Fire Brigade Chaplaincy
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Revd Murray McBride, Vicar for St George's and Greenfields United Church has recently taken up the role of Chaplain to Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, supporting 23 full-time and retained fire stations around the county. Murray is following in the tradition of previous Vicars at St George's, Revd Rod Biddle and recently Revd Peter Barnes, both of whom were Chaplains to the Brigade. The Chaplain's role is to provide pastoral and welfare support to staff, their families and retired members during times of need. It is sometimes necessary for the Brigade Chaplain to attend certain emergency incidents and provide support to personnel who may come face to face with situational dangers and distress, and where appropriate providing reassurance, prayer or pastoral support to casualties or others involved at the scene.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service hold an annual carol service which this year was hosted by Shrewsbury Cathedral.
It has become a tradition for the Chaplain to use Firefighters' equipment to tell the Christmas story. This year, Murray chose to use ladders carried on the Fire engines. Standing high above the congregation, balanced on two ladders lashed together, Murray explained the Christmas story as a rescue mission from God coming down from heaven to earth. You can read more about the carol service on the SFRS website:
No bones were broken during the sermon!
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