Rev'd David Bick
David Bick, now in his mid 70s, is an unusual, radical, pastorally-oriented clergyman and grandfather, having long sat lightly with matters of institutional church. With roots in Gloucestershire's Forest of Dean, his earlier distinguished parochial ministries,, spanning 24 years, were entirely within his native county. However, over the past quarter century his influence has spread far wider, and internationally, as a truly independent pastor-counsellor and teacher.
In 1983, declining Diocesan promotion, he took a leap of faith with a still growing family, to freelance with his Bishop's blessing, but without any Diocesan financial support. Then welcomed to reside with his family in a bungalow within the extended community and estate of Prinknash Abbey, that remains his home base.
Over the intervening years David's personal counsel has been widely sought by both clergy and laity. He was for many years a regional tutor for the former Clinical Theology Association, and ran many personal growth courses within the University of Bristol Extramural Department. He was also often welcomed to teach at Hawkestone Hall in Shropshire, the ecumenically-inclined international staff training centre of the Catholic Redemptorist Order.
Over those years, David, a modest but not inconsiderable scholar, did much of his own in-house distribution of teaching hand-outs and booklets, much of this becoming formalised in a now sadly out of print, but widely used book, Counselling and Spiritual Direction, Pentland Press, 1997.
With his wife Gill, David now lives in a mature, active non-retirement, having changed gear appropriately for his stage of faith and life development. He stays now mainly local for friendly chats with whomever crosses his path, and more than occasional guest church teaching. Loved by many, David takes his own spiritual practice seriously, meaning that such is no mere habit or obligation, but centres his life.
