Presbyterian Herald July/August 2018

JULY/AUGUST 2018

#pciga18 GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Round-up of the business

SOWING SUPPORT FOR THE COUNTRYSIDE

TRUE MARKS OF MISSION Responding to creation care

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CONTENTS | JULY/AUGUST 2018

FEATURES 14 Sowing support for the countryside A Dromore Presbytery initiative

16 General Assembly 2018 A round-up of the business

35 Tearing the tartan

Interview with the Church of Scotland delegates

40 Proximity

New PCI discipleship resource

42 True marks of mission Responding to creation care

45 A thought-provoking week

One ‘under-30’ representative’s experience of the General Assembly

46 The good news of God’s wrath

General Assembly p.16

God’s anger is a positive message

REGULARS 4 8 9 10 12 13 27 48 49 50 53 54

Letters In this month…

News My story Talking points Life lessons Mission Connect Reviews Arthur Clarke Life in PCI Betsy Cameron Crossword

Tearing the tartan p.35

True marks of mission p.42

CONTRIBUTORS William Scholes is religious affairs correspondent at the Irish News. He is a fully communicant member of the Church of Ireland and worships at All Saints’ in Belfast.

Ruth Sanderson lives in Co. Down with her husband Harry. She is a freelance radio/television presenter and producer.

Rick Hill is PCI’s Discipleship Officer. He is a member of Carnmoney Presbyterian Church and lives in Doagh with his wife Sarah and sons, Noah and Micah.

Andrew Conway is the minister of Hilltown and Clonduff congregations and author of The Shorter Catechism Made Simple.

Cover photo: Jamie Trimble July/August 2018 No. 813 £2.00 (€2.40) Published by: The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Assembly Buildings, Belfast BT1 6DW. T: +44 (0)28 9032 2284 E: herald@presbyterianireland.org W: www.presbyterianireland.org

Editor: Sarah Harding Subscriptions and Advertising: Phil Alcorn; Lisa Skinner; Suzanne Hamilton Design and Layout: Edward Connolly Printing: Nicholson and Bass Ltd.

The views expressed in the features, news reports, letters and book reviews of this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor.

Editorial comment and signed articles do not necessarily contain the official views of the Church, which can be laid down only by the General Assembly. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply endorsement of the goods or services. The Editor reserves the right to decline any advertisement or letter without assigning any reason. Letters may be edited for publication. No correspondence can be entered into regarding non-publication of advertisements or letters.

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is a Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC104483); Registered Charity in Republic of Ireland (20015695).

Herald July/August 2018

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EDITORIAL

LETTERS Assembly comments

Doing, not saying

“There were ripples of apprehension over things to come…” This comment was made after PCI’s General Assembly, and although it could well apply to 2018’s, it was in fact the General Assembly of 1980.

The July/August edition of the Herald in 1980 makes for interesting reading and these comments from editor, Rev. Robert Cobain, reflect the mood following the Church’s decision to withdraw from the World Council of Churches.

The description of the debate is an important historical record for our Church and clearly shows the agonising that the denomination went through before arriving at the decision to withdraw, not least evident because the debate lasted five hours!

There is no denying these have been difficult weeks for PCI, for all concerned, no matter what side of the debates they represent. The intense media attention has been unsettling. These are challenging times, and there are no easy answers.

However, 1980 reminds us that our Church has faced difficult times before. In his editorial Mr. Cobain also says, “The Assembly often seems to be preoccupied with the importance of its public statements, but people don’t want to hear official Church pronouncements – they want to know what the Church is doing, not saying, for they know that our actions speak louder than our words.”

This is an encouraging reminder because PCI is doing many great things, one of which is highlighted in this edition. Recognising the pressure that the farming community is under, Dromore Presbytery has been occupying a stand at the Balmoral Show for the past few years, reaching out with the gospel message to passers-by. As well as that, last month, the presbytery held a special service to register support for farming families, acknowledging that weather-wise it has been a particularly tough and stressful year.

Rev. Gareth McFadden, moderator of Dromore Presbytery said, “It’s about togetherness…often we fail to live as people of Christ in community, and that is our calling.” Mr. McFadden makes an important point, relevant for our Church as we move forward – more than any public comment, it will be how we choose to live in our communities that will determine whether people encounter Jesus or not.

Our new Moderator, Dr. McMullen, summed this up perfectly in his recent piece for the Newsletter when he said, “More than ever we need to show the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. No outsider will believe in Jesus until an insider treats him or her as a brother or sister. Therein lies the challenge!”

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Herald July/August 2018

Dear Editor Once again, I was privileged to attend our General Assembly and to enjoy the worship and good order of proceedings.

More ministers this year were difficult to identify, probably due to the warm weather and that’s another story! In Wednesday’s main debate, on which a vote was taken, I am persuaded that our Church took the proper course and we must be regular and persistent in our prayers to God for reviewed thinking on marriage by our Scottish brothers and sisters.

I strenuously object to the use of the term ‘gay marriage’ which was used by some of the speakers, since no such state exists. An arrangement between two men or two women should be regarded as just that, even if the civil authorities afford to it the same rights that a married couple enjoy.

It is with no disrespect that I say that our Church should agree a proper term of reference for the liaisons to which I refer.

We are all precious in God’s sight as we continue to pray for those in error.

Robert A. Sharpe Cootehill Dear Editor I write to express my disgust at the appalling behaviour of a number of ministers at the General Assembly who sat in the corner of the room during the important debate about

transgenders and the Church of Scotland and jeered and heckled the Moderator and those who sought to contribute to the debate. It was clear they were out to oppose anyone who was to make a stand for retaining relationship with the Church of Scotland. I have seen better behaved children at a primary school assembly; it is supremely disappointing to see such disrespectful behaviour from those who claim to be ministers and elders of the Church!

Al Armten Newtownards Dear Editor I write to express my dismay at PCI’s decision that those in same-sex relationships cannot be communicant members because they are deemed unable to make a “credible profession of faith.” The decision smacks of haughty, hypocritical disdain, fails to appreciate the nature of sin and sanctification, and dehumanises homosexuals.

We regularly extend grace to those guilty of all manner of sins – bigotry, greed, arrogance, gossip, idolatry – without withdrawing membership.

To tolerate our own sins whilst castigating those of homosexual Christians will always be viewed as rank hypocrisy.

Furthermore, no one is a model of sinless perfection or perfect obedience. Our own sins are often hidden from us through blindness or wilful suppression. Sanctification is

a process, not a one-off event, and we are all continually in dire need of grace. We must trust that the grace of God is working within those who disagree with us about the nature of same-sex relationships who are nevertheless clearly our brothers and sisters in Christ, as is evidenced by their lives.

If someone confesses Jesus as Lord, is growing in Christian maturity, and loves the church and its members, then how dare we relegate them to secondclass status.

We must stop dehumanising people by viewing their sexuality as the defining characteristic of their lives.

PCI is effectively saying, “It doesn’t matter what else is true about your life, you are blighted by this one aspect.”

Pontificating from on high is not the correct approach here.

Decisions concerning fitness for membership should be made in the context of local relationships between people and their elders who know them and can rightly discern their profession of faith. To write off an entire group of people as unable to make a “credible profession of faith” is, frankly, obscene.

Stephen J. Graham Belfast Dear Editor I was shocked to learn as someone confirmed into the Presbyterian Church of Ireland of the following: The committee concluded: “In light of our understanding of Scripture and the Church’s understanding of a credible profession of faith, it is clear that same-sex couples are not eligible for communicant membership nor are they qualified to receive baptism for their children.”

Did Jesus not say: “But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not” (Matthew 19:14)?

Furthermore, in the church that I currently worship and of

the Christian churches I have attended you are welcome to come and take of the sacrament of holy Communion. There is considerable emphasis on the phrase ‘all are welcome’.

Forgive me if I have understood this statement incorrectly. I am happy to stand corrected.

Rodger Charlton Hampton in Arden Dear Editor In Christian Unions Ireland (CUI), we have had to advise our CUs on how best to handle the explosive issue of sexual identity. As a result, we have committed ourselves to deal with the issue in conferences, training sessions, local seminars and one-to-one pastoral situations. Students know that we teach a traditional and orthodox view of marriage and sexuality, but we have asked that local groups do not deal with this in any public forum because it is too easy for those situations to become adversarial, for the CU to be misrepresented and our presence on campus jeopardised.

I was therefore astounded to see our Church dealing in public with such sensitive issues as same-sex couples, the sacraments and church membership. Surely we should have predicted how this would be reported? Surely we should have guessed at the difficulty this could cause at the local level? Surely we could foresee that over a hundred encouraging reports on mission and public engagement would be ignored in favour of this? Do we not have private sessions? Better still, would a list of pastoral guidelines quietly sent to congregations not have sufficed?

I was bewildered that the media thought this was ‘news’ when we were simply restating our position. Many emphasise the need to allow people to ‘be themselves’, yet are not prepared to let the Church ‘be itself’.

Yet I was also frustrated by our short-sightedness in thinking that orthodoxy is best served by passing resolutions and creating legislation, and thinking that a vote secures ‘soundness’. It doesn’t. Soundness is as much about our actions as our words, and we can’t rely on resolutions every time a new pastoral issue emerges.

I just wish the PCI had had the wisdom to deal with this issue internally.

Rev. David Montgomery Director, CUI Dear Editor I very much enjoyed Ruth Sanderson’s article in the June issue of the Herald, when she had the privilege of conducting an in-depth interview with our current Moderator, Dr. Charles McMullen. In it, we learn of contacts and relationships which he experienced early in his career and which may well have had some influence in his choice of theme ‘Building Relationships’ for his year in office.

Regrettably, the theme was somewhat put in jeopardy by the outcome of voting during Assembly Week when decisions were taken to ‘loosen ties’ with the Church of Scotland and the United Reformed Church; most likely a source of embarrassment to the Moderator of the Church of Scotland who was present as a guest when the proceedings were in progress. It is noted that Presbyterians who have thus been excluded from

church membership may still be allowed to attend worship, a ruse perhaps to help fill pews which may otherwise be left vacant.

Subsequent press reports have highlighted difficulties experienced by families of members who will no longer be accepted as members of our denomination; no doubt this will cause soul-searching and sleepless nights for those so affected.

This turn of events may also lead to a sense of isolation and loneliness, a topic also covered

by Ruth Sanderson in the May issue. We can of course be guided by our conscience in such matters and not allow ourselves to be constrained by constitutions, codes and the like.

However, all is not lost, as the Assembly saw fit to grant leave to the Moderator to meet Pope Francis during his forthcoming visit to Ireland in August of this year. It is debatable whether this generosity of spirit has the full backing of all those who were in attendance and participated in this decision.

Disaffected Presbyterian Belfast Dear Editor This year’s General Assembly engendered significant debate, both at the Assembly and afterwards, through the media.

The conclusions reached were not universally welcomed and the media have been given many column inches far and beyond the contents of the Herald July/August 2018

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LETTERS Assembly reports. This letter is not to rehearse what already has been said, but to identify the principles upon which conclusions were reached.

Today the Church is faced with two opposing pathways, the first enshrined within the standards of our Church: “The Word of God set forth in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments is the only infallible rule of faith and practice and the supreme standard of the Church.” Here the Scriptures articulate what we should believe and how we should behave.

The alternative pathway is summarised in the Oxford Dictionary’s ‘word of the year 2016’ – post-truth, defined as, “Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.”

Post-truth accommodates a relativism speaking of ‘my truth and your truth’. Clearly, Western secular society focuses on feeling and emotion, accommodating a

personal interpretation of the Scriptures, ignoring the historic understanding of our faith.

Surely today no one believes that in recent years society has discovered new truths previously hidden from Christendom over the past two millennia! We are constantly told that we are behind the times regarding lifestyle issues.

Biblical truths are timeless.

We stand with the majority of Churches worldwide, and many believe our Church will emerge a stronger denomination having spoken with clarity and conviction.

Our goal is to reach everyone with the gospel, including those who misunderstand, misrepresent and disagree with us. All of us are sinners in need of Christ’s forgiveness available at the cross.

Dr. Ian McNie Minister emeritus, Trinity, Ballymoney Dear Editor I believe our Church has made a serious error in its decision regarding same-sex couples

Topical Tweets @pci_ya “Whether someone is 14 or 94 there is a longing within all of us to belong. This can only truly be fulfilled in the church of Jesus Christ. We must do more to bring lonely people into that place of belonging.” #pciga18 @cjanebaillie Great to see the variety and wealth of high quality resources being developed by Council for Congregational Life & Witness: Bible studies, prayer prompts, 1-1 support #pciga18 @ballygilbert We love the boldness shown by the young people of PCI. Our future leaders are setting an incredibly powerful example; showing others what it means to be an outward, loving & caring church! Thank you all for your missional hearts & your willingness to change this island #pciga18

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Herald July/August 2018

and the sacraments, and one which already has done great harm to our witness to Christ. Why has this one sin of same-sex sexual relations been singled out as a disqualification for membership of the Church?

There is no biblical warrant for that. To be consistent we would have needed to include also the sexual sins of those who are heterosexual, and those who look at pornography. And what about those who hate another person or community? And those who are envious, have fits of rage, get drunk, set people against each other, fail to pay their taxes, are greedy, speak evil falsely about others, all of whom the Bible tells us will not inherit the kingdom of God? If all such were to be disqualified from membership of the Church, there would be very few at the Lord’s table to receive His body and blood given for sinners.

In taking this decision we have lost sight of the immensity of God’s grace. We have forgotten that God gave His Son not to condemn the world, but to save it, and that Jesus was known as the friend of sinners. By contrast we in PCI have created a cold house for people who are samesex attracted and it has just got a lot colder. Such people, who are trying to follow Jesus, have a very difficult calling, they need the love, support and encouragement of their fellow Christians. And we need to repent of our unloving attitudes.

It was “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. He did not wait for us to clean up our lives before He gave Himself.

I beg the Church that I love, to re-think this decision.

John Braithwaite Bangor Dear Editor I wonder what the general public will make of the aftermath of this year’s General Assembly.

One of our ministers rushed to the airwaves to suggest that Queen’s University might

suffer reputational damage as a result of its link with Union College. He was supported by a professor in that very College who predicted a date when he claimed Presbyterianism here would become extinct!

A clerk of session then appeared on television to tell the world that he wanted the Charity Commission to look again at the financial reliefs the Church enjoyed as a charity.

Next we had the coup de grace when Lord Alderdice, in the most intemperate language, compared ministers and elders of our Church to those murderers who had burnt people alive in a previous age.

One of the abiding characteristics of our Church is her democracy and it is a great pity that a small minority in our Church are not only incapable of accepting decisions they don’t like but go to the extent of seeking to inflict harm and financial damage upon her. That cannot be acceptable in any organisation.

Ronnie Crawford Dromore

Eighth Amendment Dear Editor The result of the referendum has certainly come with a resounding victory for the prochoice lobby.

The Irish Parliament will now be meeting to bring together draft legislation that will no doubt reflect a liberal and unrestrained position towards abortion in Ireland. But the most alarming consequence of this victory was the unrestrained celebration by those who voted for repeal. Is this really a time for celebration?

Surely, this must be a time for cold, calm reflective thought upon what the impact will be. The foreseeable future will certainly witness an increase in the abortion rate as women in the North take advantage of any new legislation and travel to ROI for abortion services.

Letters to the Editor Write to: Presbyterian Herald, Assembly Buildings, Belfast BT1 6DW Email: herald@presbyterianireland.org

What the impact will be on communities both North and South in 10, 20, or 40 years’ time remains to be seen. But let us recall that the legislators of the Abortion Act in 1967 had no idea of the extent of the consequences of their actions when they were drafting, enacting and implementing that legislation.

Today in 2018, after 50 years, nearly nine million foetuses have been aborted under the 1967 Abortion Act. Therefore, any legislation passed by the Irish Parliament which reflects the liberal views of the prochoice lobby will certainly replicate this obnoxious figure, if indeed, excel well beyond it.

Let us pray for those

Please note: Letters are limited to 300 words and may be edited for clarity and length. They will only be published in the Herald if the author’s name and address have been supplied to the editor. On request these will be withheld from print. Anonymous letters will not be considered for publication. The views expressed in the letters are not necessarily those of the Editor or PCI.

legislators in ROI, that they will show Christian compassion and restraint upon drafting this legislation.”

Hugh K. Henderson Carrickfergus

Thanks from Christian Aid

Dear Editor We would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation of everyone who so prayerfully and generously supported the World Development Appeal. The funds raised will support Christian Aid’s work on addressing gender injustice and gender-based violence in Angola, India, Zimbabwe and Myanmar.

In Zimbabwe, one in three women aged between 18 and 24 have experienced sexual violence before they are 18.

This statistic alone is shocking, but the impact goes beyond the immediate effect on the individual victims. The broader culture which treats women as second-class citizens keeps countries like Zimbabwe rooted in economic deprivation.

