CITY’S LOVELY French friend Rafaële Gondran, always known as Raf’’, who with her now husband Matthieu spent a year with us volunteering as church workers, has been ordained as a pastoral minister in the United Protestant Church of Loire-Atlantique.
And two members of City URC, Rev Shelagh Pollard and Alison Tansom made the journey to Nantes to attend the Ordination Service. Or, as it said on the invitation, the Culte d’ordination – reconnaissance du ministere pastoral de Rafaële Gondran, held in the ‘Temple’, Eglise Protestante unie de Loire-Atlantique, in September.
The service was attended by about 350 clergy, family, friends, guests and members of the ‘Temple’, and the Rev Shelagh was among the group of 12 who were invited to ‘lay on their hands’ as part of the service of ordination, a marked distinction to the link between our churches.
Alison commented: ‘Raf’ said she knew Nantes was a long way from Cardiff but she would be thrilled to see even one or two City people on the great day. It was certainly wonderful to be there and to see Raf’, Matth, and their six-year-old son Gabriel again, with their family and friends and all the church members, on this very special occasion.’
Alison recalls how the link with Raf’ and Matth started and grew
Matthieu Gondran and Rafaële Massardier wrote to some Churches in the UK in July 2015 asking for a UK Church to sponsor them through a gap year when they would provide whatever support the Churches required.
City URC was in ministerial vacancy and after much discussion and a great leap of faith by both City Church Members and Matth and Raf, themselves, funding was provided by the City Charity.
When Matth and Raf finally arrived in Cardiff in the Autumn of 2015, temporary accommodation was found in Stacy Road, and so started our joint adventure that included exploring Eco Church and so very much more.
Matth and Raf threw themselves into the everyday running of the Church, working with the Homeless and Asylum Seekers Drop In. They initialised the set-up of our Eco-Church quest, gave French Lessons to members and generally became an important part of our Church family.
So much was achieved in that one year and when it was over our connection and affection for each other continued through visits to and from their family homes in St. Etiene.
When Matth and Raf returned to their homes and began further studies, they decided to get married. City members were invited and a group of about 12 made the journey to St Etiene for the Wedding Day.
Matth continued with his studies and Raf embarked on a course to Ministry, having felt a calling in that direction. The culmination of that call was the wonderful Ordination service that Shelagh and I were privileged to attend as representatives of City Church.
Article by Jean Silvan Evans, replicated from the City Magazine.