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| Rev Emma Matthews with a student |
Rev Emma Matthews seems well and
truly at home in her surroundings at Penrhos College. Girls proudly come up to her
in the halls to show their achievements. More students are scattered
around her office making Easter baskets. It is through these informal connections
as chaplain she is able to build meaningful relationships with the
students.
Fittingly placed on the wall, a
plaque reads, “Life is a journey, not a destination.”
You could say that Emma, a recently
ordained Deacon, has come full circle in her journey through faith. Penrhos
College, an all-girls’ school that boasts about 1,170 students, including
around 100 boarders, and 200 staff, is one of seven Uniting Church schools in
WA. Like many of her students, Emma grew up in a non-church family and attended
a Uniting Church school. It was at around the age of six that Emma’s faith
started to emerge.
Once she left school, she moved into
a house full of Christian students where her faith flourished and grew further.
Working as a school music teacher to pay the bills, Emma’s passion for social
justice formed part of her journey to the diaconate. Her passion can be traced
back to a teenage experience at a school speech night; standing on the steps of
the Sydney Town Hall, one of the school mums was approached by a homeless
man asking what the event was. The lady turned her back, and left a lasting
impression on Emma.
“That really had a profound impact
on me,” she said. “It melted my heart.”
Emma spent a lot of her time since
then volunteering for various causes including social work among AIDS victims,
meals on wheels and refugee advocacy. “So basically without really realising
it, I was doing diaconate work,” she said. “I started a period of discernment
about six years ago and discerned quite rapidly that the diaconate was where
God was leading me.”
Similarly, after finishing her
theological training and beginning a new time of discerning God’s plan for her,
“It became more and more apparent that Penrhos was the place for me.”
Having been in her role for three
school terms now, Emma has settled into the busy schedule. The school’s
multicultural and multi-faith community brings with it joys and
diversity. While some may think of that as being a struggle, Emma is a
natural in her role at relating to students.
“The five world’s biggest religions
all have things in them that talk about valuing other people, talk about being
neighbourly, talk about caring for the environment. So there are ways that you
can mould a message that is actually palatable for everybody,” she said.
The college’s Ignite program, which
Emma teaches, offers an opportunity to explore such similarities in more depth.
Each term the class studies a different religion so by the end of the year
they will have learnt about Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism. But
it’s not just chapel and education that Emma offers. She’s also a friend and a
listening ear to students and staff alike.
“My role is pastoral, liturgical and
teaching,” she said. “Being a pastoral presence in the playground — being there
in that moment — can have a life changing impact.”
“As far as I’m concerned, the
difference that church schools make is significant. The chaplain’s door is
always open. Girls have an opportunity to ask big questions. And they do.”
As Emma continues to walk her
journey, she encourages others who may be hearing God’s call to ministry to
take the plunge, despite it shaking your whole life around.
“It changes everything,” she said.
“If it’s doing its job, it’s deconstructing you — your faith, preconceived
ideas, stretching all your boundaries — and putting you back together again.
“Don’t be scared. Have faith. God won’t leave you floundering and will make
your path straight. You might not be able to see it in your second year of
study, but it will happen.”
Edited from an article by Heather
Dowling
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