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George LovellMy Life, Work and Ministry:
Notes from Retirement

by George Lovell

A supernumerary Methodist minister reviews and reflects upon his early life, his training and work as an engineer, his call to the ministry and active ministry in Wales and London, his doctoral research, his role as a consultant on church and community development with Avec, his work as a research fellow, and his ministry and work in retirement.

Prepared for online publication by John S. Summerwill

Dr Lovell died on 7th October 2018 aged 89r, just before the publication of this autoethnography. Although he was aware that it was in need of further editing and correction, his failing health in the last year or so of his life prevented him from doing any more work on it, and he was reconciled to leaving it as it, warts and all. He and I are grateful to the Trustees of Avec for allowing it to be published on the Avec Resources website. JSS

 

Contents

Introductory Section

Editor's Note
Preface

Introduction

Status of the Notes

Part 1: Rationale for a Reflective Vocational Autobiography
Part 2: Getting Started and the Reflective Exercise

My Vocational Life

Part 3: Overviews of My Engineering Career and My Ministerial Vocation
Part 4: Working Class Beginnings, 1929-42
Part 5: An Engineering Career, 1942-55 and 1959- 62
Part 6: Class Issues in My Personal and Professional Lives
Part 7: Religious Background, experiences and development, 1930’s –1952
Part 8: From Engineering to Ordained Ministry, Feb 1952 -August 1958
Part 9: Ministerial Life, 1958 – 2014 Circuit Ministry
Part 9.1: Circuit Ministry

Introduction to parts 9.2-6
Part 9.2: Studying, Researching and Writing, 1970-80
Part 9.3: My Ministry the Ministries of Others, 1976 -2013
Part 9.4: Avec: Ecumenical Training and Consultancy Programme, 1976-93
Part 9.5: Avec: From Agency to Resources for Study and Research
Part 9.6: Ministry in Retirement, 1994-2014
Part 9.7: Preaching Ministry: Content, Nature and Shape
Part 9.8: Notes on My Writing, Publishers and Publications, c 1960-2016

Concluding Reflections

Introduction to parts 10 – 12
Part 10: Overall Reflections on My Vocational Life

Part 11: Towards an Assessment of My Work and Outcomes
Part 12: Repositioning My Vocational Life Beyond These Notes
Epilogue

Appendices

Copyright © George Lovell 2018. All rights reserved.

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