Introducing Caroline Welby
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The WFL Retreat is aimed primarily at Bishops’ spouses; however, the Reconciliation Training is opened to a wider group of Christian women leaders. It is hoped that Bishops’ spouses will take what they have received and pass it on, in the same way, to clergy spouses and other women leaders in their turn.
Women on the Frontline grew out of my own discovery in prayer, as my husband was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, that God had called and chosen me for the role that I was to fulfil alongside my husband. I did not know then what God was calling me to but distinctly felt I was being encouraged solely ‘to be the person He made me to be’. The more confidence we have in knowing that God loves us as we are, the more we are set free to be and become all that He wants us to be.
So many Bishops’ spouses bear heavy responsibilities, often for other women in their dioceses. I firmly believe that we cannot bear these responsibilities and reach our potential without a heartfelt understanding of God’s love and call at the centre of our being. It is through this experience of discovering (or rediscovering) God’s call for this particular role, with its significant impact on everything that I do, that inspired me to create Women on the Frontline. It is vital that we first learn to spend time with God and not rush in to ‘how to’ perform the tasks of the role. This is an ongoing journey that may be stretching and challenging as we step forward, by God’s grace, to becoming the women He created us to be.
The gathering is formed of two parts:
The WFL Retreat is the first half of the gathering, designed specifically for Bishops’ spouses. We deliberately create the space that is needed for the spouses to lay aside their everyday roles and responsibilities and find peace and rest in the presence of God through an Ignatian style of retreat. For many participants, this is a new and different experience with its non-prescriptive tone and encouragement to be fully present to God, to rest in His peace and receive His affirmation and love.
The WFL Reconciliation Training is the second part of the gathering and is for Bishops spouses as well as other women leaders invited to join alongside. We recognise that spouses often receive limited training or equipping for their roles. The training will focus on an area of reconciliation chosen by the participants as relevant to their context. Reconciliation is needed in every area of life whether within ourselves, with God, with our family, our church, community, nation and the natural world, and women must be part of a process of reconciliation if it is to result in lasting peace.
The team should be made up of those who are humble and reliant on God; those who recognise that they don’t have all the answers, who are collaborative and not status conscious, and who are able to own the WFL Principles (see next page) and lead according to them. A team leader does not need to be an expert in any part of the programme (whether leading a retreat or reconciliation training), rather they need to be able to recognise the gifts and potential of others and to be encouragers of others in order to draw out their individual gifts. WFL is not for sole leaders or those who need a spotlight for themselves, but for those who embody presence, parity and potential in how they relate to others. The how of WFL is far more important than the what of WFL.