Singleton has been home to Canon Gary Harman for more than nine years. His role as the Rector of All Saint’s Anglican Church has been a lifestyle that won’t be easily changed. He calls his retirement a redefinement of his life and spoke to Di Sneddon about his life in a caring and compassionate parish.
RETIREMENT is easier with some professions than others.
Rector of All Saint’s Anglican Church Canon Gary Harman has put in place a number of strategies to help with his transition into retirement.
Travel and study lead the priorities.
A trip to the United States and a Masters degree in History will occupy his immediate future after he says goodbye to his formal working life.
Canon Gary officially retires on March 23 but will take the opportunity to enjoy some long service leave before that final date.
His last service in Singleton will be January 18 next year.
Like everyone in the workforce, retirement is something contemplated from time to time but more so as one approaches the official retirement age of 65.
Therefore, retirement has been a stage in his life that was no secret with an imminent birthday catalyst for the decision.
Canon Gary considers himself to be a pastor, a teacher, a liturgist and since studying for three years at St John’s College, he has been the assistant priest at Charleston, Rector at Dungog and for the past nine-and-a-half years he has been the Rector at All Saints’.
The role is more than a job.
It is a lifestyle and one in which people are the priority.
“The focus of my ministry has been pastoral care, my contacts with people,” he said.
He says Singleton gave him a sense of energy and said he had been fortunate to offer ministry in a country town that was, itself, a very caring and compassionate community.
He firmly believes that country people are far more spiritual than their city counterparts in their compassion for those around them and the way in which they embrace their ministry in the community and the mission processes.
“We have a very large and vigorous church community, many are involved in other aspects of the community and have a strong sense of ministry and I have always tried to enable that,” Canon Gary said.
He hopes, God willing, to continue his ministry and his vocation, and acknowledges this will be in a different form when retired to that of his formal career.
Canon Gary is the fifth longest serving rector of All Saint’s Church and says his position was no nine to five job.
Nor was a it a job he only took up on Sundays.
The needs of people come at all times of the day and night and in a world where challenges are only becoming more prevalent, that individual demand is something that needs to be shared to meet the growing needs.
One of the biggest changes, and a positive change in Canon Gary’s eyes, is the church’s move to endorse lay leaders for various aspects of parish life.
These lay leaders have the opportunity to expand their own ministry by offering pastoral work, communication and Christian education.
In reality, it is a move back to the way the Anglican Church operated many years ago and a recognition that the more people with the skills to offer pastoral care, the greater the ability of the church to deliver that care to the people who need it.
The first of these lay people will be ordained as Deacons or Priests over the next few months.
King Street Public School teacher Sandra Hulyer is the first and will be ordained priest on November 30.
Two others have been selected for ordination and another person is in the selection process.
It is a move that Canon Gary sees as fulfilling the needs of the church and fulfilling the needs of the people, both those with a desire to deliver pastoral care and those needing it.
On November 21, a farewell Eucharist will be held for Revd. Harman and his wife, Dorothy, at 4pm followed by afternoon tea in the Parish Hall. All welcome.
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