Railway Mission

Last updated

Railway Mission logo RM Logo Low Res.jpg
Railway Mission logo
National Rail Chaplaincy Service logo National Rail Chaplaincy Service (logo).png
National Rail Chaplaincy Service logo

The Railway Mission is a British mission devoted to the rail industry. It was founded in 1881 based in mission halls, and now operates a chaplaincy service. In the early days of the Railway Mission there were a number of mission halls at railway stations throughout the country, including one at Bury St Edmunds, completed in 1900, [1] and a 1906 building at Salisbury. [2] An example of a Railway Mission chapel separate from a station is to be found at Norwich, at what is now Prince of Wales Road Evangelical Church. [3]

Contents

The present-day Railway Mission is a care provider to the rail industry and British Transport Police through the provision of the National Rail Chaplaincy Service (NRCS). Operating in partnership with London City Mission, the Railway Mission is the principal partner in the NRCS which provides around 25 mainly full-time chaplains to the railways, enabling pastoral care across the whole of the mainland UK railway network.

Overview

The British Railway Mission was founded in 1881 to communicate the Christian Gospel to the people working in the railway and associated industries. The railway industry has undergone dramatic changes over the years, but those who work throughout the modern network continue to face many challenges and problems in the 21st century.

The Mission's founding objective was "the moral and spiritual advancement of railway employees of all ages". That objective is still the driving force of the Mission as it seeks to provide independent confidential help and support to any rail industry employee, whether active or retired, at home, hospital or workplace.

For more than a century successive railway managements from board to local level have given much encouragement to the work of the Railway Mission. As well as support from the railways themselves the Railway Mission relies on funding from individual donations to finance its continuing work and expansion of the network of chaplains.

Pastoral care

"Meeting People... Meeting Needs..." is the strap line for the work of the mission. Marriage breakdown, domestic upheaval, serious illness, bereavement, alcohol and drug dependency can all be deeply distressing and affect not only the quality of the life of the person concerned but also their families and colleagues. Increasing stress may be experienced as the rail industry develops in the 21st century. The work of the chaplains complements that of the welfare services offered by employers. Together we seek to ensure that all employees receive the pastoral care that they need. The Railway Mission is a 7-day a week, 24 hours a day service – just like the rail industry itself. The Mission's chaplains are called to emergency situations and can be relied upon to give careful, meaningful help and advice.

International Railway Mission

The International Railway Mission (IRM) is an interdenominational federation which connects Christian fellowships with rail staff all over Europe. IRM holds a conference every three years, where the members and supporters of the Railway Missions can exchange experiences and enjoy fellowship with other participants.

Countries

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wiltshire</span> County of England

Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire and Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to the west. The largest settlement is Swindon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaplain</span> Spiritual representative attached to a secular institution

A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric, or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution, or a private chapel. The term chaplaincy refers to the chapel, facility or department in which one or more chaplains carry out their role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Army Chaplains' Department</span> Military unit

The Royal Army Chaplains' Department (RAChD) is an all-officer department that provides ordained clergy to minister to the British Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wessex Main Line</span>

The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton Central. Diverging from this route is the Heart of Wessex Line from Westbury to Weymouth. The Wessex Main Line intersects the Reading to Taunton Line at Westbury and the West of England Main Line at Salisbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military chaplain</span> Ministers to military personnel

A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases, they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations.

Jonathan Sansbury Bailey, was an English Anglican bishop. He was Bishop of Dunwich from 1992 to 1995, Bishop of Derby from 1995 to 2005, and Clerk of the Closet from 1997 to 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilton, Wiltshire</span> Town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England

Wilton is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, with a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons. It lies about 3 miles (5 km) west of the city of Salisbury, and until 1889 was the county town of Wiltshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chippenham railway station</span> Railway station in Wiltshire, England

Chippenham railway station is on the Great Western Main Line (GWML) in South West England, serving the town of Chippenham, Wiltshire. It is 93 miles 76 chains down the line from the zero point at London Paddington and is situated between Swindon and Bath Spa on the GWML. The Wessex Main Line diverges from the GWML to the southwest of Chippenham and runs to Trowbridge via Melksham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Canadian Chaplain Service</span> Military unit

The Royal Canadian Chaplain Service is a personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces that has approximately 192 Regular Force chaplains and 145 Reserve Force chaplains representing the Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths. From 1969 to 2014 it was named the Chaplain Branch. It was renamed on October 16, 2014.

