‘New Paradigms of Personal and Professional Support for Clergy’. This paper was based on her research work done in the Bristol Diocese into ‘Balint-style’ groups. This is a form of supervision and support adapted for clergy, based on a model originally used for GPs in their practices. The paper not only showed how this style was useful in terms of giving clergy support and supervision, but also presented the conference with the results of research into which particular factors made it supportive and productive.

The conference also allowed the pastoral care advisers and counsellors to network with each other and to share materials, which they found useful, with each other. We also indicated which subgroups around particular interests we would like to be involved with, which could be a further resource in our connections with each other.