By Tracey Patterson
Have questions about matters of faith or life but not sure who to turn to? E-Minister is a real Presbyterian minister you can email now!
The e-minister operates through the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand website and provides a forum where people can anonymously contact a minister for support and pastoral counselling. They may be able to answer your question directly, or point you to where you can learn more about Christianity and the Presbyterian Church. Or they may refer you to some other professional who offers more appropriate assistance.
E-minister has been operating since December 2003, and during that time an average of a dozen email queries have been received each month. Enquiries cover pastoral matters, theological questions and basic queries like “where is such and such church?”
There are many reasons as to why someone may choose to contact the e-minister rather than using traditional channels. These may include those people that are tentatively exploring the Church but who are not ready to make the bold step to go along to worship or approach a minister in person, those who may need someone to talk to and don’t know where to go, and those who already have someone to talk to but wish to remain anonymous.
A 2003 review of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand website highlighted that a possible barrier for newcomers or returning congregation members was a reluctance to contact the church because they felt like they would then have to commit to attending or signing up. To address this issue, several churches offer an 0800 number as a way to get in touch without having to meet face-to-face. This gives people the chance to find out a bit more and meet a fresh friendly face before taking the step of attending a service or meeting a local minister. E-minister is an extension of this 0800 service, which allows contact with church but does not carry the same perceived level of pressure to attend or become a member.
E-minister is staff by a team of four ministers who are rostered on for three months, which are spread throughout the year. They are bound by professional ethics to be confidential and therefore anything shared with them is for their eyes only. The identity of the individual e-ministers also remains confidential.
In addition to using the personalized service, people are also able to subscribe to a monthly newsletter from the e-minister. This newsletter is a communication providing feedback to users of the service, and may include reflections on the themes of the previous month’s messages, inspirational quotes or scripture, and links supporting comments or useful websites. The content of the newsletter does not refer to individual people or correspondence, but rather general themes and issues.
You can contact the e-minister either by visiting the e-minister webpage or by emailing e-minister@presbyterian.org.nz