A CLERGYMAN has made a promotional DVD featuring the Reverend Lovejoy from The Simpsons in a bid to break down stereotypes and attract more people to the priesthood.
Neil Blay, aged 32, is the lay chaplain of Bury Church School. He has worked on a DVD with the Rev David Sharples, Manchester's director of ordinands.
The DVD shows pupils from Holy Cross Sixth Form College, Bury, and Bury Church School answering questions about their impressions of what a vicar is.
They answer that they are "dull", "boring" and "middle aged."
When asked what they do, they say they work one day a week and drink tea.
The two priests hope to present a truer picture of the ordained ministry to younger people and the DVD features a montage of TV priests, including Dawn French as the Vicar of Dibley, the Reverend Timms in the children's TV sseriesPostman Pat and Reverend Lovejoy.
It then shows real clergy talking about the challenges of their job, which include supporting people who have lost loved ones through suicide, helping asylum seekers and people with mental health problems.
The two priests will be touring schools with the DVD and answering questions next month.
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