Changing a culture to one which enables women and men to contribute equally to society provides a critical foundation from which countries can move on beyond poverty.

It is this culture which Christian Aid and our partners seek to change. The ‘Tackling violence against women and

girls in Zimbabwe’ project is partnering with the Zimbabwe Council of Churches to train church leaders who are dealing with gender-based violence in their congregations. This work builds on and complements the groundwork undertaken by Christian Aid’s partner, Padare, who works primarily with men to address attitudes to genderbased violence.

We recognise that changing cultural attitudes won’t happen overnight, but on behalf of all our partners who are working to bring this transformational change to enable a world where women and men can equally thrive, thank you.

Rosamond Bennett CEO, Christian Aid Ireland

Resources for a new church year Look out for the following resources which will be available in time for September.

ENCOUNTER This is a six-part DVD Bible study resource focusing on the one activity all of our congregations have in common – meeting together to worship God. The studies will lead participants to reflect more deeply on aspects of worship such as: gathering, confessing our sin, assurance of forgiveness, illumination, and being blessed and sent. The resource unpacks the worship service as a journey and conversation with God and aims to help members grasp a greater awareness of God in the weekly activity of worship.

PROXIMITY This is the first in a series of discipleship resources for use in one-to-one, or other small scale settings to enhance relational discipling. It will provide a six-part framework to unpack what it means to follow Jesus as we navigate the changing seasons of life such as times of celebration, disappointment, rest and suffering.

ASK This is a series of 12 postcard-sized prayer prompts for use by members in private prayer or in Sunday worship. They unfold themes such as hope, light, expectation and presence in simple, Scripture-based ways to help inspire and focus prayer for congregational life and witness. They can be used on a monthly basis, throughout the year or in a range of other ways.

SCHOOLS’ MINISTRY Congregations connecting with local schools is important and a great way to build relationships in our communities.

However, we may not be sure how to get started or how to develop what we already do. This resource offers advice and support and is fully downloadable from the website. Some hard copies are also available from the CLW office in Assembly Buildings.

For more information on any of these resources please go to www.presbyterianireland.org/resources or contact the Congregational Life and Witness department. Tel: +44 (0)28 9041 7234; Email: clw@presbyterianireland.org Herald July/August 2018

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IN THIS MONTH...

July/August 1999

Dipping into the archives to take a look back at what was making Presbyterian headlines and news in history.

Accommodation or reconciliation?

Esmond Birnie

Reconciliation has recently been placed high on the political agenda. The 1st April 1999 Hillsborough Declaration gave government backing to a day of reconciliation. I want to argue that while both reconciliation and political accommodation are highly desirable, and that there are some links between them, they remain different in a number of critically important ways…

Reconciliation probably requires a combination of some degree of repentance/ reparation on the part of the wrongdoer combined with forgiveness from the wronged. All this is very hard to do and to achieve…

Accommodation differs from reconciliation in that antagonists try to work together but there is not necessarily forgiveness or reparation. What the limited and realistic programme of accommodation does require is a level playing field and a willingness by all parties to play by the rules of democracy. In the Northern Ireland context this implies removal of force or the threat of force from our politics…

I want to be realistic about what governments can or cannot do. If anything, politicians could harm reconciliation by trying to force the pace. For example, the day of reconciliation, which thankfully now seems to have been dropped, came close to making terrorists and victims of terrorism morally equivalent by proposing a state and church sponsored act of remembrance of all 3,600 persons who have died since 1969 without distinction as to whether they were civilians and members of the security forces or members of the paramilitary organisations…

The rightness or usefulness of government (or church) representatives taking on themselves the burden or issuing apologies for national misdeeds committed long ago is also doubtful…

Political applications of the supposed principle of group or transgenerational guilt have often been disastrous; those who have not wronged end up compensating those who have not been wronged.

Dromore Sunday school

Dromore congregation in the Presbytery of Route has 11 members in its Sunday school. Here they are photographed with one of their teachers, Miss Nan Downs. Back row: Mark McClarty, Laura McClarty, Lesley-Anne Millican and James Humphrey. Middle row: Kathryn Millican, Ruth Moore, Rebecca Moore and Alex Humphrey. Front row: Ross Moore and Shelly-Jo McClarty.

Lyndsay Shepherd was not present when the photograph was taken.

Also from July/Aug. ’99 8

Herald July/August 2018

The Scottish Parliament is officially opened by the Queen

Pete Sampras wins Wimbledon men’s title

Union Commission

…a significant disparity is observed in the levels at which congregations have been contributing to FWO. Of those recently reviewed, members in one were giving an average of £400 per contributing family, another, at the other end of the scale, at nearer £150.

The difference is not neatly to be explained by the social or economic context in which congregations are set… the truth is that the vibrancy, real commitment and generosity of some congregations sets an example for others.

General Board

The General Board works at various levels and in diverse areas of Church life. During the last year it addressed such issues as the Omagh tragedy, Charitable Tax Relief in the Republic of Ireland, the persecution of Christians in India and the situation in the Balkans, as well as political developments (or lack of them) in Northern Ireland. …Dr. John Dunlop presented its report. He began by highlighting concerns about the employment prospects of prison officers… He commented upon decommissioning, the ongoing search for the bodies of ‘the disappeared’ and the intimidation that is rife in our communities.

The longest section of his speech dealt with the problem of parades and protests…

Serbians rally to demand the resignation of Slobodan Milosevic as president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

IN THE ROUND | NEWS ‘Profound sadness’ Anti-conversion Shine camp over abortion law passed in India The Big House Ireland is hosting a special Shine camp for young referendum result A seventh state in India has people of secondary school Following the referendum result in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment in the Republic, Dr. Noble McNeely (then Moderator), former Moderator Dr. Trevor Morrow and Rev. Trevor Gribben (Clerk of the General Assembly) issued a statement expressing their “profound sense of sadness”.

They commented, “The Republic of Ireland is evidently living through a defining moment in which the inherent value placed on human life is at stake. Today is not a day for celebration, but for quiet reflection.

“We would strongly urge the government and the Oireachtas, as they legislate, to keep the promise they have made to the electorate to make abortions ‘rare’ in Ireland, and to ensure that the unborn with disabilities, like Down’s syndrome, will not have their lives terminated.

“The result of this referendum hasn’t changed the fact that human life is still just as sacred and special as it was before Friday’s vote. There should be no place for unrestricted abortion in a society that claims to cherish human life.

“We would encourage both the government and wider society to place a greater focus on the provision of world-leading, compassionate care for women, children and families, including comprehensive support in the perinatal period for those facing pregnancy crisis.”

become the latest to pass an anticonversion law, which Christians say will be used as an instrument of persecution by right-wing Hindu nationalists.

Christians in Uttarakhand who share their faith could face a jail sentence of up to five years. The new law requires clergy who lead a person to Christ to give one month’s notice before doing so, which will spark a police investigation into the proposed conversion. And individuals wanting to change their religion must first get permission from the state government.

age with moderate or learning difficulties, from Friday, 17th to Monday, 20th August at the Moyallon Centre, Portadown.

The cost for camp is £85 per person for three nights. This includes all meals, activities and goodie bags.

For more information or to book your place please contact Katherine on +44 (0)28 9066 4300 or via email info@thebighouse.org.uk

Missionaries transform lives Missionaries still have a lot to contribute in developing countries, and their contribution is unique. That was the message at an event hosted

by Misean Cara recently.

Speaking at the event, ‘Crossing Boundaries and Development – An Exploration of Missionary and Faith-based Approaches’, Misean Cara CEO, Heydi Foster said that missionaries are about transforming lives. “It’s the work of compassion, of justice, and of fighting for rights. It’s about creating a better life.”

The event, attended by over 65 people at the Dublin venue, was addressed by speakers from Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands, and heard about the unique way that missionaries work to make a difference.

Official launch for 82nd Bangor missionary convention ‘Pray the Lord of the Harvest’ is the theme for this year’s Bangor Worldwide Missionary Convention, taking place between Friday, 24th August and Saturday, 1st September.

The majority of the events will be held at Hamilton Road Presbyterian Church, but there are also events in the neighbouring Baptist church as well as venues in Belfast, Lurgan and Magherafelt.

Chairman Tom Clarke said, “We are delighted to have Alistair Begg, senior pastor at Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio and the Bible teacher on Truth For Life, join us to lead our morning Bible studies during the convention week in August.

“Key speakers for this summer include acid-attack Pictured at the launch of the Bangor Worldwide Missionary Convention are chairman Tom Clarke with guest speaker Rev. Colin Dickson, his wife survivor Pastor Umar Mulinde who will be making Marjorie and Uel Marrs, PCI Global Mission Secretary. the journey from Uganda to Bangor, along with a host of other international speakers from Spain, Dubai, Malaysia, Israel, India and Haiti.”

For more information on all the events taking place during the convention, visit the website www.worldwidemission.org or follow on social media (@BangorWorldwide on Twitter, Bangor Worldwide Missionary Convention on Facebook).

IN BRIEF Court ruling The Supreme Court has ruled that the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission does not have the standing to challenge the province’s abortion laws.

Welcoming the ruling, NI director of Evangelical Alliance, Peter Lynas, said, “We acknowledge that this is a technical victory; however, it is important to note that the Supreme Court has dismissed the case brought by the Human Rights Commission. In doing so, it has made clear that there is no human right to abortion.”

Rev. Dr. W.M. Craig biography A biography of Rev. Dr. W.M. Craig, a PCI minister for over 70 years and a former Moderator of the General Assembly, has been written by John W. Lockington.

A noted evangelical preacher and teacher, Dr. Craig ministered in First Portadown for 35 years and previously for three years in Ebrington, Londonderry. Though primarily committed to his congregation, he conducted many evangelistic missions, as well as being greatly involved in the Portstewart Convention.

Priced at £5, the book can be purchased from Dr. Lockington, 32 Clintonville Gardens, Garvagh, BT51 5AH. All proceeds will be given to First Portadown Church’s missionary fund.

Back to school with God Scripture Union NI has released free resource materials to enable churches to hold an all-age ‘Back to school with God’ Sunday service at the start of a new academic year.

For more information go to www.suni.co.uk/schools/ withGod

Herald July/August 2018

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MY STORY...

Rev. Daniel Reyes Martin, minister of Kilkenny Presbyterian Church, tells the story of his recent sabbatical to the Philippines.

Southeast Asia sabbatical

“Y

ou should consider taking a sabbatical!” Those remote jungle village ‘oozed’ with Word-based, relationallywere the words of a friend to me about a year driven, community-based living. What a joy and inspiration to ago. He vocalised what I had already been be part of such a community! churning around in my mind, on and off, for Stripped of all worldly pleasures, yet there is a joy, a period of time. Last August, when I received an email from contentment and passion for the Lord that is contagious. The Wycliffe Bible Translators inviting Presbyterian ministers to go whole village (including kids) attend worship twice a day at on a vision trip to the Philippines, I knew this was the perfect 6.30am and 4pm. They are simple services centred around opportunity.

God’s Word, chatting after the service, In my home country of Spain, although In many ways, God used where some will read with joy a recently the Bible was translated into Spanish in translated portion of Scripture in its final this sabbatical to come 1569 and 1602 originally, it wasn’t widely draft form. They’ll discuss and debate it, near to me and save my and with God’s help, make life application. available to people, especially Christians, until the late 1970s due to persecution and tired heart.

Whether it be Safa, Kilkenny, or oppression. wherever you find yourself sitting as Born in the early part of the 1970s, it always fascinated me you read this article, those few days of my sabbatical spent listening to stories of people smuggling Bibles into meetings or in that rural wee village testified to the need and importance homes for the Word of God to be taught to Christians. What of building relationships as a church family – not cluttering I heard in early childhood about courageous servants suffering, ourselves with a flurry of activity, which can often be expensive, even losing their lives for sharing the Word of God continues distracting, entangling and which also isolates us from God and to challenge me. Members of my home church in Granada even one another and limits communication to distant messaging or learned to read and write through studying from one of the few a one-hour service on Sundays.

Bibles available in their area.

Post-sabbatical, my mind often returns to that village where I My sabbatical lasted four weeks, two of which were spent see the villagers continue to talk and read God’s Word together in the Philippines, visiting various organisations and projects – for them it’s a new ‘final draft’ chapter of the Bible to share. that translate the Bible so that people can have a deeper For me, it’s the passion to ‘cut the small talk’ and build Godengagement with God and His Word in their native language. centred community relationships; reading God’s Word, hearing In the Philippines alone, out of 178 languages presently spoken, Him speak and seeking its life application in a vulnerable, only 90 have the Word of God. The story of Bible translation honest way. In a very secular age where we do not have an throughout the world is ongoing: 1.5 billion are still waiting for automatic opportunity for our voice to be heard in wider society, the Bible in their language! perhaps the most vital step towards finding out ‘how’ we can We stayed in a very remote village (Safa) in Oriental speak the truth with love is to read truth and let God guide us Mindoro, where Hannah Fleming, a young missionary from individually and as a community.

New Zealand, lives and translates the Old Testament with the In many ways, God used this sabbatical to come near to help of five local villagers. Her living conditions are simple – no me and save my tired heart (Psalm 34:18). I recommend my TV, cars, bikes, running water; she has a rare home there with colleagues to consider taking a sabbatical, particularly through a a one-bulb electric supply. Her life exemplifies the sacrifice, global mission lens, which will take you completely out of your dedication, effort, patience, challenges and frustrations involved normal ministry, cultural and contextual circumstances. in translating God’s Word. However, those few days in that

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NEWS | PCI

Find out more on www.presbyterianireland.org

News Personnel news Dr. Ian and Pat Hart departed for Myanmar at the end of May to teach at Tahan Theological College, Presbyterian Church of Myanmar for three months. They are due to return home at the end of August.

Colin and Marjorie Dickson are due to return to their work in JETS in July following a short home assignment.

DIARY DATES response to an invitation from the Hungarian Reformed Church in Transylvania for Steve, currently training as a licentiate minister within PCI, to provide leadership for their outreach activities. Steve is going under a joint initiative by the Council for Christian Training and the Council for Global Mission.

Steve Anderson completed his assignment in Torre del Mar at the end of June and is returning to Ireland at the beginning of July.

Volker and JinHyeog Glissmann, having completed eight years of service in Malawi, have been called to serve with the Theological Education by Extension College

(TEEC) located in Johannesburg, South Africa. Volker and JinHyeog together with their children Lina, Micha, and Lukas will be making the transition to this new role, location, and culture over this summer.

Naomi Keefe, who serves in Olinda in north-east Brazil, is due on home assignment in July and will be undertaking deputation bookings in September.

Overseas visits

Rev. Uel Marrs is due to visit PCI global mission partners in Kenya, South Africa and Zambia in August and early September.

It is hoped that the Moderator, Dr. Charles McMullen, will be visiting Jordan in August.

Handling the Word Alan and Tracey Johnston returned to Ireland on final home assignment in June, having completed almost four years serving in Sola Grazia congregation in Porto Mantovano, Italy.

Steve and Rosie Kennedy (together with their two children Julia and Lucy) left in June to serve in Romania for three months this summer. This opportunity is in

A ‘Handling the Word’ course will take place at Union Theological College in Belfast on six Thursday evenings during October and November.

The course is designed to equip church members who give talks to youth fellowship, Presbyterian Women, men’s breakfasts or who occasionally preach from the pulpit.

It is also useful for Bible study leaders, Sunday school teachers as well as ruling elders who wish to share God’s Word in pastoral situations.

This year there will be an optional seventh session applying what has been learned on the course to handling the Word one-to-one or in small groups. The course also acts as the starting point for those interested in the pathway to becoming an accredited preacher.

Further details of the course are available on the PCI website.

To register please contact the Council for Congregational Life and Witness office by emailing clw@presbyterianireland.org or telephoning +44 (0)28 9032 2284.

Further presbytery courses are also planned. These will be announced in presbyteries and also on the PCI website.

Resources Mad crew

Children’s Ministry Basics

The Coleraine campus of the Ulster University will host MAD from 26th to 28th October – the 20th anniversary of the event.

To run MAD, we need a large number of volunteers who love Jesus and want to help see young people meet with Him at the event. So, if you are 18 or over and available during that weekend, why not consider joining our crew?

Further information can be found at www.presbyterianireland. org/Events/MAD

A new set of training videos have been released under the title of ‘Children’s Ministry Basics’. These are short videos that help with some key skills in children’s ministry.

They will be useful all year round but may also be helpful as you look towards holiday Bible club season.

The initial set of videos are on ‘Leading from the front’, ‘Teaching a memory verse’ and ‘Telling the story’.

A new resource to help congregations to connect and build relationships with their local schools’ ministry has also been recently launched.

