Last Saturday marked the official end of my probationary period as a Newly Accredited Baptist minister. After finishing my teacher training in my early 20s I spent a year as a Newly Qualified Teacher with certain assignments to complete (and slightly fewer teaching hours); in a similar way, after completing their theological studies and being ordained, Baptist ministers spend three years in which they complete assignments and attend conferences alongside their work in the church. Most of the ministers I have met see the 'NAMs' period as a massive pain in the backside, after which they will be free to do what they want. Certainly I won't miss the essays and book reviews, but I am glad that there is extra support for people who are new to a demanding job. Well, it's not really a job, more a way of life, but that's a whole other blog post. After shaking hands with various Baptist Union dignitaries I sat in the auditorium thinking about the earlier stages of this jour