Existential and humanist pastoral care | Oxford Humanists

We are delighted to welcome Wayne Mills to our May talk, who has kindly stepped in at short notice to provide a talk about Humanist Pastoral care and support.
Drawing from extensive experience in palliative care, Wayne is passionate about a chaplaincy approach that views human nature as open-ended, flexible, and capable of embracing the vast spectrum of human experience. He believes that each person’s journey is unique, and his role is to create space for that uniqueness to emerge, especially during times of vulnerability and uncertainty.
Wayne’s work is grounded in an existential perspective, approaching each encounter with a receptive and non-judgmental attitude. He focuses on exploring with individuals what truly defines their sense of self and purpose, rather than imposing fixed answers or predetermined spiritual meanings. For Wayne, chaplaincy is less about providing solutions and more about accompanying people as they navigate the complexities of life, suffering, and meaning.
He recognises that isolation, loneliness, a fear of death, and freedom are inherent aspects of the human condition, and aims to support individuals in finding their own sources of strength, hope, and meaning - even in the face of profound end of life challenges.
Beyond Pastoral Care, Wayne is a sector coordinator and skills trainer with the Non Religious Pastoral Support Network (NRPSN), which champions equal access to care and support. They advocate for institutions to increase non-religious carers in pastoral roles, reflecting that over half of British society identifies as non-religious. The NRPSN believes people needing support should have the option to speak with someone who shares their worldview.
Operating across healthcare, prisons, the armed forces, and education, the NRPSN's trained volunteers and practitioners provide a professional and inclusive alternative to traditional religious support services, with ongoing efforts to broaden their institutional presence.
We are thrilled to host Wayne in Oxford in May and we hope you'll register to join us for what promises to be an interesting and informative presentation. This event is free to join, but we do ask that you register to help us manage numbers and, as always, any donations you are able to contribute will support our running costs.
Not sure if this is for you or have questions about the event? Please get in touch with Andrew, our Events Manager; we'd love to hear from you at [events-oxford@humanistbranches.uk](mailto:events-oxford@humanistbranches.uk). For those interested in joining us for dinner directly following the discussion, we will book tables next door at Lula's Ethiopian Restaurant - send us an email so we can book you a spot.