Hugh Pym captures hearts and minds

Chris Savage, Team Leader of Chaplaincy to People At Work, writes of Hugh Pym's recent talk in the Diocese:

Hugh Pym, BBC Chief Economics Correspondent swept into the Annual Evening of Chaplaincy to People At Work on June 7th at Wesley Methodist Church Cambridge just as the Annual Meeting was finishing. He left on a cloud of glory at about 9pm to catch a train back to London.

In between he captured the hearts and minds of the audience of about 65 people with, as Bishop David reminded us in his Vote of Thanks, "his humanity, his humility and his sense of humour".

Hugh spoke briefly of the circumstances leading to the credit crunch but stopped short of charting the fall of Northern Rock. He challenged a mixed audience of business and church representatives by asking if we had ever questioned the morality of mortgage companies lending to house buyers four times or more their salary.

Hugh also asked why there was no coordinated response from the Churches to the current crisis. In a challenge to workplace chaplains he asked, "did you warn workers about the folly of over borrowing or too much dependence on credit". He recognised the difficulties churches have of being heard in a secular society but challenged us to be controversial.

Hugh spoke very well to the title of his talk, “Work, life and Human Value”. He certainly made a brief but lasting impact on our lives.