Both of these resources are available online at www.presbyterianireland.org

July Summer teams

Ballyweaney – Saturday, 30th June to Sunday, 8th July Mullingar – Friday, 6th to Saturday, 14th St. Andrew’s, Bangor – Saturday, 14th to Saturday, 21st Abbey, Monkstown – Saturday, 21st to Sunday, 29th Dungannon – Saturday, 21st to Saturday, 28th Seaview – Saturday, 28th to Sunday, 5th August

August Summer teams

Whitehouse – Saturday, 4th to Sunday, 12th Co. Cavan – Saturday, 11th to Saturday, 18th Friendship House – Saturday, 11th to Saturday, 18th Grange, Ballymena – Saturday, 11th to Sunday, 19th

September Handling the Word

Deadline for registration – Friday, 21st

October Handling the Word

Union Theological College, Belfast – starts Thursday, 4th

MAD weekend

Ulster University, Coleraine – Friday, 26th to Sunday, 28th

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TALKING POINTS

Legacy

Norman Hamilton asks for readers’ responses to help the Council for Public Affairs in their work seeking to address the legacy of Northern Ireland’s past.

U

nlike many other articles in the Herald, this one comes with an advance warning: reading it may well encourage you to do some homework and respond to what we are discussing. However, that is why I am

‘NIO legacy consultation’ or you can go direct to their website at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/addressing-the-legacyof-northern-irelands-past Please email your comments and reflections on the writing it! consultation directly to me at norman.hamilton@btinternet.com At our recent General Assembly, the Council for Public Affairs or for the attention of our research officer, Gavin Norris, at was asked to “draw up a report and recommendations concerning info@presbyterianireland.org the Northern Ireland Office consultation paper: ‘Addressing the You may of course prefer to write to us. Our address is: The Legacy of Northern Ireland’s Past’, and to submit a response to Legacy Consultation Task Group, Presbyterian Church in the UK government on behalf of our Church.”

Ireland, Assembly Buildings, Fisherwick Place, Belfast BT1 The public consultation seeks views on the UK government’s 6DW. proposal for legislation to establish the institutions set out in a It is important to say that, unlike many other groups who will draft Northern Ireland (Stormont House respond to the consultation, we will be …what is biblically Agreement) Bill. These include: making our comments through the lens 1. The Historical Investigations Unit – desirable may well not be of our best understanding of what the to take forward outstanding investigations Bible teaches. We are not social or political achievable here on into Troubles-related deaths. The Unit commentators, nor are we wedded to would investigate (amongst other cases) the earth... the views of any other group or political following: deaths that were with the PSNI party. Yet it is far from straightforward to Historical Enquiries Team (HET) and need to be investigated discern the full range and implications of that biblical teaching further; 14 deaths that are with the Police Ombudsman for and guidance, and we would welcome your help with this. For Northern Ireland Historical Investigations Directorate (HID) example, justice and truth are central themes of Scripture, but so and need to be investigated further; and Troubles-related deaths are the realities of sin and corruption in both public and private which happened in Northern Ireland between 11th April 1998 life. This means that what is biblically desirable may well not be and 31st March 2004 and have not been reviewed by the PSNI. achievable here on earth, and that what can be achieved may fall The HIU would likely have 1,700 deaths to look into and would well short of what is desirable. aim to complete its work in five years.

The Council for Public Affairs will certainly seek to argue for 2. The Independent Commission on Information Retrieval what is best from an overtly Christian perspective, though we – to enable family members to seek and privately receive are conscious that there may well not be agreement across our information about the Troubles-related deaths of their relatives.

Church as to what actually is best. Furthermore, if our response is 3. The Oral History Archive – an archive that enables people to be understood and have any effect, we must focus on what we to share experiences and narratives related to the Troubles. can realistically ask an increasingly secular government to deliver.

4. The Implementation and Reconciliation Group – an We would particularly welcome your views on any area covered institution to promote reconciliation and anti-sectarianism and by the consultation, or areas that you feel have been wrongly to review and assess the implementation of the other legacy omitted. If you wish to help us in this way, please try to do so by institutions proposed under the Stormont House Agreement.

15th July, but certainly no later than Monday, 23rd July. These Responding to these proposals is one of the most demanding dates are important since the cut-off date to respond to the tasks given to the Council for Public Affairs in recent years, for consultation is early September. the matters involved are amongst the most vexed and contentious Thank you for your help in this, and we look forward to hearing right across society. There is still enormous pain, distress and from you. trauma from the murder and mayhem we faced. Some may see the legacy of the past in terms of ‘issues’ to be addressed, but as a Council we will come to our work with a clear focus on people and what might be done that can best help them.

So, I am asking, on behalf of the Council, that you help us Rev. Dr. Norman Hamilton respond to this government consultation. To do so, please Norman Hamilton is the convener of the take time to read the consultation paper published by the UK Council for Public Affairs and minister government on which it seeks public comment. You can find all emeritus of Ballysillan Presbyterian Church. the material on their website simply by an internet search for

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PERSONAL VIEW

Life lessons Rico Tice

Associate minister, All Souls, Langham Place I was born in Chile and christened Richard, which is Ricardo in Spanish, so that’s how I got my name. My dad worked for a tobacco company and my mum was a midwife. I have an older brother, George, and a twin sister, Camilla.

I was then converted at 16 at boarding school in England. I’m now married to Lucy and have three kids: Peter (7), Daniel (6) and Mercy (2).

I have been a minister at All Souls in Langham Place for 24 years. My job is trying to equip the church family for evangelism. As I meet up with individuals of whatever age I’m always trying to get the Bible open with them, because that’s where the power is. My definition of evangelism is teaching the Bible to non-Christians.

It has been humbling to see how many churches have used the Christianity Explored course. We created it because we wanted an evangelistic course that went through a gospel. Around half a million people do the course each year in over 100 countries and the key to this is the simplicity of Mark’s Gospel. It’s about Jesus’ identity, mission and call. Nevertheless, I do want to give thanks for the generosity of Ernest Baird of Bairds Chemists, who personally bankrolled Christianity Explored and was our only donor in the first couple of years as we got off the ground.

Evangelism is a process and I tend to say that sharing Christ is about four steps. Step one: celebrate your friends – they are made in God’s image and God has sovereignly put them in our lives.

Step two: serve them – random acts of kindness really affect people. Step three: cross the pain line and ask a question, e.g.

“Do you celebrate Christmas, and so would you come to a carol service with me?” Step four: be prepared to exit. So, if they go silent on you, just change the subject and go back to celebrating and serving them. If they keep talking about faith, keep asking them questions.

Both my parents died during the last five years. As they were dying I really felt the force of John 6:68, “Lord, to whom shall

we go? You have the words of eternal life.” It’s only Jesus and His resurrection which is the answer to the death of loved ones.

I went away to boarding school when I was eight and at that school was raised on conditional love. “We’ll love you if you succeed. We presume you’re not good enough and you have to prove yourself.” So, it’s been both wonderful and a battle to learn to live by grace.

I think the parable we’ve got to be preaching most today is the rich man and Lazarus, Luke 16:19-31, in which we learn that hell is a place and it’s a place of suffering and it’s a place of separation, so be warned. And here is the most loving man that ever lived, Jesus Christ, warning us of it, so take heed.

I get frustrated about society’s blindness to sin. Can’t we see that when it comes to God’s laws, particularly in the whole area of sexuality, that if the adults play, the children pay. There’s incredible selfishness in the whole area of sexual sin, which is breaking the homes of thousands of children.

I think we’ve got to get much better at heeding the call of Luke 15:3-7, where there’s vast energy expended to go after lost sheep, and in an incredibly individualist culture I find it hard to motivate individuals to keep going after lost sheep, to share life and to get the Bible open with them.

Before I got ordained, Andrew Wingfield Digby of Christians in Sport told me that it must be our love for Christ and the gospel that keeps us serving the church, because Christians and the church will sometimes let us down. At times when I’ve met discouragement, that advice has been critical.

The hardest lesson I’ve had to learn is that the only way to consistently battle my sin is to make sure I read the Bible each day. It’s a mirror and I’ve found the advice that Sarah Wesley gave to her boys consistently true: “Either sin will keep you from this book or this book will keep you from sin.”

Rico Tice was the guest speaker at the Wednesday night celebration evening of Assembly week.

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PRESBYTERY STORY

Sowing support for the countryside Ruth Sanderson finds out why one presbytery recently held a special service in support of the farming communities of Northern Ireland.

M

aze Presbyterian Church is just a stone’s throw from Balmoral Park, the new home of the Balmoral Show on the site of the former Maze prison.

It was fitting then that a special service to celebrate 150 shows run by the Royal Agricultural Society (RUAS), was held there.

However, this was not just a twee exercise in nostalgia. The service itself was an important reminder of the increasingly hard realities for the farming community in Northern Ireland, which has always been the spine of our society. The idea was sparked by Dromore Presbytery who, for the past several years, have run a stall at the Balmoral Show. It’s a chance for visitors to chat, have a sit down, a cup of tea and find out about the work that PCI does in rural communities. Rev. Gareth McFadden, moderator of Dromore Presbytery, was keen that a service was put in place to mark the important 150th milestone, plus, it coincided with the centenary celebrations of the Ulster Farmers’ Union.

The service was also a chance to raise awareness of the Rural Support organisation. The offering was given to the charity and over £900 was raised. Rural Support was founded in 2002 in response

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to the foot and mouth crisis, and today provides emotional, financial and advisory support to those in rural areas who are struggling. Scott Laidlaw, from the charity, says that things are not improving.

“50% of calls to our helpline are to do with financial aid and debt,” he tells me.

“It’s becoming a huge problem; it’s one of the main causes of rural stress. One of the services we now offer is financial advice. So many farmers who call us are drowning in debt.”

General uncertainty too about the future is weighing heavily on the shoulders of farmers. In order to progress, they need to be able to plan ahead, and in order to plan ahead, they need to have some idea of what the future is going to bring. Yet with the onset of Brexit, not only are farmers unclear about who

With the onset of Brexit, not only are farmers unclear about who they will be trading with, but also what the situation will be with their subsidies.

they will be trading with, but also what the situation will be with their subsidies.

Estimates say that a whopping 87% of the average Northern Irish farm income is made up of this European money.

Many too are facing anxiety about where those who work on the land and in the food processing industries will come from. The agri food sector in Northern Ireland is highly reliant on foreign workers. With margins already squeezed, it’s hard to imagine how many farmers will survive.

Relationship breakdowns, succession planning, retirement – all of these are also difficult areas for those involved in farming to negotiate.

“It’s not just about their farm,” says Alan Crowe, Chief Executive of the RUAS. “There are generations of pressure on their shoulders. These farms belonged to their fathers and grandfathers – they want to pass them on to their children – no one wants to be the one who fails.”

Back in April, the then Moderator, Dr. Noble McNeely, wrote to all PCI ministers asking them to use their services to pray for farming communities.

This wasn’t an exercise in inclusivity, it was in response to an appallingly wet, cold, long winter, which left many farmers flooded, unable to cut their silage

Front: Rev. Kenny Hanna, Rev. William Henry, Alan Crowe (RUAS Chief Executive), Elaine Dickson, Gordon Dickson (Legacurry). Rear: Rev. Gareth McFadden, Scott Laidlaw (representing Rural Support), Mike McCormick.

or let their animals out of winter housing.

The winter itself was a near catastrophe for the farming community here; grass rotted in the field, too wet to harvest.

No grass meant having to buy in feed for livestock that should have been out in the fields months previously. This feed cost thousands extra for farmers over the course of the period.

“Isolation is increasingly problematic,” says Scott Laidlaw, “not just on farms, but in rural areas in general.

Rural transport, schools, post offices, surgeries have all been closed.

It’s becoming difficult for people to be able to afford to live in the countryside. There are high levels of unemployment; it’s affecting mental health and is one of the biggest problems we hear about from farmers – loneliness, depression and anxiety.”

“Farmers are loathed to open up,” agrees Alan Crowe. “Very often, it’ll be their wife or partner who is the one who seeks help. Yet we must encourage anyone who feels like that to pick up the phone, or talk to Rural Support or the RUAS. People, men especially, are only now starting to open up about mental health, and it’s so important that farmers get that message.”

This does not chime with the rural idyll that many still view as countryside living. In years gone by, farms employed more people and local neighbours would come and help with harvests. Yet since mechanisation and the consolidation of smaller farms, farming has become a lonely job: often just one man, in a tractor cab, alone with his thoughts and anxieties.

Gareth McFadden sees this as the gap the Church needs to be stepping into.

“It’s about togetherness, the Church and,

Former Moderator, Dr. Noble McNeely, highlights the Rural Support helpline

Farming in 2018 is a high stress, lonely, often financially insecure job. now more than ever, rural congregations need to be the places people can come to be together. Not just at services, churches need to be community hubs where people in rural areas can get away from isolation,

come and chew the fat with others who are facing the same problems they are.

We must not only be a community like a social club; often we fail to live as people of Christ in community and that is our calling.”

Recently Drumlough Presbyterian Church organised a tractor run, which attracted over 80 tractors of various kinds and many spectators – Gareth points to this as an easy way to bring people together around their interests.

PCI is about to appoint its first ever rural chaplain, a post which has been much discussed over the years. This role would allow the chaplain a much greater emphasis and understanding of the problems which lie at the heart of our

farming communities.

It is important that we as the Church recognise how farming, and our country areas have changed. Gone are the days of “We plough the fields and scatter…”

Farming in 2018 is a high stress, lonely, often financially insecure job. Farmers rely on money which is by no means guaranteed, weather which does not play ball, and have to do it largely on their own. They have the burden of maintaining their family’s land, never mind supporting their own families.

As a Church, as Christians, we need to be clued in to this. How can we be more inclusive? How can churches seek to help those who might be in desperation but won’t admit it? I have often heard people say, “Poor farmers? Look at the huge tractor in their yard!” True, farmers may be asset rich, but assets come with vast amounts of borrowing, and are reliant on good harvests, big repayments and a 24/7 commitment to the land. We must see past this to the people who have the pressure on their shoulders.

Contact details Rural Support Helpline: 0800 138 1678 Email: info@ruralsupport.org.uk Tel: +44 (0)28 8676 0040 Web: www.ruralsupport.org.uk Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) Tel: +44 (0)28 9066 5225 Email: info@ruas.org.uk Web: www.balmoralshow.co.uk Herald July/August 2018

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General Assembly photography by Jamie Trimble

GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2018 | OPENING NIGHT

Christ’s love compels us to relationship In his address at the Opening Night of Assembly, the new Moderator, Dr. Charles McMullen unveiled his theme for the year, ‘Building Relationships’, saying that he was “simply overwhelmed to have been called to the moderatorial chair.”

In developing his theme, Dr. McMullen said that it came with a strapline that he took from 2 Corinthians 5:15, “For Christ’s love compels us”. Written by the Apostle Paul, the Moderator said that Paul proclaims “what should be the motivation for everything we are, think, say and do: the all-consuming, all-constraining, all-compelling, allcommanding love of Jesus Christ.”

In building relationships Dr. McMullen spoke of a ministry of reconciliation and the challenges that come with it, “On the one hand, we can insist that everyone becomes like us. We can become exclusive, cutting ourselves off from those with whom we disagree, until we find ourselves splendid in our own isolation…On the

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other hand, we can be too inclusive as we accommodate ourselves to the spirit of the age, diluting truth, biblical integrity, the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ…ceasing to be counter cultural.

“We need to be centred between love and unity on the one hand, and truth and holiness on the other hand…It’s what we

might define as a generous orthodoxy in our dealings with others. Confident of who we are in Christ, we are enabled and empowered to reach out the hand to others,” he said.

Turning to political events, he also

addressed “the present political impasse” in Northern Ireland. “It has been simply appalling that attitudes have become so embittered and entrenched with such adverse effects on our schools, hospitals, businesses, the economy and the many victims and survivors.”

Earlier in the evening the outgoing Moderator, Dr. Noble McNeely reflected on his year in office. He revisited his theme for the year, which had been ‘Everyday disciples’, saying that in the gospels Jesus had called His disciples “to become followers of Jesus who would catch people...

My experience over the past few months has been of a Church with great potential…of congregations engaged in numerous ministries and work...But, are we seeing the net catching the people Christ has sent us out to catch?

“As everyday disciples…is there another way to cast the net as we seek to witness to God’s grace. When radical change is required and the net is cast on the right side, Jesus can surprise us.

The nets may be full again some day.”

GENERAL COUNCIL | ASSEMBLY 2018

Visiting delegates This Assembly welcomed delegates from partner churches around the world, including the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan, the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan and the Church of North India.

The Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Rt. Rev. Susan Brown greeted the General Assembly with the words, “Peace be with you,” which was the theme of the Church of Scotland’s recent General Assembly.

She said, “May that peace be with you – as together our voices unite with yours to sing the praises of the God we all worship.”

