Yesterday the Vicar asked me to proofread a document for him. The usual lot of the wife of a dyslexic vicar. So I read through his Ministry Development Review (MDR) form. He has an MDR every two years –Â talking through where he’s at with another member of clergy from the diocese and drawing up some goals for the next few years. It’s a useful process for reflection and planning. The form was mostly fine, but right at the beginning of the form it asked him to give:
Date of last ABC
To this question my husband had responded:
Don’t know what this is
Since I didn’t either and my google fu let me down, I shared the problem with Twitter. The Church of England is like any other large organisation – it loves its acronyms. And likes to change them on a regular basis to keep you on your toes. Suggestions from far and wide included the following:
- Approved By Committee (if this was a long time ago it may indicate ructions in the PCC)
- Attack By Churchwarden (recent date indicative of alarming breakdown in parish relationships)
- Another Blooming Chore
- Absolute Belief Crisis
- ArchBishop’s Council
- ArchBishop of Canterbury (and one clever clogs said that the answer to that was Lady Williams of Oystermouth)
- Appalled By Congregation
- Attended Baptist Church
- Apple Boring Contest
- Appeared Boyishly Charming (alas, this would be quite some time ago for the Vicar, unless you can be boyishly charming without hair)
- Annual Bishop’s Consultation
Eventually a very helpful person linked me to a diocesan document that explained that ABC stands for The Archdeacons and Bishops Pastoral Conversations. Of course. Obvious. And these ABCs happen after 5 years in post. Which is why the Vicar didn’t have a scooby, as we’ve only been here for 4 years. We’ll know for next time. But I thought that some of the other suggestions were much more fun.
Are there any other options, I wonder?
The Vicar's Wife 
you’ve forgotten the Apple Bobbing Contest
also, Acronym Breeding Compulsion
Attender Becoming a Christian? or Acronym Being Confounding?
I only read this because I was intrigued by your the use of the word refection. I wondered if you meant reflection, but after reading about the acronym in the form. I thought I might have needed tea and biscuits to fill it in too! 🙂
Ha! Thanks! So embarrassing. The proofreader needs a proofreader. It *should* be refLection. *edits*
Adult Becoming Converted – on second thoughts, that’s the sort of thing they never ask in MDR…
I was somewhat disappointed when I found out there are no burgers in a BAP.
As someone who likes a good glossary I think I’ll have to add one to my blog now!