Chaplain to Factory Workers By Rev. Robert Widdowson


ment and laborers gather on the shop floor to hear what the boss has to say. A tall man with an imposing pres- ence and resonant voice stands at the head of an informal circle of men. The workplace chaplain has just finished delivering a short devotion, and now the boss is saying a prayer. Henk is praying for his employees,


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praying that the Lord would bless their work, lives, and family. After his, ‘Amen,’ everyone turns to work- ing. Wood needs to be cut, new pal- lets built, and old ones refurbished. Trucks come and go, loaded with goods. The front office thrums with activity. But the priority, at the begin- ning of every work week, is the proc- lamation of the Word of God. This scene has been a familiar


fixture at the factory each Monday morning for over two years. The de- votions began inconspicuously when Henk decided that it was his respon- sibility (those who know him might say his ‘burden’) to bring the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ to all the men under his watch. But he also wanted the work brought under the guidance of the church. I was scheduled to become an as-


sociate minister of a local congrega- tion when he approached me with an unusual offer to be a chaplain to his factory workers. The invitation was so intriguing, I accepted almost im- mediately. I’d heard accounts of the Outreach Mission to factory workers in London, England, during the In- dustrial Revolution. God had used a small army of intrepid missionaries to


n a pallet factory on the outskirts of a small, rural town in South- western Ontario, the manage-


convert the hearts and transform whole neighborhoods of working men. When the Lord opens a door, who can resist? The first time I stepped foot inside the pallet factory was my first time inside


any factory, ever. Although my two older brothers both had done factory work when they were young men, I stuck with white collar work. Needless to say, my first day in the factory was an eye-opener. The men likely knew, instinctively, that I had no clue what I was doing there. The industrial nature of the environment was as foreign to me as the surface of the moon. The worldview, beliefs, and practices of the men appeared even more puzzling. But, in another sense, I knew exactly what I was doing there: bringing the water of life to a dry and parched land. It took some time to adjust my presentation style to suit the listeners, but the content was always the same: trust in Jesus Christ as the only Saviour. The Monday routine always includes a short, biblically-based devotion


that’s directed at everyone generally and then, at noon, an in-depth Bible study for those who wish to go deeper. Over the course of two years, the morning devotions have seen me teach various series on the fundamentals of the faith, including the Attributes of God, the Person and Works of Jesus Christ, the Plan of Salvation, and the Content of the Gospel. Each lesson in the series is short, simple, and no more than five to ten minutes. Try teaching a group of men, with one eye on the clock, the basics of the Hypostatic Union of Christ -- and why it matters! And yet, some do respond to the teaching and wish to hear more. The challenges to working as a chaplain in an industrial setting are great, but the rewards are greater.?


Rev. Robert Widdowson is the Associate Pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Woodstock, Ontario.


May/June 2021


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Testimony


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