CHELG Conference Jan 7th-9th 2026:
Our title for this year’s conference was “Rooted and Resilient : sustaining spirituality and leadership in HE Chaplaincy”. This gave us the chance to explore where we derive our resilience in times of division and difficulty and how we practice and understand leadership. We heard the experiences of colleagues exercising leadership in a time of division - looking at where the fault lines are and where and how we can bring encourage healing and understanding.
Our rootedness as Christians is the source of much of our resilience, and Fr Chad Boulton shared some of the wisdom of the 1500 year-old rule of St Benedict. We looked at the balance, or creative tensions, between the individual and the community, between love and discipline and what Benedict identified as the tension between the “rule” and the “abbot”. We identified the time-honoured virtues of humility, stability and perseverance as strengths that we too can develop as part of those Christian roots that help us develop our resilience.
Our sessions and workshops enabled us to look at some sources of stability. As Chaplains we occupy a unique position, what Jeremy Clines calls a “third space”, enabling us to relate to the academic and pastoral life of our universities in a way which is unique, genuine and pertinent. We looked at how we can use arts, crafts and walks to invite staff and students to be alongside us and develop deeper connection. We looked at the particular needs of Chinese students as well as how we practice and support leadership in contexts of division.
Above all, we have looked at the importance of sustaining ourselves and each other at a time when we feel ourselves overstretched. How do we model humility and self-care when we feel the pressure to do everything and never stop? The mutual support we have offered one another- and hope to continue to offer one another over the coming year - is vital in this. We are asking questions of how CHELG as an organisation can better respond to our needs, particularly the need to advocate for University chaplaincy - as much to our Churches as to our universities. We are also mindful of that Benedictine principle of humility, the recognition that we are not tasked with doing everything ourselves, but rather finding the time, space and vision to see where God is at work and respond with gratitude and hope.
Robin Fishwick
