A Profile I've been asked to write.
mmm, where do I start?

Well, I'm 43 years old and a father of 2, Liam, 20, and Jacob, 11. I'm divorced, so technically I guess I'm not a step father anymore, but I like to think I still am, to Tom, 18, and Lou, 15. I'm an avid motorcyclist, and ride a Suzuki SV650, which I tinker with a fair bit. I love to do long trips on the bike, and just after Christmas last, I introduced Jacob to the world of touring by motorcycle with a trip to Melbourne and back via the Grampians and the Great Ocean Road. We have a trip to the Motorcycle GP booked for the October school holidays. I have a pet cat, a Devon Rex named "Radar", she's pretty cool, a live wire. I barrack for Essendon, I'm sure you've already heard that, and I'm happy Sheedy is finally moving on. I also follow Sturt, my eldest stepson plays for them as well (it looks like my younger step son is also on this path, having earned runner up best and fairest in the recent under 15 carnival). I was privileged to have been invited to officiate at the funeral of Len Fitzgerald, the Sturt legend earlier this year, a great honour.

I'm a bit of a science fiction fan, a closet Trekky, love Stargate, that sort of stuff. I've been reading the Discworld series of late, by Terry Pratchett, and whilst not sci-fi, is a brilliant parody and reflection on our world. I love comedy, and I've inherited a love of Monty Python and all things absurd, something I've been proud to pass on to my son. Especially since I totally failed to pass on my love of all things Essendon – he barracks for Port Power!! Personally I blame his mother . . . . . . ;-)

As a priest, I'm fairly easy going. I'm not a big fan of our structure as a church in general, the top heavy and authoritarian, monarchical model. I also prefer to be called Ken, rather than Father, if possible. I like traditional Anglican liturgy, and funnily enough I even like BCP. But I'm not a stickler for getting things perfect, and I seek to allow the Spirit to move within the service. I like to have a relaxed yet dignified feeling to worship in the traditional sense. I love the Taize tradition, and would like to develop something along those lines. I like contemporary worship, but not the big hyper-church style we see on the telly early in the morning. My view of scripture is a mildly liberal one – I don't like to read it as a set of rules, rather as our story, the story of our Faith and our relationship with our God. I've begun to read the Rule of St Benedict regularly, and to start to integrate aspects of it into my life. Musically I love some of the traditional hymns, and I love Celtic church music, it moves my soul. I'm a fan of the blues, as well as an artist, playing Blues Harmonica, and would love to be able to play at church sometimes. I play a mandolin a bit, a rank amateur, but love its sound. My son Jacob is learning the violin, and we have been able to jam a little. Hopefully we will be able to do more as time goes by and we both get better at it. I also love rock, especially 70's rock – Deep Purple, Led Zepplin, that sort of stuff.

I believe that too often in today's world there is pressure to 'be' something that we are not, and quite often we lose track of who we are. I find this in all areas of life, even in the church. Too many parishes come up with superb visions and goals, which are totally incongruent with their character and their being. On a personal level, I believe Jesus helps us to get to know who we really are, He being the one who sees past the sin and into our true hearts. In learning who we are, and being that person, we grow in our faith and in ourselves. We are able to become the people we are, the people God wants us to be.

I believe that all of us are the ministers in God's church. I don't believe I'm called here to the Port and Alberton to win converts for Christ by myself, nor to single handedly renew the parishes. I'm not superman. I'm not the cure for an ailing church. I'm not going to suddenly draw in hordes of people. It's a job for all of us, and it's a job that will take work, sacrifice, change. But above all, it will take listening for God's directions and prayer, lots of prayer.

I am looking forward to getting down to the Port and getting on with it. Whilst it's a stressful time, all this moving and stuff, its very exciting, and I just want to get on with it. I hope you can all be at the commissioning and at the first service the following Sunday, I can't wait to meet you all, and pray that God bless you.

See you soon.

Ken.

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