She continued, “May peace be with you as the eyes of the world beyond the Church look to you to see Christ-like compassion, generosity of spirit and a real passion for social as well as spiritual justice.”

Rev. John Gondwe, Moderator of CCAP Synod of Livingstonia in Malawi, addressed the House saying, “Let me register my sincere and heartfelt thanks to PCI for all the work you are doing to each of the Churches represented here today and in particular my Church. You are contributing a lot in areas of leadership development by providing scholarships for both ordained ministers and lay leaders, supporting our health sector mainly in areas of HIV/AIDS and also early childhood development, just to mention a few.

“Although the Church is growing so fast in Africa, we do have our own particular challenges which may be different from yours. Therefore, my appeal to this Assembly is that we still need your continued partnership, prayer support and encouragement.”

Same-sex couples and the sacrament The General Assembly heard a report by the Doctrine Committee on same-sex couples and the sacraments, having been asked by the General Council to prepare guidelines for kirk sessions to address the issue of same-sex couples who may seek communicant membership, or who may request the baptism of a child. The focus of the report was on the “specific theological question of what constitutes a credible profession of faith and how it is to be understood and applied in these particular circumstances”.

Speaking to the report, Prof. Stafford Carson said, “It is crucial that we speak the truth in love to those who make such requests.”

He continued, “We cannot say other than what God’s Word says about those who live in a way that is contrary to God’s will, and whose lifestyle does not match their profession.”

Prof. Carson highlighted that this applies to all who seek admission to the Lord’s table or the sacrament of baptism, but it was only this particular issue that the committee was asked to address.

An amendment asked for that section of the General Council report to be received without the appendix on credible profession of faith, thereby rejecting that appendix. Rev. Cheryl Meban brought the amendment, saying, “If we accept this report, we are colluding in continuing to treat LGBT people as ‘other’, different, somehow more dangerous to the health of the church than the rest of us.”

In seconding the amendment John

Hunter said, “Over the last nine years I have observed our Church becoming more harsh and judgmental in its attitudes, more concerned with breaking rather than building relationships, and more anxious to pursue doctrinal purity at the expense of love and grace. I regret to say that there is evidence of all these characteristics in the Doctrine Committee’s report.”

A lengthy debate followed. Of those in favour of the amendment, Rev. Wilfred Orr said, “Our process is confrontational.

If we issue a directive it does damage. It is instructive, telling them what they should believe. There is a climate of fear.”

Nadine Knight, the under-30 representative from Moneydig congregation said, “The practical reality is this is making a hierarchy of sin. It creates a society of ‘us’ and ‘them’.”

Arguing to reject the amendment, Rev. Andrew Conway said, “I am thankful for this report because of its clear call to ‘speak the truth in love’. “Rev. Jonathan Boyd agreed saying, “Doctrines and policies that may seem like cold, hard words in their abstract form can be received much more warmly in the context of a loving, welcoming relationship.”

Quoting Scripture, Rev. Eddie Kirk said, “Wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God… The Word of God condemns their sin. It’s sin, pure and simple.”

In a similar vein, Rev. Richard Murray said, “I am glad this report is a trumpet giving a very clear sound… We need to go down the road of ‘Go and sin no more’.”

The amendment failed and the full report was passed by the House, meaning that the policy outlined in the appendix on credible profession of faith becomes the policy of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2018 | GENERAL COUNCIL Human identity Members of Assembly heard from the Human Identity Task Group as it acknowledged the “urgent need to get good, accessible material from a biblical standpoint into the hands of PCI members” on the topic of gender identity.

One such resource will be a special printing of Vaughan Roberts’ book Talking Points: Transgender with a customised PCI introduction, copies of which will be circulated to each minister and congregation.

Dr. John Dunlop voiced concern over the book saying, “I am not persuaded with some of the content.” He took issue with it being reprinted with a PCI endorsement.

“The problem is we’ve badged it with PCI. This is now PCI’s position.” He added, “Read this book with care because what’s in it might be wrong.”

Prayer coordination changing PCI has been reviewing its coordination of prayer. This will involve the discontinuation of the Prayer Handbook, as it was felt this booklet, which is published yearly, often became out of date during the period covered by it and was limited in the level of information it could provide.

Instead there will be a new weekly prayer resource which congregations can print out and can be used in Sunday or midweek worship; it could also be distributed to those who are not able to get to church.

As well as this, churches will be provided with a link to PowerPoint slides for Sundays, prominently featuring the work of Global Mission and Mission in Ireland departments.

The monthly prayer letters issued through Global Mission will continue on a request only basis, but the weekly prayer resource will be freely available online, and will be emailed to all ministers and others who request it.

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Engagement PCI is encouraging more engagement between its ministers, presbyteries and the Church centrally and a task group has been set up to look at ways to do this.

As convener of the task group, Rev. Norman Cameron said, “With regard to better engagement in presbytery and with Councils we recognise that this is an ongoing challenge. We have sensed the tension between the fear of centralisation in the Church and also the increasing disengagement of congregations with the wider PCI institutions. We continue to believe that, as we say in the report, ‘presbytery needs to be an increasingly effective regional hub for envisioning, equipping and enabling ministers and congregations under its care.’ This is no small task in the face of growing secularism, individualism and busyness.”

Guysmere The future of Guysmere, the PCI-owned centre at Castlerock, was again debated at the Assembly. The centre has been unused for 10 years and a task group was appointed to assess the viability of redevelopment. At last year’s Assembly, the group unanimously recommended that Guysmere be sold.

After an amendment was passed, however, the decision was adjourned for a year to allow for new avenues of mission to be explored in conjunction with Coleraine and Limavady Presbytery. Following further work by the task group, the same conclusion was arrived at and was presented to the House by task group convener, Dr. Ivan Patterson.

After meeting with three groups he said that none of them provided options that were financially and missionally viable. “There are so many uncertainties… how will it be sustained?” he said.

There was passionate debate and an amendment was brought by Rev. Jim McCaughan to commission a feasibility study of the redevelopment of Guysmere as a world-class centre for mission and ministry. Other speakers in favour of the amendment pointed out that a feasibility study could be funded by a council grant.

Rev. Jonathan Moxen said, “There is no vision in the proposal, but there is in the amendment…We need vision for our young people and vision for our Church.”

Rev. Stanley Stewart, minister of Castlerock, whose congregation has had a long association with Guysmere, spoke of how his congregation was despondent and in decline and how selling Guysmere would have a further detrimental effect on the church.

“A great opportunity will be lost,” he said.

The amendment was passed after a standing vote, with the result: 203 for it and 116 against. The fate of Guysmere will now be decided at next year’s Assembly, following the results of the feasibility study.

GENERAL COUNCIL | GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2018

Relationships with other denominations The Assembly debated its relationship with some inter-church bodies, the Church of Scotland and the United Reformed Church.

Discussions focused on whether PCI should accept invitations to attend the General Assemblies of those two denominations and in turn no longer issue invitations to attend PCI’s General Assembly; or resume accepting invitations for the Moderator to attend the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and continue to accept invitations from the United Reformed Church.

On behalf of the Doctrine Committee, which had been asked to look at the Church of Scotland Theological Forum Report of 2017, Prof. Stafford Carson said, “The conclusion of the report that same-sex marriage may be supported and commended by the Church lacks a robust biblical and theological rationale, and it advocates a view of Scripture which is at odds with our confessional commitment.”

There was passionate debate on both sides. Dr. John Dunlop said, “Jesus Christ is the basis of our relationship. The Church of Scotland is part of the bride of Christ. Jesus chooses His bride… Our life is a shared life in Jesus Christ… Has He not done enough to bring us together? Was His crucifixion insufficient? Has God done enough? I believe that He has.”

Rev. Graeme Kennedy said, “We have taken ourselves out of public arena just at the moment when our presence could

have made a difference… We can’t exercise our prophetic voice if we aren’t in the room.”

Rt. Rev. Susan Brown, Moderator of the Church of Scotland said, “Whatever the decision you reach today, the truth is that in Christ we remain family. We remain connected, whether or not you put in an appearance at family gatherings.”

Speaking in favour of the option to neither accept nor issue invitations to each other’s General Assemblies, Rev. Lachlan Webster said, “The issue at stake is the authority of Scripture… To return to sending our Moderator would be to say that this is no longer the case… Nothing has changed, in fact it’s got worse…”

Dr. John Lockington said, “We have watched with great sadness the trajectory the Church of Scotland has moved. I never in my wildest dreams could have thought they would have gone to this position at this point of time… I want to be consistent in my own conscience, my own mind.”

Rev. Nigel Craig said, “We need civility, but we also need convicted civility… These are not insignificant matters for our parting of ways. If we as an Assembly decide to go with option one let’s do so with great reluctance, tears and deep humility.

It’s a temporary separation not divorce – gracious severance not acrimonious fallout.”

The resolution was decided by a standing vote which resulted in favour of desisting to send and receive delegations with 255 votes to 171. An opportunity to register dissent was given and 82 people signed to declare this.

The House also decided, almost unanimously, that where there were areas in which PCI could collaborate for mutual benefit with the Church of Scotland or URC – then such collaboration should continue or could be considered.

Inter faith events A resolution was passed which outlines the denomination’s approach to interfaith and multi-faith events.

Prof. Stafford Carson, convener of the Doctrine Committee said, “Our commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ prevents us from engaging in joint worship or inter-faith services of worship with those who do not affirm the Lordship of Christ.”

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2018 | GLOBAL MISSION The persecuted church Rev. Uel Marrs spoke of the challenge facing PCI as we consider with whom to partner in mission around the world.

He stressed the importance of doing so with those whose needs are greatest, perhaps struggling for their very existence, and not least in contexts of persecution.

Mr. Marrs said that not only have we committed to share in the training of key leaders from our global mission partners, but we are now sending our ministers and Union College faculty members to conduct training in those countries, supporting theological institutions around the world in challenging contexts.

Rev. Peter Gai Lual Marrow of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan thanked PCI for its support through the hardships in South Sudan, including prayers when fighting broke out in Juba.

He said, “Your solidarity is an expression of your love.” Professor Drew Gibson reminded the House that we have much to learn from our brothers and sisters who are suffering, stressing the need not only to listen but to learn from them.

Congregational involvement in global mission Recognising the need for congregations to be more actively engaged in global mission, the Council is encouraging students and ministers to lift their horizons by exploring sabbatical and other short-term opportunities for more global mission involvement.

Rev. Uel Marrs said, “We must encourage congregations not to lose sight of the ‘the ends of the earth’ dimension of their engagement.”

He also spoke of the new and important strategy, ‘Go deep, Go wide’, that will be rolled out in collaboration with the Council of Congregational Life and Witness, to help congregations engage more with global mission.

Streams in the desert ‘Streams in the desert’ was the theme for this year’s ‘Listening to the Global Church’ session. Rev. Uel Marrs, Council for Global Mission Secretary said, “God is constantly at work in His world today, doing new things, making a way where humanly we cannot see how there can be one, pouring out life-giving streams in the deserts.”

Rev. Peter Gai Lual Marrow, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan, described the situation in his country as “horrible”. He said people are starving to death, not because the country is poor – in fact it is rich in minerals, gold and oil – but because of war.

“People are suffering and as a result most of the people have fled,” he said, explaining that some have fled to neighbouring countries while others have been internally displaced. He said Christian denominations in South Sudan have joined together in the National Council of Churches to try to intervene and “bring hope to the people”.

He added, “The church is the voice of the voiceless.”

In another story demonstrating streams of hope, a minister in

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Stewardship of Creation Convener of the Council for Global Mission, Dr. Liz Hughes, shared Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” She explained that it is for this reason that we must take seriously our stewardship of creation. The report outlined practical suggestions for congregations and individuals when it comes to creation care and lifestyle choices. She reminded the House that, “We owe it to our brothers and sisters in Christ across our world to care about the issues which impact them so severely.”

the Church of North India told how his Church is growing, with 434 congregations spread across the state he lives in. Of the 248 pastors and missionaries in his diocese, 92% are under the age of 45. “Thus, we have a younger generation in leadership,” he said.

This growth is despite challenges. In some of the stories to emerge, one woman said she faced difficulties in a job interview because she is a Christian, while others said an act of devotion to a Hindu god or goddess is required in the workplace.

The General Assembly also heard of the work of Christian satellite television network SAT-7 in the Middle East and north Africa from its founder and CEO, Dr. Terry Ascott. He explained that he was inspired to set up the organisation whilst working in Egypt. He noticed a family who lived on a building site. They had nothing apart from a television, which was wired up to a neighbouring property. He saw this as a way to reach people in “closed homes, in closed countries”.

Dr. Ascott added, “We’d never reach those people with print media, with Christian radio or the internet as they can’t read.”

Since it started 22 years ago, SAT-7’s audience has grown, as have the churches in the areas it broadcasts to.

MISSION IN IRELAND | GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2018 Wide-ranging work The wide-ranging work carried out by the Council for Mission in Ireland was evident during this year’s General Assembly.

Resolutions brought to the House concerned the review of the Home Mission scheme, healthcare chaplaincy, South Belfast Friendship House, Nightlight, the International Meeting Point as well as plans for rural chaplaincy.

Furthermore, PCI’s chaplaincy work within the forces, prisons and education were also highlighted.

“The world has always needed the gospel and will continue to do so, but for us as a branch of Christ’s church, this era in Ireland – south and north – presents particular challenges,” said Council convener Dr. Frank Sellar.

Describing the work of CMI as both “wide-ranging and compelling”, Dr. Sellar explained, “In addition to the regular work of Home Mission, Irish mission, deaconesses and the centrally managed projects of the Church, the main focus of the Council’s report this year concerns Home Mission review, the utilisation of Elmwood Avenue, a review of the work of chaplaincy and the Belfast Conference.”

He reiterated the commitment to mission throughout Ireland, and told those at the Assembly not to be discouraged by the challenges.

“If someone had said to me 35 years ago that we might be about to construct a brand-new meeting place in Maynooth, I might have said ‘inconceivable’. What, I wonder might yet be possible in the next number of years with renewed largeness of faith and vision?

“Both are evident in Nightlight, International Meeting Point and South Belfast Friendship House and within a context of liquid modernity, where many people have lost any sense of solidity, certainty or permanence, we as a Council want to continue to support these and other ground-breaking projects with our care, prayer and practical resources,” concluded Dr. Sellar.

Café Grace With increasing numbers of students in Belfast, the provision of university chaplaincy within the city came under the spotlight at this year’s Assembly.

The report of the Elmwood Avenue (Café Grace) Task Group was put to the House, with the recommendation that the property be retained for five years.

Commenting, Rev. David Bruce (Secretary of the Council for Mission in Ireland) said, “In affirming that we as a Church retain the chaplaincy centre on Elmwood Avenue, the Council is encouraged to learn of the plans which the new chaplain at Queen’s is developing for its use.

“We are pleased to tell the Assembly that CU Ireland now houses its Northern Ireland office there. Since writing the report, we have been renegotiating the terms of other tenancies in the building to place it on a more secure financial footing… While it may not be possible to guarantee that the building can be run at ‘no cost to the Church’ as last year’s resolution asked, we feel confident that enough has been achieved for us to press ahead for now,” he added.

Rev. Dave Gray, the new chaplain for Queen’s University, Stranmillis and Union Theological College, outlined plans he is developing for the building’s use.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity,” he said, adding that there is a real desire to see engagement with the wider university population.

As well as staff fellowship, which is due to start soon, Mr. Gray also hopes to arrange student fellowship groups as well.

Speaking of his intention to hold lunchtime meetings, Mr. Gray explained, “Many students who come from Presbyterian backgrounds are day students and they find it hard to find Christian support, witness and encouragement.”

While some of the events will be led by the chaplaincy team, it is hoped that many will also be student-led. Additionally, other organisations will be invited to use the Café Grace building as well.

Professor Michael McClenahan also spoke of his excitement at the work being undertaken by the Council for Mission in Ireland and the direction in which it’s going.

Stressing the importance of university chaplaincy and the opportunities it can bring, he said, “There are so many international students, tourists and visitors in the city and university area. There is so much work for us to do.”

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2018 | PUBLIC AFFAIRS Concerns over abortion repeal Dr. Trevor Morrow spoke regarding the recent decision in the Republic of Ireland to repeal the Eighth Amendment, which had offered constitutional protection for the unborn child.

Dr. Morrow sought to put that decision in context, suggesting that we have lessons to learn from this vote for change. While the tendency may be to form an alliance with the Roman Catholic Church on being advocates together for the sanctity of the unborn, Dr. Morrow urged caution.

Assisted suicide and euthanasia The Assembly agreed to strongly oppose any legislation which allows for assisted suicide and/or euthanasia.

Lindsay Conway, PCI Director of Social Services, told the House that we must reflect the compassion and understanding of Christ. “As a society we are faced with an ever-aging population that is blessed with longer life, resulting in the ever-stretching of our Health and Social Care Services. This is the very reason that we have to be so cautious – it is a climate where corners could be cut and risks taken.”

