I was delighted to be invited to write a personal response to the article by Dr Hilary Cooling. I read the article eagerly, and as someone who has worked for many years with families in crisis, I heard a number of echoes from the past. The tension between the expectations of Christians and real-life was tangible, and it left me a little sad (reading between the lines) to hear how Dr Cooling has had to defend her calling to such a vital and complex area of work.

I had a similar and dramatic call whilst forging a career path in secular management. It was a call to work in the area of Mental Health and Social Services, and I went on to train as a social worker to begin a career that spanned forty years in the caring services. There have been a number of occasions when fellow Christians have recognised my management and leadership skills, and suggested that I go ‘full time in church service’ (what ever that means), as if working within health and social services was to be a part-time Christian!

As the Assistant Director of Fieldwork (Social Services) in West London during the 1980’s, my responsibilities included the authorisation of medical procedures for children in the care of the Local Authority. Somewhat inevitably, my remit included authorisation for children to undergo a termination of pregnancy. I sought diligently whether I should leave the profession because my personal Christian stance was that this went against the natural laws of God and nature. Having said this I was acutely aware, and still am, that a decision whether or not to terminate a pregnancy is never easy for a woman/young person, whatever her age. I was also concerned that the repercussions of a termination on the person involved rarely entered the equation and were seldom discussed.

I could, of course, have chosen to duck the issue altogether and delegate these decisions to a colleague, but I chose to use my position for ‘such a time as this’, to ensure that the young people involved were fully informed of the support they were entitled to and the rights they had to other services. In other words, that there were alternatives to termination of pregnancy. This led me to a closer examination of those resources and stimulated development of relationships with organisations that would, for example, arrange fostering placements and adoption or take a mother and child as a fostering situation where this was in the best interest of the young person.

CARE is one such organisation. It is, amongst other things, committed to upholding Christian values by engaging in the political process. It has also pioneered the development of Crisis Pregnancy Centres of which there are now over 150 in the UK. In the development of the Centres, CARE has had to face and deal with dilemmas similar to those expressed by Dr Cooling. What is the next step if, having heard the information and advice of the staff at the centre, the woman decides to go ahead with the termination? Do the staff at the agency relinquish all contact or should they be relieved to see her after the operation, and do they offer to continue the relationship they have built by accompanying her to the unit for the termination? These are issues for anyone daring to venture into the real-life dilemmas of a hurting world. My answer to all these questions would be an unequivocal ‘yes’ to offering support and maintaining the relationship!

For three years I was general secretary of ‘Christians in Caring Professions’. It is interesting that many of the 2000 doctors, nurses and social workers shared a common experience of having to deal with negative reactions from other Christians, similar to those of Dr Cooling.

In her article, Dr Cooling has described everyday occurrences for which she undoubtedly seeks wisdom and guidance from God. She also needs and deserves our prayer support for not passing by on the other side of the road, but responding to her calling to be in the thick of it for the ultimate health and well-being of the young people in and around her local community.

 

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