About KIM
“In the midst of winter, I at last discovered that there was,
within me, an invincible summer.”
Albert Camus
Rev. Kim Atherton-Dow
Interfaith Minister / Celebrant / Counsellor
MY PERSONAL VOW
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I vow to live my ministry as the presence of love.
Holding and serving all beings equally, with compassion, humour, joy and hope.
MY ONE SPIRIT ORDINATION VOWS
As a One Spirit minister I have taken vows that:
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I will be inclusive, serving without discriminating on the basis of race, age, gender, religious affiliation, ethnic background, economic status, sexual orientation or any other distinction.
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I will always continue to deepen in my spiritual practice, so that the service that I offer to others will always be grounded in the integrity of an authentic and evolving spiritual life.
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That I will fulfill, to the best of my ability, the personal vow I took on my final seminary retreat.
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That I will always abide by the One Spirit code of Ethics.
Who am I and what is my ministry?
My name is Kim Atherton-Dow and I am an ordained Interfaith Minister. I trained in seminary with the One Spirit Interfaith Foundation and am now hoping to make what difference that I can to the world, in my role as a minister.
What do Interfaith Ministers do and what exactly does ‘interfaith’ mean?
Non-conformist interfaith ministers serve all faith communities, as well those who do not wish to adhere to any particular belief at all. As such our remit is to serve, to the best of our abilities, all communities with total openness and joy, mining the deep richness of all paths with the understanding that at the core of each and every one of them, love is the guiding principle.
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Interfaith ministers do what all ministers may do, for instance, creating and facilitating ceremonies to mark life’s events; everything from baby blessings, weddings, rites of passage and funerals to completely bespoke, one-off ceremonies for any reason you feel a ceremony or ritual necessary.
And my ministry more specifically…?
As an Interfaith Minister I strive to make sure that all the ceremonies I write honour everything that every individual, couple or group bring to the creative mix. I think ritual helps us all move through, celebrate and acknowledge important events in our emotional and physical lives and we all need to express that in our own ways. Sometimes we need ceremonies or rituals that are still and quiet, at other times we need music and dancing, sometimes we need to go out on a limb and do something we never expected! Whatever you need then I will work towards helping you create the ceremony you need in your home or at the top of a mountain!
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I am an animal lover, a member of the Animal Interfaith Alliance, and have a large family of rescue animal companions. This is really an important part of my life and I honour that in offering services for animals and their humans! If you have lost an animal companion, or wish to celebrate the lives of animals in any other way, then please don’t hesitate to contact me. On this website, you will find some photos of me and my family of 9 cats, 6 dogs and hens. I am blessed to share this life-space with my beautiful wife, Jean, who is a medical herbalist.
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I am, and always have been, very drawn to nature. To that end, I also offer journey days into the wilder places of Scotland to offer workshops creating ceremony in Scotland’s ‘spiritual landscapes’. I also offer workshops on a more ‘urban basis’ too on a wide variety of topics with a strong emphasis on our vital connection to spirituality through the natural world. Please see my workshop links here.
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I am also very happy to offer Spiritual Counselling as part of my ministry. If you are looking for spiritual counselling/accompaniment I am more than happy to discuss this with you if you are unsure whether this is right for you. You will find a short description of what spiritual counselling is here.
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I have come from a varied background to enter and serve within the Interfaith space: I am a qualified medical herbalist and a tour guide and I identify as a member of the LGBT+ community. In my own faith path I am particularly drawn to Universal Sufism and the earth-based traditions. I am based on the Isle of Skye but am originally from the north of England and am happy to travel north, south, east and west!
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I am also available to come and speak to groups about Interfaith Ministry and what we, as a community can offer. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if this would be of interest to you.
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What vows did I make when entering ministry?
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Importantly as a One Spirit Minister I have had to make personal vows, as well as ordination vows that encompass the ethical standpoint of One Spirit and which reveal my own values as a minister committed to the equality of all life. You can see my vows on this page.