He acknowledged that there isn’t total agreement between professionals, or even Christians, especially in the context of watching loved ones suffering. He suggested the Christian response must be one of palliative care and more hospice beds. Rev. Gabrielle Farquhar of Ballycarry Presbyterian commended the work carried out by Macmillan and Marie Curie nurses. She reminded the House that, “Hospices are not there for people to die but for people to live before they die.” The Assembly recognised that as a Church we must do more to ensure the adequate resourcing of palliative care.

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“The combination of the RC Church’s historic treatment of women in Ireland and their absolutist position in opposition to abortion is at variance with our Church’s stance… To bring our own people with us and to be more effective in our apologetic we need to make some clear distinctions.”

Dr. Morrow spoke of placing more emphasis on the pregnant woman. “We must effectively engage in dialogue with politicians and community leaders at this time where the desire for women to have a choice is paramount in the discussions.” He suggested that as a Christian community we need to be more radical and compassionate than the world in which we live.

Following an amendment proposed by Rev. Stephen McNie, the House agreed not only to repeat their call for the best possible life-affirming care and support to be made available to women facing pregnancy crisis but to also commend the services of foster care and adoption to members of PCI who feel led to such ministry and service.

Power and self reigns in the public square This year, the convener of the Council for Public Affairs, Dr. Norman Hamilton, spoke of the climate of “power and self” which prevails in our culture and referred to politics that is “almost devoid of consistent Christian or gospel values.”

Challenging the Assembly, he asked if people actually read the party manifestos before voting for political representatives, or if they seek and pray for guidance before marking the ballot paper. He suggested that as Christians we should vote in accordance with our best understanding of what the Scriptures say about what and who is being offered to us in any election, and if we take the Scriptures seriously and seek to rebuild relationships, the culture of power and self will be greatly diminished.

The Assembly repeated its call to our politicians to find a resolution that establishes good and stable government in Northern Ireland based on good working relationships.

An overstretched education system The Assembly noted that due to the absence of an Executive in Stormont, the education sector is overstretched and under-resourced, as testified to by Andy Brown, convener of PCI’s State Education Committee.

At present 7% of our children are statemented, which is twice the number in England. He observed that the current crisis offers us not only an opportunity to reform but to transform the education system. He identified that as the pressure rises to do more with less, something inevitably gets squeezed out, and it appears to be Religious Education. The House passed a resolution to affirm the place of RE within schools’ curricula and encourage timetabling and resourcing of RE, which reflects its fundamental value to school life and to society at large.

SOCIAL WITNESS | GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2018 A call to take care of all

Post-19 support

Around six people are murdered in domestic homicide situations every year – that was the startling figure Judith Gillespie told the Council for Social Witness’ alternative presentation ‘People matter to God’.

The former senior police officer said, “This is about preventing murder. It’s not pink and fluffy, and soft stuff – it’s homicide prevention.”

While almost 30,000 incidents of domestic abuse are reported in Northern Ireland each year, it is widely known that the problem is under-reported.

“If you extrapolate that out across the population of Northern Ireland, by the law of averages there will be victims of domestic abuse and, indeed, perpetrators of domestic abuse in Presbyterian Church congregations.

That’s something that we need to be really conscious of.”

She added, “You could be sitting beside someone who is undergoing the most painful experiences at their home, and yet putting on a very brave face as they come to church organisations.” Signs may include inconsistent behaviour; someone turning up to church meetings or organisations distressed; or someone who is constantly being texted by their partner about where they are and what they are doing. She called on anyone who has such concerns to contact services such as Women’s Aid. “Don’t for goodness sake do nothing because doing nothing risks the most vulnerable people within their own homes.”

While she welcomed the passing of legislation in the Republic which recognises coercive and controlling behaviour as a criminal offence, she says the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly means moves to introduce similar laws north of the border have stalled.

She praised PCI for taking its responsibilities seriously and said PCI’s safeguarding policy Taking Care of All is no longer just about children, but about safeguarding vulnerable adults – and everyone is responsible.

Much more needs to be done in the provision of support services for those with a learning disability in the post-19 age group – that was the message from this year’s General Assembly.

Rev. Peter Dickinson, convener of PCI’s Disability Services Committee, explained leaving special school is a difficult time for those with a learning disability and their families.

“Adult Services take on responsibility but with so many competing needs to be met in society, young people with learning disabilities often find themselves at the back of the queue – if there even is a queue,” he added.

Mr. Dickinson explained that a move away from traditional adult centres to the wider use of community-based opportunities led to a research paper concluding in 2011 that for people in the post-19 age group, “choices beyond transition do not really exist. It is simply a matter of fitting in with the available provision.”

The report also spoke of limited education courses and few opportunities to secure paid employment. “Learning disability has been the first area to suffer in cutbacks within the budgets of various government departments,” added Mr. Dickinson.

He did, however, point to the work being done by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland through its provision of residential, respite and day care and called it “outstanding”.

Mr. Dickinson also urged individuals and local congregations to do their part, perhaps by creating employment opportunities in church offices or letting families have a break by providing care for a few hours. “We need to do more, doing together what individuals and families can’t do alone.”

He said that’s why CSW wants to explore this matter further, with a view to influencing government policy, encouraging the inclusion of people with learning disabilities in the life and worship of local congregations, and providing additional residential opportunities.

Social Witness showcase The alternative presentation, entitled ‘People matter to God’ was an opportunity to showcase CSW’s work.

Compered by broadcaster Ruth Sanderson, the presentation took the form of a news bulletin and looked at various aspects of CSW’s work.

CSW’s work is certainly wide-ranging, from running residential homes to providing services to help ex-offenders, and to implementing PCI’s safeguarding policy, Taking Care of All. The alternative presentation gave a voice to some of those who provide these services – such as the manager of PCI’s newest residential home, Trinity House in Garvagh – to those who benefit from the services, like a resident in Adelaide House.

Commenting on the importance of the work, Lindsay Conway (CSW Secretary) said social witness is faith in action. “It’s the practical way in which we show the love of Christ.”

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2018 | TRAINING IN MINISTRY | LINKAGE

Online course first for Union A new online theological course is being introduced by Union Theological College.

The postgraduate programme in Reformed Theology aims to enhance prior theological education by providing training for further ministerial development or additional graduate research.

Introducing the new course at the Council for Training in Ministry’s alternative presentation, Dr. Martyn Cowan said, “Sometimes a person can go through a three-year theology degree and come out thinking that they’re really only getting geared up to start. That’s because so much of what went on was about clearing the ground and carefully laying foundations that one could spend a lifetime building on.

“This new programme is about building – cultivating gifts in order to produce a new generation of pastor-theologians.”

The course will be fully accessible online, resulting in either a recognised UK master’s degree or postgraduate diploma. It can be taken either full-time in one year or parttime in up to four years and it is hoped the digital platform will provide a personalised learning experience.

Those attending Thursday’s alternative presentation ‘Equipping the Church for effective ministry in the 21st century’ were also given a flavour of the work of Union Theological College along with other aspects of the Council’s work, including the auxiliary ministry scheme and PCI’s conciliation service.

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Concern at lack of ministry students The low numbers entering the ministry continues to be of concern.

Recognising that lack of interest in entering the ministry is a challenge for the Council for Training in Ministry, its convener, Nigel McCullough, said there were only six applicants – four of whom were being recommended to become students for the ministry. “We had a very useful ministry taster day in December. Although it is too late for this year’s round of applicants, we expect a number of those who attended to apply in September,” he explained.

Rick Hill, PCI’s Discipleship Development Officer, commended the Council for raising the issue. He went on to share some perspectives from young leaders and adults he had encountered in the hope that it may be helpful to Council members as they consider this issue.

Mr. Hill said many young leaders are passionate about serving God in full-time ministry, but there are now so many options open for them to do that, adding, “They don’t see ‘ministry’ as a narrow route, but instead a wide open field, with many serving God as youth workers, outreach workers or other roles in a variety of church, parachurch and agency.”

He said some people find the path to ordination too long – seven years for those who have to fulfil the pre-selection criteria – and so many are choosing to opt for a quicker path to serving God in a full-time capacity. Mr. Hill also highlighted the need for training through experience as well as in the classroom.

He concluded by thanking the Council for the work it does. “I want to encourage it to continue. But as a Church, let’s continue to be aware that at times we may need to make the system fit the church, rather than the church fit the system.”

Congregations linked Two amalgamations were formally agreed by the Assembly. Fortwilliam and Macrory will link with Whitehouse; and Boyle will link with Sligo.

Recognising the difficulties that the Linkage Commission faces, its outgoing convener Rev. William Henry said, “The scenarios we currently are facing are much more challenging than ever. We are having to look much further afield to consider the implications of linkages or even wholesale

reconfigurations and rejigging…

“We cannot simply endlessly link congregations together to make larger and larger units where the only positive is that they pay their bills. It places impossible and unreasonable expectations on the ministers who have then been called into such charges. I recognise that our buildings and the sense of presence that come with them are hugely significant but the gospel work is more than a building and that must be uppermost in our thinking.”

CONGREGATIONAL LIFE AND WITNESS | GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2018 Upcoming resources

10th anniversary for SPUD

In the year ahead, the Council for Congregational Life and Witness (CCLW) has a number of resources planned: ‘Proximity’, a discipleship resource; ‘Encounter’, a six-part DVD Bible study; and ‘Ask’, a series of postcard-sized prayer prompts (for more information on each see p.7).

2018/19 will see a particular focus on encouraging congregations with the task of outreach. The Council is also keen to stimulate congregations to engage more with overseas mission and so the initiative, ‘Go deep. Go wide’, in collaboration with the Council for Global Mission, will encourage churches to focus on at least one area of involvement in global mission.

Paddy Smyth, Youth Assembly delegate from Killinchy Presbyterian, alerted the House to the fact that 10 years ago, the General Assembly passed a resolution to “enable young people to have a meaningful opportunity to be involved in decisionmaking at a denominational and local level.” He thanked the founding members who gave young people a voice, and also the Assembly for making space for their voices to be heard. Paddy spoke in favour of SPUD launching a new name and continuing its work as the ‘PCI Youth Assembly’.

Owen Wilson, Youth Assembly delegate from Hill Street Presbyterian, expressed gratitude for the support of the House over the years. He presented a challenge to delegates saying, “Our young people are passionate and they want to grow in their faith. How is your congregation allowing young people to grow in their faith and their involvement in your church?”

Connor Patton, youth worker at Ballygilbert Presbyterian in Bangor, updated those gathered on the Youth Assembly’s work regarding social media. He said the task The need to tackle group set up to focus on this area “have sought to discuss and explore ways in which loneliness Dr. Norman Hamilton spoke on the we, as a denomination, can better seek to subject of loneliness, an area of CCLW’s use social media as a means to enhance work that overlaps with the Council for the kingdom of God in our congregations Public Affairs. Dr. Hamilton suggested and local communities.” He outlined the that we need a major change in our task group’s plans for the future which congregations to help to tackle this will include creating “a dedicated social epidemic. He said, “We do acquaintances media webpage on the PCI website; a in abundance but friendships in one-stop-shop for all things technical for scarcity.” congregations to use.”

Difficult task. Active hope CCLW convener, Rev. Colin Morrison, used the words “Difficult task. Active hope” to summarise the present situation for ministry and mission in PCI, borrowing this phrase from a guest speaker at one of CCLW’s programmes.

He said the Council strives to stimulate such hope through conferences, courses, programmes, events, and resources that will equip congregations in their life and witness. In all of its work the Council aims to help congregations become more fruitful.

Understand PW better Lynda Stothers, PW President, spoke to highlight the misunderstanding that can sometimes exist when it comes to the work and ministry of PW; its purpose is to encourage women to become better followers of Jesus Christ.

She encouraged people throughout the Church to ask questions and engage with their groups in order that they might learn more of what PW is about. At the same time PW is encouraging groups to work closely with their congregations, for example when planning their programmes.

The message is: talk to us.

To find out more about positive outcomes from PW visit the webpage, www.presbyterianireland.org/pw, or the Facebook page @presbyterianwomen

Connecting the generations The Youth Assembly fringe event on the Wednesday evening focused on the Youth Assembly’s theme for the year: ‘Together – Connecting the Generations’.

At the event, young and old gathered around tables to discuss their experience of passing on faith and to share ideas for connecting the generations.

To view the video produced by the youth delegates on their chosen theme go to: https://vimeo.com/269170943

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2018 Wednesday night celebration The Wednesday night celebration had a packed-out Assembly Hall and a full overflow area. Rico Tice from All Souls Church, Langham Place was guest speaker, giving his address on the Moderator’s theme, ‘Building relationships’.

During his talk Rico said, “Jesus reverses all our expectations of greatness. If you want to be great you must be the servant of all… So true freedom is not freedom from response to God and others in order to live for myself, but freedom from myself in order to live for God and others.

“The disciples’ prejudice was against young children. What’s our prejudice?

It’s who you don’t serve – it might be the homeless, the elderly… give me your

Youth Night

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address book and it will tell me who you’re not serving because they’re not there.

You’ve got to reach out and serve.”

Also during the evening the Moderator interviewed some members from his congregation of West Church, Bangor: Chris and Catriona Ritchie, who have a Presbyterian and Catholic background respectively, discussed their faith from these perspectives; Noel Eager shared his story of coming to faith after receiving a warm welcome coming into church; and Holly Eves spoke on her work with Meninadança, an organisation which helps young girls to avoid exploitation in Brazil.

The offering was given to Meninadança and over £6,000 was raised.

JULY/AUGUST 2018

Mission Connect

University chaplaincy work continues amid a changing and challenging environment

Mission news from workers around Ireland and the world.

Equipping Christian students in Spain Derek and Jane French Early child development in Africa

Diane Cusick

Something new in Ballymena Eleanor Drysdale An open-door ministry John Coulter

Every aspect of our Church’s mission depends to some extent on United Appeal. Hundreds of projects and programmes at home and overseas are helping to advance God’s kingdom, showing God’s love in action to hundreds of thousands of people.

Celebrating 175 years in Gortin Rev. Roger McElnea A place to call home Rev. Andy Carroll

Including July/August prayer diary

Equipping Christian students in Spain

Derek and Jane French Global mission workers, Spain

GBU National Camp, Cordoba: 22nd-29th July

Also, a new aspect of teaching this year, in conjunction with an organisation called Plataforma Impacto, will be seminars on the We work with Grupos Biblicos Unídos (GBU). This is ministry with theme of Christians and politics. Plataforma Impacto is a Christian university students in Spain, the equivalent of IFES. GBU have organisation in Spain, seeking to impact politics with Christian summer camps which take place every year in July. values. Pray for this vital This camp is geared towards organisation, that God would students who want to live and This camp is geared towards students who want raise up godly men and women share their faith with Jesus to positions of leadership in an authentic way in their to live and share their faith with Jesus in an in politics so that they can university. It is not easy to be a authentic way in their university. make impact with Christian Christian in university here in morals and values. Pray also Spain and the camp aims: “to that students would be encouraged to vote responsibly from a help students build up their relationship with God, grow in their Christian perspective, influencing areas such as education, justice, convictions in the gospel and to equip them with tools to share the economy and culture. and defend their faith.”

This camp is always a huge encouragement for the students GBE National Camp, Albacete: 22nd-29th July to get together and realise that they are not alone. The majority During the same week, GBE has its annual camp. GBE is a ministry come from very small GBU groups in their university, so it is amongst high school students in Spain (ages 13-18). This year their encouraging for them to meet with others and share their theme is ‘Final Epidsode: Apocalypsis’. Daniel Benítez is the main triumphs and challenges. speaker and his talks will be based on Revelation. He says, “Did The theme this year is: ‘His Kingdom Here’. The main speaker you know that Revelation is a book for us today, which talks about is Alex Sampedro, who will be doing Bible expositions on the themes such as the power of Jesus Christ in our lives, hope, victory, Sermon on the Mount. Alex is from Valencia and is a musician and justice, suffering, the church and much more?” preacher. He is also involved, throughout Europe, in training and In GBE camps the aim is to teach the students to approach pastoring youth leaders. Pray that God will greatly use him as he the Bible in order to discover principles on which they can base prepares his talks and that the students’ hearts would be open to their lives. Young people are encouraged to reflect Christian love the Word of God. towards others and also value the importance of friendship. Above There will also be numerous workshops based on themes such all, they encourage a desire to learn more about Jesus and to live a as: the Bible, evangelism, current issues and apologetics. Pray for life according to His teachings. Pray for both the students and the the various speakers, that God would use them to challenge and speakers at this camp. encourage the students in their walk with God. Mission Connect | Herald July/August 2018

Early child development in Africa

Diane Cusick

Global mission worker, Zambia

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aving lived in Lusaka for over two years now I am my time with them and plan to spend some days in both schools quite familiar with a lot of the city. It is a sprawling city during the coming term. I got up at sunrise before I left for Lusaka which requires transport to get from place to place and to go and see Victoria Falls in full flow… so amazing to see this sometimes I get frustrated by the amount time I spend in traffic wonder of creation! jams.

