From the Revd Jenny Seggar
Sir, - I read the letter "Doesn't kindle me" (5 June)
with genuine sadness. Not all our hard-working and talented
ministers are gifted as preachers, and they may have to work very
hard at it. Preaching without notes is not necessarily good
preaching, and other things need to be taken into account, such as
the ability to engage the congregation, relevance, theology and
doctrine, and, of course, whether they can be understood.
I have been ordained for nearly ten years, and do often preach
without notes, but not always. This is not a fault of my training,
more a dyslexia problem that, I and the church recognise, means
that I sometimes need a prompt, especially when overworked or
tired.
Easing a minister from notes can be more about confidence than
ability. As a training incumbent, I tend towards encouragement
rather than criticism with those who are stuck to the page.
JENNY SEGGAR
The Vicarage, Vicarage Lane
Bramford, Ipswich IP8 4AE