Pastoral care is an ancient model of emotional, social and spiritual support that can be found in all cultures and traditions. The term is considered inclusive of distinctly non-religious forms of support, as well as support for people from religious communities. It is also an important form of support found in many spiritual and religious traditions.

British industrial mission is a network of people who engage in christian ministry to people in economic life. This is often done by lay or ordained chaplains who build relationships with people in workplaces. They may also take part in support or campaigning roles for economic justice, such as for a living wage, protection for precarious workers or assisting people facing redundancy. In workplaces the chaplains may have a role in staff welfare, or facilitating faith provision. The intention of these faith actors (predominantly from Christian denominations), is to establish an engagement between the church and the world of work, money and employment. Chaplains form relationships with local employers and visit workplaces on a regular basis and also use their experience to help churches to understand and respond to the needs and issues. Their role is not to try to convert employees but to establish a dialogue between employers, employees and the church and provide a religious presence in the workplace. Chaplains are often independent of the business owners, and offer confidentiality.

Anton Theophilus Boisen was an American chaplain. He was a leading figure in the hospital chaplaincy and clinical pastoral education movements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Christian Maritime Association</span>

The International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA) is an ecumenical association of 26 Christian organisations, Protestant and Catholic, representing different churches and Christian communities actively engaged in welfare work for people who work at sea, including seafarers, fishers and the families of both. The Association is registered as a charity in the UK and, through its members, operates internationally.

A sports chaplain provides pastoral care for the sports community, including athletes, coaches, administrators and their families. In 2017, a Global Summit of Sports Chaplaincy ministries defined sports chaplaincy as “ongoing pastoral and spiritual care, by permission, to those of faith or no faith, for the holistic well-being of all involved in the community of sport.” Different sports and cultures may adopt the practice of sports chaplaincy but under different titles, such as sports mMentor, life coach or character coach. Consequently, the practical outworking of sports chaplaincy in wide in scope, but broadly fits into 5 models of delivery and is primarily a relational approach.

Intercontinental Church Society (ICS) is a global Anglican mission organisation. ICS is a voluntary Evangelical Society, a full member of the Partnership for World Mission, and therefore a recognized agency of the Church of England for overseas work through the medium of the English language. It supports ministry to people from all over the world and calls on people at home for prayer and financial support. Their current mission statement is "mission and ministry in English for everyone."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ukraine prison ministries</span> Religious services for prisoners in Ukraine

The prison ministries of Ukraine provide religious services to people in Ukrainian prisons. Coordinated by religious leaders and the Ministry of Justice, services are provided for Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, and Jewish prisoners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Ursula's Church, Bern</span> Church in Bern, Switzerland

St Ursula's Church, Bern is an Anglican Episcopal church in Bern, Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polish Catholic Mission</span>

The Polish Catholic Mission, Polish: Polska Misja Katolicka, (PMK) is a permanent Catholic chaplaincy for migrant Poles. It operates in a number of countries under the direction of the Polish Episcopal Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network</span> Organisation

The Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network (NRPSN) is an organisation supporting a network of people who work in non-religious pastoral care which also promotes and advocates for non-religious pastoral care provision within the UK in institutions such as the NHS and HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), the British Armed Forces and within the British education system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Salisbury rail crash</span> Railway crash in the United Kingdom

On 31 October 2021, two trains, travelling on converging lines, collided at Salisbury Tunnel Junction, approximately one mile northeast of Salisbury railway station in Wiltshire, United Kingdom. Fourteen people, including one of the train drivers, were taken to hospital.

References

  1. BBC's Inside Out series
  2. "Railway Mission, Salisbury". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  3. "Railway Mission, Norwich". Norfolk Churches. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  4. "Gemeinschaft Gläubiger Eisenbahner Österreichs". Archived from the original on 19 September 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
  5. "Home". cvde.de.
  6. "Home". railwaymission.org.
  7. "Home". spoorchristenen.nl.
  8. http://www.ecv-online.ch Archived 28 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Home". railroadevangelist.com.
  10. "RKY". Archived from the original on 3 May 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2008.