In each of our ECD centres, we have committees comprised In my work as Early Childhood Development (ECD) coordinator of both church people and people from the community, who for the Church of Central Africa oversee and effectively run the Presbyterian (CCAP), I am centres. In one of our centres I pray that through these ECD centres our focusing on two ECD centres in in Lusaka, we have been Lusaka at present and two ECD a lot of challenges with children will come to know and love the Lord. having centres in Southern Province. the committee who are not My job is to coordinate the working well together. I am programme for the CCAP and although we have many more conducting meetings with them to see how we can move forward.

ECD centres in operation, the plan is to make these four centres I am also trying to get our ECD centres registered with the become models for the others to learn from. government so that everything is done properly. This is proving to Our ECD centres in Lusaka are all based in compounds be a long process. (townships), and the two that I am working with at present are I feel very blessed to have this opportunity of serving teachers operating from church buildings. Both churches are relatively and young children in Zambia. I pray that through these ECD small but they do not have static furniture, which is ideal as we set centres our children will come to know and love the Lord. up play areas in the space. Children mostly come from low income Please pray for: the four ECD centres I am working with, that backgrounds and some parents fail to pay the small amount of they might implement the knowledge that they have gained fees we ask of them. through the workshops and practical days that I conduct; for the We try to keep expenses as low as possible by using locally ECD committee that is not working well, that there might be unity available materials (rubbish) as our play materials, although we between church members and community members so that were fortunate this year to have been given a gift of some ‘real’ things might progress; for my trips to and from Livingstone – for play materials from the Embassy of Ireland in Lusaka. safety on the roads of Zambia as travelling times are long; and During May, I was in Livingstone training the teachers as they please pray that our ECD centres will soon be registered with the prepared for the new term which began on 14th May. The teachers proper government bodies. were from two centres – one in Livingstone and one in Monze – Diane’s blog can be found at www.dianecusick.com they were very responsive and really wanted to learn. I enjoyed Mission Connect | Herald July/August 2018

Something new in Ballymena Eleanor Drysdale

Deaconess, Wellington Presbyterian Church, Ballymena

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ears ago, I went to a circus with a group of children from to be obedient, even when that meant that I maybe wasn’t the Capernwray. It was a beautiful summer’s day and the star most popular person in the world. attraction was the ‘plate spinner’. He was very enthusiastic The work with the parents and children with additional and but not very good at plate spinning, though he was probably a special needs has been incredible. But it’s Matthew’s picture that better plate spinner than me. reminds me of the joy of serving God and the privilege to be This year I took on three projects: to amalgamate our PW and allowed to come alongside people. Matthew underwent major Female Focus group, to develop heart surgery on 31st January our additional and special 2018 and the photograph was God has been doing a new thing in our church but taken just three days later. needs programme, and to help organise a 21-day prayer also in me. Teaching me to constantly rely on Him The days in between he was programme at Easter. I have no in pain and it was scary for his and to draw my strength from Him, to listen to parents, but then suddenly doubt that along the way there were a few cracked plates, but he turned the corner and this Him and then to be obedient… amazingly we have made it photograph was shared on a through, with lots of prayer and Whatsapp group for parents. people giving of their time and energy.

Matthew’s smile is infectious; he is a wee guy who is always Through it all one verse became very important to me – Isaiah smiling no matter how difficult things have been. I sat in the 43:19: “See I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up do you hospital with his mum Ruth, deep in conversation about where not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in God was in Matthew’s life and why he was having to go through wasteland.” It seemed that every book or devotional I read had so much, and just at that moment Matthew sat up, looked at the that verse, and on the week that we commenced our 24 hours two of us and just started to laugh. God has blessed me so much of prayer in the church, there it was again, a giant banner with it in meeting this wee guy, he keeps my faith firmly on the ground. written on it: “Behold I am doing something new”. The room had He challenges me to make church life better for him and other been created by Peter our youth worker, and the young people. children in our church and drives me to pray to the God who looks When I saw it I just wanted to cry. God has been doing a new thing at us and smiles. in our church but also in me. Teaching me to constantly rely on Him and to draw my strength from Him, to listen to Him and then Mission Connect | Herald July/August 2018

An open-door ministry John Coulter

Chaplain, Ulster University (Coleraine campus)

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niversity life has been changing dramatically over the past Staff and students experience loneliness, stress, low mood, few years. Tuition fees; commuter students who travel in relationship breakdown, frightening circumstances, addiction, and out for classes (often in their own cars); gender neutral mental health issues and a host of other concerns and it helps to toilets; university funding cutbacks; greater access for disabled talk. Of course, sometimes people just call in for a cup of tea and students; staff reductions; a bit of craic and that’s always the withdrawal of some very welcome too.

The open-door policy gives opportunity for time traditional courses; increased Spiritual issues continue numbers of students attending to occupy the thoughts of and space to think and talk and respond. university; a greater focus on students and staff. Our society student satisfaction; and a very may be rapidly moving away challenging post-university employment market, to mention but a from its Christian heritage, but people made in the image of God few of the changes! are still spiritual beings and have a deep longing to come to terms In keeping with the wider society, changes are radical and the with this aspect of their humanity. The open-door policy gives pace of change so fast-moving that students and staff are often opportunity for time and space to think and talk and respond. experiencing a heightened sense of disorientation and unease.

However, the ‘ad hoc’ nature of ministry in a drop-in facility can Part of my role as part-time Presbyterian chaplain on the Coleraine be frustrating at times, particularly in a society where organised campus of Ulster University is to bear witness to the Lord, the solid religion is viewed with suspicion and people are increasingly rock, who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus said that looking elsewhere for guidance and help. when we listen to Him and put His teaching into practice, we lay a One of the challenges of my work is to maintain the provision foundation for our lives which enables us to withstand the fiercest of this drop-in opportunity, alongside the need to be proactive storms of crisis and change raging against us (Matthew 7:24-25). in seeking contact and relationship with students and staff on The inter-denominational chaplaincy team provides a drop-in a regular and consistent basis. The courses I offer for students facility for students and staff in Room L101 (just to the left of the and staff and the ongoing mentoring ministry with Christian front doors of the Diamond). I am on call most Wednesdays during students (which I believe is one of the most useful things I do) are term time and at other times by personal arrangement. Students a vital part of my role as chaplain, but those seemingly random away from home for the first time or international students in a encounters with people who just drop in looking for help bring new and often confusing culture can struggle to ‘find their feet’. joy to my heart in the one who “is close to the broken-hearted and Others find that the personal freedom which seemed to promise saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). so much, is not all it’s cracked up to be and can deliver great heartache as well as great joy.

Mission Connect | Herald July/August 2018

Celebrating 175 years in Gortin Rev. Roger McElnea Gortin Presbyterian Church

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he congregation in Gortin have had a very special time community centre. during the past church year: we have been celebrating 175 The following Saturday we hosted a ‘Bygones Day’ utilising years of Presbyterian witness in the town. the inside and outdoor space to reflect on working practices This has been achieved in two ways. First of all, looking to the throughout the ages; many of which were in use in homes around future and, consequently, preparing the way for forthcoming the Gortin area at the time the congregation was formed. This was generations to follow our Lord. another opportunity to invite local people into our church. Such In the autumn, the celebrations got underway with a harvest was a busy and fruitful day as we interacted with our community, weekend mission. Each evening was very well attended; enabling us to talk about our form of worship and Lord in a many people returned to their home congregation for these positive way. celebrations, which included Whilst celebrating our 175 the dedication of new church anniversary has been a public Whilst celebrating our 175 anniversary… windows at the Sunday event in some cases, it has it has certainly proven to be a time for us to afternoon service – the church certainly proven to be a time was packed to capacity. for us to reflect on our past reflect on our past experience as a congregation. experience as a congregation.

Following on from this, the Christmas season brought us Gortin has never been a out into the community as we hosted a special cross-community large congregation, even by rural standards, but it has always Christmas concert featuring St. Eugene’s Brass and Reed Band maintained an evangelical influence. Our records show a number Omagh, in the community centre. This featured a wide variety of of our families leaving the area and migrating to other parts of musical entertainment, including carol singing, which was well the world and around Ireland; particularly Belfast in the latter part received by all in attendance. This was the first time we have tried of the 19th century, at a time when the Presbyterian Church was a venture of this nature outside of our own property, reaching a growing at its fastest rate. In more recent times this movement of wider audience, which has been an encouragement to us. people has mainly been by the younger generation as many have On the last Sunday in May we had a special celebration, following moved to Belfast and further afield for higher education and in in the tradition set by our first minister Rev. Matthew Logan. It search of employment. Nevertheless, growth is evident in recent was on the last Sunday of May 1843 that the present building times, as when our interaction with children grows through the hosted its first service which was celebrated with Communion. children’s Bible club each June when we have up to 40 children Hence, 175 years later, we had a similar service conducted by the involved in activities. This inspires us for the future and to be then Moderator of the General Assembly, Dr. Noble McNeely, creative in the ways in which we attempt to reach out to the leading us to the Lord’s table. At the conclusion of this service, community around us. the congregation came together for an anniversary meal in the Mission Connect | Herald July/August 2018

A place to call home

Rev. Andy Carroll

Donabate Presbyterian Church

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ow do you measure how well a church is doing? The We find ourselves increasingly committed to praying for our question people involved in church development space-to-meet situation. We love our home in the community ministries are asked most often is ‘How many?’ How many centre in Donabate. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. people on Sundays? How many new members? How many They do a lot of the weekly set-up for us, including putting out baptisms? How many children?

Bibles. We’ve tried everything to increase the space available to us When Jesus talks about growth He uses images that are hostile at the centre, including trialling meeting in the cavernous sports territory for those who must measure with numbers: mustard hall downstairs. We were able to solve most of our anticipated seeds flourishing into mature issues – the sound worked; we trees; seeds on soil whose could put out as many chairs We find ourselves increasingly committed to confirmation of maturity is as we wanted; even a few praying for our space-to-meet situation. only seen after years; branches carefully placed room dividers on trees dependent on a lifemade it feel relatively homely. giving vine. I’ve often said that people turning up on Sundays can’t The one unresolvable issue was the cold. We concluded that we be how we’re measuring the work of God’s Spirit in Donabate. would have a hard time welcoming new people if most of the If we offered free childcare, served anything-but-instant-coffee congregation had frostbite by the time the kids leave for Sunday and cakes and showed movies on our screen each week, I’m sure school. we’d fill the rooms we hire in the community centre every Sunday.

In the absence of being able to find more space in the Attendance isn’t everything. community centre and there being no other suitable space to rent We are, however, thankful to be close to the upper limit of that would meet our requirements, we’re now putting significant the number of chairs that will fit in our main meeting room as time and energy into pursuing a site on which to build our own we worship God and point one another to Jesus Christ. We’re building. We recognise the challenges and drawbacks of moving frustrated that we’re squeezed for space in our kids’ clubs each from neutral community space. We know the financial costs will week but glad of the problem. It’s hard to believe the teenagers’ be huge. We think there are good missional arguments for not group on Sunday meet in a corridor, or in a glass, unheated room owning a building and for owning one. Room to grow though so cold in winter it’s nicknamed the ‘ice box’. That’s got to be better has to be a priority of our mission. We pray that the process of than there being no teenagers there at all. No, counting heads pursuing a site and building in the coming years will be used by isn’t the way to measure the kingdom of God. But it is difficult to God to see His kingdom grow, not simply in numbers, but in a welcome new people if there’s no room for them or their children. harvest of disciples of Christ Mission Connect | Herald July/August 2018

JULY/AUGUST 2018

Please pray for... n BRAZIL – The work and witness of the Presbyterian Church in Brazil.

n PEACEHAVEN – Peacehaven Trust, Greystones, Co. Wicklow consists of three residential homes. Pray for Michael Williams, Director, and the staff team. Pray for the 16 residents who live in Lydia House, Blake House and Applewood Heights.

n HOME MISSION – The life and witness of the congregation of Kells which is vacant at present. Pray for Rev. David Nesbitt (temporary stated supply), the elders and members of the congregation.

n COMMUNITY OUTREACH – Josh McCance, community outreach worker serving in Donabate.

Pray for the Christian community that is building in Balbriggan.

Pray for spiritual growth in the lives of the people coming along and that God would draw more people into this group.

n OLDER PEOPLE SERVICES – Older People Services oversees the work of the Council for Social Witness’ Josh McCance residential services, nursing services and supported living. Give thanks for the residential, day and nursing care and for the supported housing CSW provides. n COMMUNITY OUTREACH – Sam Scott, community outreach worker serving in Eglinton. Pray for Eglinton’s Christians Against Poverty work. Ask that God would help them increase the amount of people they are able to reach with employment help, and with the gospel. n KENYA – Gary and Mary Reid as they work with the Maasai people, that God will open a door for His message. Pray too for their health and protection. n COMMUNITY OUTREACH – Rebecca Finlay who was recently appointed to engage in women’s ministry in West Kirk Presbyterian Church, Belfast. n IRISH MISSION – David Boyd, Irish mission worker serving in Dublin, attached to Adelaide Road congregation. Pray for the visitation work, international student ministry, Bible study, discipleship work, gospel community and preaching that he is involved in. n INDONESIA – The life and witness of the Evangelical Christian Church in Halmahera; for its leaders as they work for the unity of the Church, the training of new ministers, and for Christians to be able to build good relations with their Muslim neighbours. n CHAPLAINS – Susan Dawson in her chaplaincy work at various healthcare facilities in the Dublin area. Pray that she will bring hope and encouragement to those she visits. n HOME MISSION – Rev. David Reid, the elders and congregation of Douglas as they seek to serve the Lord in west Tyrone. n PAKISTAN – Staff and students at Gujranwala Theological Seminary and United Bible Training Centre. Pray especially for the resourcing and development of these institutions so important for the training of church leaders.

n HOME MISSION – The life and witness of the congregations of Irvinestown, Pettigo and Tempo which are vacant at present.

Remember Rev. Rodney Beacom, vacancy convener, the elders and members of the congregation. Pray for the BBC Radio Ulster service from Irvinestown on Sunday, 15th July. n MIDDLE EAST – Colin and Marjorie Dickson and staff as they prepare for the start of the new academic year at JETS. Pray for new students arriving and for students who are graduating. n COMMUNITY OUTREACH – Andrew Dawson, community outreach worker serving in Second Dromara Presbyterian Church, as he seeks to equip God’s people to live their lives for Jesus and share the gospel message with others in the community.

n HOME MISSION – The congregations of Aghada and Trinity, Cork as they await the installation of their new minister. n SPECIALIST SERVICE AGENCIES – Continued support for the work of the Bible Society in N. Ireland, the National Bible Society of Ireland, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Feba and SAT-7. n CHAPLAINS – Rev. Dave Gray, chaplain at Queen’s University Belfast and Derryvolgie Halls, as he prepares for the start of the new academic year. Pray for the successful completion of refurbishment work at Derryvolgie Halls by the end of August. n COMMUNITY OUTREACH – Sean Roys, community outreach worker serving in Limerick. Pray for Limerick congregation’s community projects, including the community art gallery, coffee dock, CB1 and for continued opportunities of reaching out to the local Limerick community. n HOME MISSION – Rev. Colin McKibben and the congregation of Alt as they continue to reach out to their local community. n SPAIN – Pray for Grupos Biblicos Unídos (GBU) – a Spanish Christian student organisation. Pray for their summer events, including the national camp and the training camp for GBU group leaders. n URBAN MISSION – The congregation of Westbourne in east Belfast, and for the minister, Rev. Mervyn Gibson. Pray for wisdom with regard to congregational evangelism and discipleship. n MALAWI – David and Pamela McCullagh as they serve with Scripture Union of Malawi.

Pray for David as he develops training for staff and volunteers.

n SCAMS – A number of older people have fallen victim to scams and the number of n RIVER HOUSE scams is rising. Pray for David and Pamela McCullagh – River House is a greater awareness a residential care of scams and for the home in Newcastle, protection of people from scams, including Co. Down. Give thanks for Acting Home nuisance calls, telephone and postal scams.

Manager, Stephanie Moore-Archer, and her staff team and pray for them as they continue n CHAPLAINS – Rev. Graham Stockdale to care for the residents. serving as lead chaplain with the Northern Ireland Prison Service, based at Maghaberry n IRISH MISSION – Tom Dowling, Irish Prison. mission worker serving in Kilkenny Presbyterian Church. Give thanks for all who n ROMANIA – Csaba and Ilona Veres who are attend Ossory Park Community Centre Bible on sabbatical this summer; pray for spiritual study. Pray that more people will join the refreshment and renewal.

