Ministry After Ordination,
By Rev Gary Dean

What does ministry look like after ordination? For many, it is a quiet unfolding into community life, chaplaincy spaces, interfaith dialogue, and everyday moments of presence. In this feature, Rev Gary Dean reflects on his journey in Scotland since his ordination in 2008, sharing how OneSpirit’s ethos continues to shape his listening, leadership, and engagement across traditions.

Ministry is a very personal definition and experience, as it comes in many forms. It can be for self, family, friends, local community or something much greater. It is whatever you want it to be.

My own thoughts about ministry were to make it an active one and, hopefully, to grow the idea of what OneSpirit is among the people I might connect with. I found the scope of what I wanted it to be was quite open. I realised I had plenty of opportunity to make it into whatever I wanted while maintaining the OneSpirit ethos.

My first thought was to do the legal wedding training, as I felt a minister should offer ceremony for life events and that this would draw upon my training. So I created a website with a list of services, including spiritual accompaniment, ceremony and meditation workshops. I thought this was a great place to start, although I didn’t want these things to take up all of my time.

I didn’t really know which direction my ministry would take after ordination, but I always liked the idea of being a chaplain. I didn’t want to do any more formal training, but I was willing to volunteer, so that’s where I decided to begin.

I put my name forward to escort patients to Sunday services and to do ward visits in one of the local hospitals. At the same time, I was offered a role as an Honorary Interfaith Chaplain at Aberdeen University, where I would speak with students who wanted a quiet place to spend time in the chaplaincy. These were very good places to start, but another opportunity opened its doors when I joined the Aberdeen Interfaith Group.

How has your role with Aberdeen Interfaith Group evolved over the past two years, and how has OneSpirit influenced the way you hold that work?

I joined Aberdeen Interfaith Group (AIFG) as a way of reaching out to different faith communities, making connections and continuing my exploration of what interfaith means to me. Through these connections, I came across the Unitarian representative who was looking for someone to give an address to their congregation. This soon turned into leading the service once a month and allowed me to draw upon my training to give an inspirational talk. It turned out that I really loved this work, and I was paid for each service I led. It was a win-win situation, and I continue to do this work today, helping the church in any way I can.

I joined the AIFG committee and started offering my time to help in many different ways. AIFG created events called You, Me and a Cup of Tea, where local communities were encouraged to join New Scots and share food, songs and stories. It was a way to bring new and existing communities together, learn a little about each other and hopefully make new friends along the way. These events are still happening and continue to help people who have found themselves in new surroundings.

AIFG changed their constitution to clearly categorise people like me, who do not represent any one faith but rather an organisation, more specifically the OneSpirit organisation. Earlier this year, I was voted in as the group’s chairperson, and I have spent my time trying to raise the profile of AIFG in Aberdeen so that people of different faiths can be publicly seen supporting each other and participating in civic events together.

This is not the first time that AIFG has had a OneSpirit representative lead them as chair. There is clear recognition of the synergy that comes from someone trained in acknowledging different faith paths facilitating the work typically carried out by an interfaith group such as AIFG.

I was recently asked to bring a group of people together to participate in a Dinner and Dialogue event discussing the theme of Ecology and Climate. This was an idea brought to life by people at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen.

What was it like representing both the interfaith community and OneSpirit in the ecology and climate dialogue?

I could have brought a Taoist faith path perspective, which is often missing in the north east of Scotland. This is the faith path I lean towards these days. However, I felt it was better to represent the OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation, as I wanted to speak from the position of someone who had gone through the training and, because of it, had developed a deeper respect for how we relate to nature through ceremony, the language of animacy and a reverence for life. I was one of the last people to speak on the subject, so I was able to echo the other faith groups and add a new element about how we approach awareness through education and experiential understanding of life beyond just the human race.

When you think about OneSpirit’s approach to ecology, Earth-care and spiritual responsibility, what feels most resonant to you personally?

I have a greater respect for what life brings to me and how I can return that respect through my spiritual practice. My awareness and need for this type of work were fostered through the training, and my thoughts continue to deepen as I reflect on my own perspective and life choices.

I love the OneSpirit approach to this subject, as it fits nicely with my Taoist ideas of balance. The Earth, as well as everything in it, exists in a careful state of balance. If we disturb that balance in any way, we can expect consequences. We have a lot to learn from Indigenous faith paths and how they relate to the land and nature. Being reminded of this by gently exploring the subject for six weeks really opened the door to understanding, experiencing and living it.

Are there particular principles, teachings or practices from your training that you find yourself drawing on in interfaith spaces or community settings?

Deep listening is essential, although I still feel I have a long way to go in developing this skill effectively. I feel that to be heard is one of the greatest gifts you can offer, and something that everyone wants. To see someone without judgement is a powerful tool in connection and community. So many people have commented on how refreshing that approach feels, especially in light of what we see in the media today.

How have the skills you developed through training, such as deep listening, spiritual accompaniment, ceremony or holding space, shaped the way you contribute to public or interfaith conversations?

All of these elements contribute in different ways, but most of all I am aware of something beyond my own needs, something that goes deeper and creates connect