SELF SUPPORTING PRIESTLY MINISTRY

THE REVD. NICHOLAS PNEMATICATOS

MA BA(HONS) DIPMIN

(Veteran of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force)

My name is Father Nicholas. I have been ordained since 1995 but since 2011 I have been a self-supporting priest. Like John Wesley, I see the world as my parish and the one thing service in the Armed Forces taught me, was to be the friend and advisor to all irrespective of faith, race, creed, or orientation. Essentially a priest working outsides the box.

Since 2011, I have been an independent minister working as a religious and non-religious celebrant and concentrating on the bereaved, veterans and individuals and clergy in distress. A good proportion of my pastoral work is unpaid, and I am a great believer in clergy being self-supporting.

One of my great passions is the First and Second World War history. I have led and taken part in battlefield tours of the Somme and Flanders, often in the company of serving personnel and veterans. I see this as an extension of my ministry and hope to continue taking part in various commemorations at home and overseas. These are costly to take part in or arrange and I have often had to decline to take part due to lack of funding.

Churches in the UK are closing, and clergy are being made redundant. The future of Christianity in the UK is small but influential. I am ahead of the curve and saw the writing on the wall over ten years ago.

I rejoice in the freedom that being independent of official church structures gives me and I have managed to be self-supporting for over 10 years.

In 2023, I hit a financial brick wall and thanks to kind donors and others, I managed to move forward but it did mean taking out a £50k loan on my home which I am now paying off.

My immediate aim is to pay off that loan, to receive regular funding to help with day to day expenses because being self funding, if one is ill or takes a break or no work comes in, one suffers a financial hit.

My long term aim is to buy a larger house with an appropriate outhouse which I can use as a chapel and to establish a house of prayer and reflection where people can stay for short periods.

My debt repayment is £450 month and I am looking for regular donors to cover some of all of that amount and other donations for future plans.

I live a semi-contemplative life in that I celebrate the Mass daily in my private chapel and keep the Monastic offices either in the chapel or whilst I am about my duties. I am never bored and there is no shortage of unpaid and paid pastoral work to carry out. I believe this is the future for clergy and small Christian communities: to be self-supporting and to worship alone or in small groups.

My immediate task is to clear my debts but then to have regular donations to make a full-time ministry of retreats and pastoral care viable.

Many will disapprove of this approach. Please scroll down if this appeal is not to your liking. My aim is to continue this valuable ministry debt free and to expand my ministry to others.

I can provide references and I am under the pastoral care of an independent bishop who also sees the future in small, gathered communities and clergy working alongside the people and not hidebound by large churches and vicarages.

All offers are greatly appreciated and Masses will be offered for those who have needs and wish for prayers to be offered.

You can use the links on this page and also if you contact me I can give you PayPal details

MAY GOD BLESS YOU

AND THANK YOU.