Bible study and come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. n DEACONESS – Rosemary Spiers, serving in Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church, Newtownards, as she seeks to witness for the Lord in all she does and says, as each day brings new opportunities to share God’s love with others.

n DEACONESS – Phyllis Linton serving in West Church Presbyterian, Ballymena. Give thanks for new families at West and pray more will be drawn to come and join the church and grow in their faith.

www.presbyterianireland.org/prayer

Tearing the tartan Following the General Assembly vote to end the public link with the Church of Scotland, William Scholes spoke to its Moderator and Principal Clerk.

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he Presbyterian Church in Ireland does not wear its Scottish heritage lightly. The links to the ‘mother church’, the Church of Scotland, are long and deep, woven through decades of shared history, theology, kinship and tradition.

But the Kirks’ family tartan is not as tightly woven as it once was. It has become increasingly frayed around the edges, and this year’s General Assembly was charged with deciding whether the fabric should be repaired or rent asunder.

As the bells tolled for 6pm on Wednesday, 6th June, it became apparent that the Assembly – meeting in a building modelled on a Scottish baronial castle – had backed the separatist proposal, as Dr. Trevor Morrow had characterised it, by 255 votes to 171.

Readers of the Herald will well know that this means PCI will no longer invite the Church of Scotland to the General

Assembly. It will also continue to decline invitations for the Irish Moderator to attend the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly.

The breaking point was the Scottish Church’s liberal approach to same-sex relationships.

Deciding to break such a significant relationship presents a number of challenges, not least that of explaining

Families always have disagreements…There is always a sadness when someone says they aren’t coming… how it is consistent with the theme of ‘building relationships’ that the Moderator is carrying into his year in office, or the agreement that he should

meet Pope Francis when he visits Ireland in August.

Those sitting outside the General Assembly may also perceive a disconnect between the ending of the formal, public link with the Church of Scotland and the passing of a resolution allowing PCI to continue to collaborate with Scottish brethren on matters of “mutual benefit”.

It all sounds rather close to PCI wanting to have its oatcake from Scotland, but to eat it alone.

The Church of Scotland Moderator, Rt. Rev. Susan Brown, had said as much in her contribution to the debate when she observed it “feels a lot like wanting the private, but without the public, relationship”.

Once the result was declared, Dr. George Whyte, the Scottish Church’s Principal Clerk, told the General Assembly that he and Mrs. Brown felt they had “no choice but to leave”; and Herald July/August 2018

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Church of Scotland General Assembly. Photos by Andrew O’Brien.

with that, they immediately left the hall, with not a few tears. Breaking relationships is an emotional business.

The competing resolutions on ending or keeping the public relationship with the Kirk were presaged by the Doctrine Committee’s response to a Church of Scotland report setting out its theology of same-sex marriage.

This, the PCI committee said, was “theologically unconvincing” and based on “one slender and idiosyncratic account of sexual ethics”.

It was a question of the authority of Scripture. “The plea of the committee is that the Kirk would return to the clear teaching of Holy Scriptures and the great tradition of the reformed catholic churches,” it said.

When I met Dr. Whyte and Mrs. Brown the following day, before their return to Edinburgh, they were clearly unconvinced that their Church had, in fact, departed from Scripture.

“They feel it’s OK to say that instead of listening to the Bible we’re looking at ‘the neon lights of culture’,” explained Dr Whyte, in a reference to a speech made

by Rev. Lachlan Webster.

He had pointed to Luke 11 and Jesus’ warning, “See to it that the light within you is not darkness”; the “full counsel of Scripture is the true light, not the flashing neon lights of culture or some pick and mix of the two,” Mr. Webster said.

“The fundamentalist side of the church always has that claim that their views are unaffected by culture and context, which clearly can’t be right,” said Dr. Whyte.

I suggested that perhaps the Scottish Church’s views have been too heavily influenced by culture.

“We’re trying to answer today’s questions,” insisted Dr. Whyte. “How does the ancient biblical witness help us

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Herald July/August 2018

Maintaining the balance between how objective truth is articulated against how it is subjectively received… needs constant attention. to answer the issues of today? We have a more confident gay community, a wider acceptance of gay people, a normalisation of gay relationships – there are questions in there that we simply haven’t had to address before. And now we do, because these are our neighbours, these are our members.”

I had been surprised that the succour that PCI might offer Church of Scotland congregations who dissent from their denomination’s direction of travel through maintaining the link was not a more dominant theme in the debate.

Mrs. Brown argued that the Church of Scotland has “always been known for its breadth of opinion”.

“We think it’s really important to hold these tensions together, as correctives as much as anything else,” she said, referring to Dr. Charles McMullen’s observation that “you need a left wing and a right wing to fly”.

“We do offer a balance. We make room for both extremes.”

Dr. Whyte said the Church of Scotland had “talked together about ‘constrained difference’”: “There is a core of things that we believe, and you can in certain matters step out a wee bit without leaving common ground.”

They felt, however, there had been a ‘narrowing’ in the Irish Church. “That was certainly the tone of the debate, particularly from the younger speakers,” said Dr. Whyte.

“They search for purity and certainty.

We know from our experience that pure churches tend to be argumentative churches, and often tend to be small churches.

“Our Church history is such that in the rebuilding of a fractured Church in the 19th century and into the 20th, we specifically built in liberty of opinion – some elbow room, so that people can sit in different places and prioritise and express their Christianity differently.”

Mrs. Brown said she came away from the General Assembly with a concern that women ministers in PCI “fear being marginalised as women”.

They also saw the irony in PCI wanting its Moderator to meet Pope Francis but not another Presbyterian Moderator, yet still wanting to draw on the Church of Scotland’s assistance in matters such as GDPR, charity law and child protection.

“This is the scandal stuff, the stuff that lands you in trouble,” said Dr. Whyte.

“Or take Brexit. Both Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay in the EU. Where is the border going to be?

“There are issues we can be talking about. But we are just not understanding how visible the people from here [Ireland] can be in Edinburgh. We have said they’re welcome, that we are very happy to work with them on projects and other matters, and look forward to continuing with that.

“If they want to come back, they are welcome to come back. We can’t do any more. We’ve persisted in coming, we’ve taken the flak. They’ve decided to exclude us from the public relationship – they’re saying, ‘We can work in private but not in public’.”

This last point is a self-evidently troublesome one. Picking up on it, Mrs. Brown asked: “Where’s the integrity in that? If you are serious about wanting to

PCI’s statement following the debate slap us across the wrists about where we stand, then surely you cannot work with us.”

I have heard it said that the practice of not sending the PCI Moderator to Edinburgh was intended, at least in part, as a rebuke to the Church of Scotland for its theological direction of travel. How rebuked does it feel now?

“Families always have disagreements,” said Mrs. Brown. “There is always a sadness when someone says they aren’t coming. We don’t have a sense of rebuke, but a sense of loss.”

Dr. Whyte added: “We had 100 delegates and visitors from Britain and around the world at our Assembly. There were maybe half a dozen at the PCI Assembly.

Pursuing civility and generosity when questions of truth are at stake will not go unnoticed in the public square.

“We don’t feel rebuked in the way they think we feel rebuked because we have worked very hard at the choices we have made. We have come to a mind on certain things, and we are on a journey on others, wherever it leads us.

“We think we have done OK and we are not going to be shamed by them saying, ‘You have done wrong’.”

Mrs. Brown and Dr. Whyte point to the energy that the Church of Scotland has put into reaching its position.

“Have you not noticed the amount of work we have done on these things – prayer, study and everything else?” asked Mrs. Brown; “Thousands of people in our decision-making processes have worked our way painfully over the years to get to the point where we are,” said Dr. Whyte.

Some of the points made in the debate were “not fair”, said Mrs. Brown. “They were a misrepresentation of what we have done. To have all those years of work dismissed in one sentence…”

“It was more than that,” continued Dr Whyte. “They summed up our debates as us saying at our Assembly, ‘Scripture says

this, but we’ll go our own way’. But that’s just not what happened.”

Dr. Whyte and Mrs. Brown fall quiet.

The sense of hurt is palpable; breaking up is hard to do.

As they head for their flight, Dr. Whyte says that PCI will have to work out how to respond to same-sex questions and other difficult issues: “There is no avoiding them.”

A discussion on the final morning of the General Assembly around same-sex couples and the sacraments provided almost immediate confirmation of this.

How PCI deals with these sorts of questions will be central to how its proclamation of the gospel is received in a prevailing culture increasingly antithetical to the claims of Christ.

Maintaining the balance between how objective truth is articulated against how it is subjectively received in today’s Areopagus needs constant attention.

It is to the credit of PCI that the General Assembly’s deliberations are conducted in public, and so often flavoured by thoughtfulness, passion, humour and, above all, a love of God. I write, I hope, as a critical friend. And in that spirit it was also dispiriting that there was a distinct lack of grace and courtesy from some quarters towards the Scottish visitors. The growing impression that PCI has somehow gained a harsher edge must also be a cause for concern.

During the Church of Scotland debate, Rev. Nigel Craig talked persuasively of the need for “convicted civility”.

That seems wise; pursuing civility and generosity when questions of truth are at stake will not go unnoticed in the public square. Disagreeing agreeably is the better way.

Presbyterians are best placed to decide whether the decision to split from the Church of Scotland was agreeable or not. But they should not be surprised if, having just broken a centuries-old relationship, the world also scrutinises its commitment to building new relationships.

William Scholes is religious affairs correspondent of the Irish News. He is a fully communicant member of the Church of Ireland and worships at All Saints’ in Belfast. Some of his best friends are Presbyterians.

Members of Assembly took the significant decision to no longer accept invitations for the Moderator to attend the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly, and the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, and no longer invite the Scottish Moderator and URC Moderator to the Irish General Assembly.

In separate resolutions, the General Assembly agreed however that where there were areas in which the Presbyterian Church in Ireland could collaborate with the Church of Scotland or URC for mutual benefit, then such collaboration should continue or could be considered.

Speaking after the debate, the Clerk of the General Assembly and General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Rev. Trevor Gribben said, “For many on both sides of our debate this afternoon, this will be a sad day.

“It is also fair to say that the decision that has been taken not to receive the Scottish and URC Moderators, or to attend their respective General Assemblies, was indeed a significant moment given our historic relationship with the Church of Scotland in particular.

“It was also significant because it demonstrated that a majority of Assembly members felt that both denominations have drifted far from biblical truth in relation to marriage, and were in fact ignoring the authority of Scripture. Both are now moving towards a position where so called same-sex marriage can be performed in the context of their worship services. Our Church is very clear that marriage, as defined in God’s Word, is between one man and one woman and significantly it is God’s Word that is authoritative.

“The decision today was taken by a clear majority after a full and respectful debate, but it is also fair to say that a significant minority of ministers and elders felt that the formal issuing and receiving of invitations should continue, and no doubt they will be greatly disappointed by the decision taken by the General Assembly.

“While the General Assembly was divided on issue, the House also decided, almost unanimously, that where there were areas in which PCI could collaborate for mutual benefit – then such collaboration should continue or could be considered.”

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THOUGHTS FROM THE FLOOR

It’s possible to disagree agreeably Rev. John Faris

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rom where I live I can see the coastline of Scotland most ceremonial links. But I am thinking in terms of honesty. We days. Although most of my ministry was in the province have deep disagreements. Can we handle those without of Munster I can claim, with a Scottish mother, to be disparaging each other? truly Ulster Scots. I studied theology for three years in The other painful issue that has dominated reaction since Glasgow. It was indeed with a heavy heart that at the General the Assembly was the accepting of the Doctrine Committee’s Assembly I voted to sever ceremonial ties with the Church of guidelines on what is a ‘credible profession of faith’. Many Scotland. declare that we are not to judge and that Jesus welcomed A younger minister voted the other way but we both agreed everybody. Beyond the sensitive issue of same-sex relationships, that we could readily have changed our minds, appreciating there is an underlying issue of how we understand the work of points on both sides. I recall the Assembly in 1980 when we Christ. The old tag may be rather trite but it has a truth: ‘He took the final decision to withdraw from membership of the loves us as we are and loves us too much that we should remain World Council of Churches. My mind was not made up until as we are.’ late on when someone opposing withdrawal declared that so It is movingly summed up in Jesus’ words to the woman to do would be to “disparage” the faith of those involved in caught in adultery in John 8:11: “I do not condemn you. Go and WCC. I thought: it is one thing to disagree and quite another leave your life of sin.” No condemnation, but no condoning of to disparage. I voted, with a heavy heart, the way she had been living. We must not Relationships become for withdrawal and I suppose the same so emphasise the welcome of Christ that principle drives me still – that it is possible sight of His call to transformation. stronger when there is a weI lose and necessary to disagree agreeably. see a similar pattern in Romans 8:1, Relationships become stronger when there clear understanding of “No condemnation for those who are is a clear understanding of where we agree in Christ Jesus…set free by the law of where we agree and and disagree. the Spirit of life…” and v.13 “If you live Although I took part in a wide variety according to the flesh, you will die; but if disagree. of ecumenical ceremonies in my active by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds ministry, I became increasingly dissatisfied of the body, you will live”. There is so much at some ceremonies which were virtually only a ‘nod to God’ in the New Testament challenging the view that because I love and a photo opportunity and where expressions of disagreement Jesus I can live as I like. were discouraged as allegedly disparaging and divisive. On the Perhaps the Doctrine Committee should help Sessions other hand, opportunities to sit together in small groups, to talk explore, in cooperation with the Council for Congregational and pray, especially with Bibles open, were and are precious.

Life and Witness, how, in love and gentleness, we help each Our decision at this Assembly was painful, most of all to the other along the rocky road of discipleship and transformation.

Church of Scotland representatives who felt constrained to It’s more than a wordplay to say that disciples need discipline. leave, and for our own Moderator with his important theme of Of course, the idea that anyone else may tell me what to do or building relationships. The URC Moderator, however, although how to live is hugely counter-cultural but it is implicit in the pained and confused by what was happening, chose to remain. “one anothers” of the New Testament, teaching, encouraging It is my sincere hope that we explore with both denominations and correcting each other. And before the letters flood into the how we relate in the new situation. Can we send ‘observers’ Herald office, yes it is to be done in love and with humility and of some kind to each other’s gatherings? Should we not send gentleness and yes, I need this as much as anyone else. letters of greeting, expressing prayerful concern?

I read a social media comment that some ‘traditionalists’ within the Church of Scotland feel badly the lack of any such message. It is now too late to pass an amendment to express our concern, but we should make sure in future that we are reaching out to make and deepen contacts in this new situation. Some may call that hypocrisy in the light of our decision to cut the

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A painful outcome Dr. Trevor Morrow

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have been reflecting on why I found the decision on This is our problem: the organisations and leaders of churches Wednesday at the General Assembly to sever formal who are part of the reformed renaissance in the USA are relationships with the Church of Scotland (C of S) and the primarily baptistic and separatist in their ecclesiologies. Look United Reformed Church (URC) so painful. at a movement like the Gospel Coalition. It is led by and At the heart of my reaction was the belief that the community has an all-male board of ministers who express clearly these which ordained me into the ministry of the church catholic understandings of the church. Their material assumes and nearly 40 years ago and the PCI I experienced on Wednesday expects that you will only be part of a denomination in which afternoon is quite different in its understanding of the church. this teaching emphasis will be normative. Our ministers today As a young evangelical being nurtured in reformed theology in read the blogs and books of these men. the 60s, 70s and 80s, those to whom we looked for leadership It is also Baptists and separatists from the USA who are were men like John Stott and Jim Packer from Anglicanism; invited to address our presbytery and Assembly events. As a Eric Alexander and William Still, from the Church of Scotland; result, the separatist mindset for how we understand the church and Alan Flavelle and T.S. Mooney from the PCI. These were is increasingly the norm. The PCI has always had the view of our models. They were mostly minorities in largely liberal the reformers and the Westminster divines that the church is national churches but they had a vision for the church catholic the covenant people of God and to separate oneself from that and its reformation and renewal. church is a grievous sin. I felt I could not Eric Alexander said when he began his be part of that and I dissented and it hurt.

I am alarmed by the ministry in the C of S you could have My pain was also that I have always trajectory of the PCI. put all the evangelicals in the Kirk in a stood with those who sought to be faithful telephone kiosk. I came to discover that to Christ within the Kirk. The Covenant Where will this they had an ecclesiology which was firmly Fellowship represents over 1,000 ministers separatism take us? rooted in Scripture and the reformers’ and elders in the Church of Scotland. vision of national churches. It was this They are seeking to maintain a consistent ecclesiology which meant that within the PCI wherever one witness to the reformed faith in the Kirk. Rev. Prof. Andy found oneself on the theological spectrum, we worked together McGowan wrote to our Assembly on their behalf as chairman in the presbytery and in our congregations because we were and pleaded with us not to sever formal ties with their Church.

