April 2024
The Revd Cally Burch joins the Parish of Bridport this month as Pioneer Team Vicar. This is a new role for our parish; the job description aligns greatly with that of Team Vicar, but also involves seeking new ways to lead ministry and expand the reach of the church, primarily out in the community and with a focus on outreach to the artistic community between Weymouth and Lyme Regis.
We caught up with Cally during a pause in her busy relocation schedule…
The Bridge: Cally, welcome to our town! Where are you moving from?
Cally Burch: For the last two and a half years I’ve been an assistant curate in Fleet, Hampshire. That was my first stipendiary job in the church – before that I was doing my training. I’d also held a number of voluntary roles in the church.
TB: Where did you train?
CB: I studied theology at St Mellitus College in London. I was on the three-year course and I graduated in July 2021. The college operates in an inclusive spirit of ‘generous orthodoxy’ and the students represent a wide range of traditions within the Church of England.
During my training I had a placement at St Michael’s in Sheerwater, an area of economic deprivation in Woking, and the experience taught me a lot about creative, artistic worship. The lack of money and resources meant I had to dig deep into different forms of worship to make connections, and it’s been good to use that experience in a more affluent and conventional setting in Fleet.
TB: When and why did you decide to enter the church?
CB: I suppose I came back to my faith during my years at home with my family. I was a ‘cradle Anglican’ but I’d gone to a Roman Catholic girls’ school – at about 13, I knew I was a Christian but I had to decide between the Church of England and the Catholic Church. I chose the former, although Catholic teaching remains close to my heart. I studied modern languages at university, then law at the College of Law in Guildford, before going into banking law and working in the City. I got married and had two children, and when they were baptised as babies I started to volunteer in the church. Even though I went back into commercial law for a while, working mainly with big charities, I was still actively involved in the church.
More recently I also held a voluntary position in the chaplaincy at HMP Send, a women’s prison in Surrey. The chance to form relationships with the prisoners was wonderful. My role was supportive and I was seen totally differently from the prison officers. It was about establishing trust, as some of the women didn’t want much to do with the chaplaincy; many had problems with addiction and many had been abused physically, sexually or both. It was a tremendous privilege to share time with them.
I love building relationships with people, sharing my faith and God’s love for each one of us. Exploring faith together is what lights my fire!
TB: What attracted you to the Bridport job?
CB: When I saw the vacancy, my first reaction was very open; I let myself be led by the Holy Spirit. Then my husband, Rob, and I came for a visit and we fell in love with Bridport! We could see it was a vibrant, lively place. From that point I felt a very strong pull here, which was confirmed when we met people in the parish. I’m really excited and I know there will be plenty to do. Obviously there will be challenges, but it’s going to be great fun living here and everyone so far has been wonderfully friendly.
TB: What is Rob going to do here?
CB: His background is in business, finance and engineering, and he was the CEO of a start-up in Camberley until a year ago, but because my curacy was coming to an end he didn’t look for another permanent job before we moved. Now he’ll be working in finance admin at Bridport Arts Centre and as a harbour assistant in Lyme Regis, both part-time roles.
TB: And your children?
CB: They’re at university: Emily is studying medicine in Birmingham and James is reading physics in Nottingham. They’re excited about our family home being in Bridport! We’d already moved to Fleet from Guildford, where they grew up, so they’re already used to being away from their childhood friends.
TB: What do you like doing when you’re not working?
CB: I was born in Hythe, Kent, and the sea is in my blood – I’m so looking forward to living near the water again. We all love sailing, and when our children were younger we took a year out and sailed across the Atlantic as a family. I’m into open water swimming, too, and all that goes with it – particularly the hot chocolate afterwards! – and I want to try paddleboarding.
We have a dog, Paddy, and two cats, Flapjack and Simba. Paddy’s looking forward to exploring the lovely walks around Bridport!
It’s also going to be lovely to have a proper garden again – the garden at our house here is beautiful.
We really want to put down roots, to make Bridport our home. Curacy is always temporary, but this is a permanent job in the church. I can’t wait to get stuck in!