God’s people whom He loved and to separate from such would David Searle, formerly of Hamilton Road in Bangor and then be schismatic and sinful. director of Rutherford House, sent me this email when I told For this reason, the PCI has never been separatist. The Ernest him of our Church’s decision: “A sad day indeed! What are they Davey heresy trial was bruising but only a few left to form doing to us? When I joined the Aberdeen Presbytery in 1964 the Irish Evangelical Church after Davey was exonerated. The out of about 140 ministers in that presbytery, only two of us tensions over liberalism and ecumenism were testing times for were evangelical conservatives…Today, in the same presbytery, the Church in the 60s and 70s but in spite of the clamourings about 30% are conservative evangelicals…If the 60 men who of Ian Paisley and the Free Presbyterians for us to come out and have left the Kirk were still in the Kirk, undoubtedly the be separate, which we endured at every year’s General Assembly, partnership thing would have been defeated at presbytery level we rejected this stance because of our reformed catholic and shelved. Yet your guys see the dissenters as heroes; we see doctrine of the church. Wherever we stood in terms of our them not as dissenters but as deserters.” theological convictions over and against the primarily liberal C By our decision, we said that the few evangelicals who left of S, separation from them would have been unthinkable. the Kirk were right to do so and the vast majority who did not Well, what has changed? The reason, we were told, is that separate are wrong. How can that be right? these Churches are not subjecting themselves to biblical I am alarmed by the trajectory of the PCI. Where will this authority and are embracing moral error in terms of the issues separatism take us? I described the decision as a defining surrounding human sexuality. How come this new approach? It moment for the PCI. How can we enable our ministers to would seem that young men and women, who want to be rediscover the vision of the reformers for a reformed catholic reformed in their thinking, find their guides across the Atlantic. ecclesiology and deliver us from this separatist mindset?

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moving closer to people Rick Hill highlights a new PCI resource to help congregations engage in effective discipleship.

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hat would you do first if you had just been raised from the dead?

It’s a strange way to begin a sentence, but if I was walking, talking, living and breathing following a horrific execution at the hands of my local authorities, my immediate response might be to announce a press conference, schedule a stadium tour and release an autobiographical account. Such dramatic events would demand a vast audience.

This Easter, as I read the resurrection story once again, I saw something with fresh eyes. It seems obvious, yet I had never seen it before. As the gospel of Luke records it, the immediate response of Jesus after His resurrection was not to fill a colosseum in the city but walk out of town on a dusty road. He chose not to impress people with His story but listen to the doubts of His disciples. His intention was not to preach to the masses but to open the Scriptures with two.

This shouldn’t be surprising however, as it seems to be the consistent direction of travel by Jesus throughout His ministry.

Regularly in the gospels we see Jesus escaping the crowds to prioritise time with His community. He was intentional about not responding to all the demands

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of the many, in favour of investing His life in a few.

So often, our lives flow in the opposite direction. We feel the pressure to build it bigger, draw a crowd and impress the many. We desire to reach the crowds but often only really benefit a few, yet Jesus invested in a few in order to benefit the many.

Jesus understood the need for proximity. The whole story of the gospel is that Jesus refused to remain at a distance, instead choosing to come close.

He came near to His creation, walked among His people and lived in close step with His Father. He prioritised intimacy with the Father and proximity to people.

What might result if our priorities were the same?

Back on the Emmaus road, we find two disciples who had been crippled with doubt excitedly proclaim that their

Jesus understood the need for proximity…He prioritised intimacy with the Father and proximity to people.

hearts were “burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us” (Luke 24:32). What could it look like if we each prioritised walking alongside fellow disciples and reading the Bible with a few? This September, a new set of resources will be launched designed for this very purpose.

At last year’s ‘Everyday Disciples’ Special Assembly, we heard about the model of ‘life-on-life missional discipleship’ from Randy Pope and Perimeter Church. Many were inspired by the idea of going deeper in both relationship and intentionality with a few individuals, aiming that many small discipleship groups could be sparked and multiplied as a result. We left the conference with the words ‘think big, start small, go deep’ ringing in our ears.

To help stimulate the principles and practices of this model of life-on-life discipleship, a new resource called ‘Proximity’ has been developed to be used within congregations, specifically for intentional and relational disciplemaking. The aim is to provide helpful material to those who want to walk with others on a journey of discipleship.

Proximity is a series of small booklets providing relevant and challenging

The Proximity resources are about mobilising the many and not just the few when it comes to the task of making disciples.

content for the context of relational discipleship. This resource is designed as coffee conversations ideal for either one-to-one or smaller discipleship groups and will provide biblical content and practical questions on a wide range of key discipleship themes. The four series of Proximity will explore the ‘Seasons of life’, ‘Story of God’, ‘Rhythms of devotion’ and ‘Places of mission’. Each series of Proximity will include six to eight sessions that each dig into Bible study, personal reflection and practical conversation. The first of the series, ‘Seasons of life’, will be available from

September, however, they can be used in any order and in a flexible time frame.

This series focuses on how followers of Jesus face the different circumstances of life such as suffering, change, disappointment and grief.

The Proximity resources are about mobilising the many and not just the few when it comes to the task of making disciples. This is not about a resource or a programme, but about the outworking of the Great Commission. This is about putting simple tools into the hands of ordinary believers to resource relational discipleship in a wide variety of contexts.

Whether it’s investing in a few younger Christians, meeting one-on-one with a wiser Christian for meaningful conversation or developing deeper accountability among Christian friends, Proximity aims to spark and resource a culture of relational and intentional disciple-making across the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

Proximity will be available from September 2018 and will be launched in several different locations across the denomination. These launch nights will happen in the locations where the ‘Disciple Makers Network’ has taken place, aiming to follow up this training by putting a specific and practical resource into people’s hands.

The dates are below: • Tuesday, 18th September, Assembly Buildings, Belfast

• Thursday, 20th September, Ballygawley Presbyterian

S EA S O N S O F LIF E

B IB L ICAL R E FL E CTIO N S AN D C H AL L E N GIN G CO N TE N T DE SIGN E D TO R E S O U R C E R E L ATIO N AL DIS C IP L E - MAKIN G.

• Monday, 24th September, First Ballymoney Presbyterian

• Thursday, 27th September, Ballydown Presbyterian

(A Dublin launch event will also be arranged and confirmed soon).

The purpose of each launch night is to share the vision of Proximity, make the resource available and share some helpful ways of using it. The events will be open to all, however, registration would be helpful and can be done via www.presbyterianireland.org/proximity or through the CLW office.

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True marks of mission At this year’s General Assembly, the Council for Global Mission highlighted that we need to start considering our response to creation care more carefully. Matt Williams and Jonny Hanson outline why our response is so inextricably linked to the mission of our Church.

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t is a truism that a church whose worship is truly Christian is marked by its life beyond Sunday services.

Such activity which extends beyond the walls of the sanctuary is made up of four main areas: evangelism or ‘proclamation’; discipleship; serving others; and generally acting fairly in dealings in the world. These things, which some refer to as the ‘marks of mission’, involve every area of life; we are ‘living sacrifices’ after all (Romans 12:2).

But what about the way we treat creation itself ? How does that figure into these four areas?

Proclamation Before we even open our mouths, creation is involved in proclamation: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork” (Psalm 19). The purpose of all God’s creation – including us – is praise (Psalm 150). Refusal to cherish a world which was created for such a high calling is thus inconsistent with our evangelism, which is also geared towards God’s praise.

What is more, we praise a God who left the splendour of heaven to become an incarnate part of the world He had

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made, not to mention the fact that we are dependent on nature for all the ‘spiritual’ activity that we undertake!

Part of what it means for humanity to be fallen is that we don’t see what should be obvious. In fact, God reveals Himself in creation, in “eternal power and divine nature”, but because we have turned from truth we don’t see it (Romans 1:19-20).

Part of maturity in Christ is to develop the ability to see how the ‘natural’ world reveals the supernatural, complementing the supreme witness of Scripture.

Wrecking this same world is a sure sign that we don’t see it as God intended.

Outsiders often see contradictions more quickly than insiders, and this is even the case with the church. Preaching about a Lord through whom all things were made, and who made the supreme

Christian care for creation is not about kowtowing to a popular liberal trend; it’s about taking the Bible seriously.

sacrifice to reconcile all things to Himself (Colossians 1:15-20) contradicts a careless, even reckless, attitude towards the environment. ‘Millennials’ are especially likely to notice this because of the heightened consciousness of the world’s social and ecological interconnection that today’s media brings. But Christian care for creation is not about kowtowing to a popular liberal trend; it’s about taking the Bible seriously.

Guy McPherson famously quipped, “If you think the economy matters more than the environment, try holding your breath while counting your money.”

Likewise, if you think the environment doesn’t matter to our faith, try preaching (or hearing) a sermon while holding your breath. Even this most basic of Christian activities is impossible without the environmental conditions for air, a reasonable temperature, and food and water (Matthew 6:32).

The final dimension of the creationproclamation link draws these threads together. The God who made matter became matter and showed why it matters. The incarnation was completely necessary for God to do that saving work which also reveals His nature most

profoundly. Jesus’ incarnation, death and resurrection brings salvation, which includes the challenge to live as he lived in down-to-earth (literally!) humility (Philippians 2:5-11).

Discipleship Although all Christians must be prepared to give testimony, ‘proclamation’ is not everyone’s main calling (Ephesians 4:11-14). All, however, are called to discipleship, thus making disciples is central to mission (Matthew 28:1620). Discipleship involves obeying all that Jesus taught, starting with genuine knowledge of God. This knowledge of God shapes all that we do, as the Bible everywhere emphasises. But where is Jesus’ teaching on environmental care?

It’s not explicit, partly because the pre-industrial 1st century population of around 300 million lived well within the capacity of global resources. However, there’s still plenty under the surface of the gospels relating to creation.

The first thing is loving our neighbours as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). Given that we have seven billion neighbours (and counting) on one small planet, it’s clear that we can’t accomplish this mandate without caring for the creation that sustains us all. We see this increasingly with climate change, where the West’s historic and current overuse of fossil fuels is recognised by all major scientific bodies to at least exacerbate weather patterns that hurt the planet’s vulnerable communities the most. To truly love our neighbours as ourselves, we have to use resources fairly.

Another key aspect of Jesus’ teaching and example is that disciples must live

by God’s Word. Put simply, we must not do something because it is immediately accessible or feels good, but because we know it is right. This is especially relevant to Western Christians; we know that we should care for creation, and we know that people suffer when we abuse it. Yet it feels more convenient to have all the comfort of easy food, easy travel, and the technology that makes our desires accessible. But isn’t this life by the flesh rather than the Spirit (Romans 8:1-6)?

The fourth dimension of discipleship that relates to creation is wonder.

Jesus used the lilies of the field and the sparrows of the sky as illustrations

because of their splendour and their way of showing God’s sovereign provision (Matthew 6:26; Luke 12:2728). Whether we wonder at the stars in the heavens above or at the flowers beneath our feet, creation’s mere existence reminds us of a God who cares for all that He has made. Enjoying God is a core Presbyterian principle – remember the Westminster Shorter Catechism!

Service Frequently it can seem like it is the church service, or the endless series of meetings, that define our faith.

Congregating together is of course

…if you think the environment doesn’t matter to our faith, try preaching (or hearing) a sermon while holding your breath. essential for Christian fellowship, but the Son of God personified and practiced another type of service in response to need. Human needs are complex and varied but can be broadly categorised as tangible needs, such as oxygen, water, food and shelter; and intangible needs, such as love, beauty and purpose. Not salvation? Yes, and salvation is precisely our reconciliation to the God who alone provides these needs as we worship Him. Now and for eternity, humans are bound to a real place, a physical part of God’s creation, or new creation. Therefore, every activity is, by default, an environmental activity and most human needs have a clearly environmental dimension to them anyway. Taking this lead, our service can take many forms, be it synthesising new medicines from rainforest plants; restoring wetlands to reduce urban flooding or simply doing what we can on our own patch of ground, whether we own it or not.

We have already mentioned that the Son of God calls us to serve; that call alone should set us on our way. But Jesus’ prayer in John 17:8 gives us a deeper understanding: “Just as you sent me into the world, I also send them into the

world”. This sending is at the heart of the cosmic mission of God, bringing new life to the whole of creation through the forgiveness of sins. We cannot replicate the cross (it’s a finished work) but when we receive the cross, it bears fruit as we enter into this mission in the Spirit of Christ, to love as He loved (1 John 3:1617).

We dare not claim to be obedient whilst remaining aloof from the physical responsibilities that come with a planet of seven billion neighbours and millions of other species. Can we really keep using resources, especially non-biodegradable ones, at the rate we are doing? Recycling is great, but if we think our blue bins give us license to use up as much as we want with a good conscience, we are kidding ourselves. Faithfulness in this area is one small but significant way to enact loving service in the manner of the Servant King.

Justice Proclamation, discipleship and service describe our activity, but justice is what God is establishing.

Christians are called to be kingdom people now and not only in the future, though it is only at the very end that justice is fully established (Revelation 21:1-4). This means living under God’s reign, under the king ( Jesus), and thus under justice. Creation is an area in which we in the West have most neglected this call as we labour under the spell of ‘progress’. We see what we want – more household convenience, faster communications, cheaper food – and to get it, we manipulate nature and its resources however we can. Never mind the price being paid by people we can’t see.

It is this inequality in how the marvellous bounty of planet earth is shared out that is at the heart of how creation and justice relate to each other.

Wealthier individuals, communities and nations have benefitted most from fossil fuel use over the last 150 years, and now consider themselves righteous for cutting down or, in one case, for refusing to. Poorer, less developed countries can hardly hope to progress as the richer ones have. Malawi’s situation is a case in point; an impressive 98% of its power supply is hydroelectricity, but it cannot yet support Herald July/August 2018

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the whole population and depends on river levels.

With food and farming we see another way creation and justice are connected.

Approximately one third of the food produced every year around the world is wasted, while nearly a billion people suffer chronic malnourishment and over half a billion people struggle with obesity.

How food is shared fairly, though, is less a matter of production – we produce more than enough food every year to feed everyone on the planet – and more a matter of distribution. Food sovereignty, which all farmers understand instinctively, means that food supply chains focused on and controlled by communities, rather than markets or states, is key to this goal. Many in PCI

are already involved in such projects, especially in Africa.

Peace and reconciliation is the third component of the nature-justice nexus.

Many wars have been, are being, and will be fought over the control of natural resources. It is therefore very appropriate that creation contributes to reconciliation, here and around the world.

…if we think our blue bins give us license to use up as much as we want with a good conscience, we are kidding ourselves.

Doing justice starts with recognising God’s justice. When we do that, we should immediately see that we fall far short. But on a pair of wooden beams outside a Middle Eastern city, God atoned for our injustice in Jesus Christ.

In rising He was crowned the just king who is even now building His kingdom.

Creation is where we live this out, which makes sharing resources, sharing food, and acting for peace all part of the highest possible calling.

Dr. Jonny Hanson and Matt Williams are directors of a Christian creation care organisation based in Larne (jubilee.coop), which Jonny manages. Matt is currently writing his PhD at Durham University.

Climate change up close Pip McCracken speaks to Rev. Alfred Mugendi from Kenya, one of the overseas delegates at the General Assembly, to understand the impact climate change has had on his country.

I am quite happily enjoying the cooler air after a warm week, but Rev. Alfred Mugendi Kanga informs me that with today’s drop in temperature to 17 degrees, he is freezing. When he tells me that a national alert is issued when the temperature in Kenya dips below 15 degrees, I realise that when it comes to the climate, our experiences are very different.

Mr. Kanga is the Deputy Secretary General of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) and, over the last 10 years, he has seen Kenya’s climate changing. Previously, the rains would arrive like clockwork twice a year and would be enough to keep the crops alive, but not too much to cause destruction. Now, it’s a different story.

In recent years, weather patterns have become unpredictable and, while the irregularity was initially manageable, it has become harder to cope with. The rains used to be sufficient and timely, but now it seems that it either never rains, or it pours. “This year, when the rain was supposed to come, it didn’t,” explains Mr. Kanga, going on to say that following that period of drought, sudden heavy rains in April and May caused flooding throughout Kenya. On 19th May in Solai, 120 miles north-west of Nairobi, the deluge caused a dam to burst, releasing torrents of water that swept away buildings and killed at least 45 people, leaving another 500 displaced. The PCEA Solai Church was completely destroyed and four of its members died.

The current Moderator of PCEA, Rt. Rev. Julius G. Mwamba, visited Solai the day after the dam burst to pray with and for the victims and to distribute much-needed funds. Each

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parish donated money that was used for food, clothing and household essentials, but that was only the beginning of the support that is still needed. With so many displaced, houses need to be rebuilt, as does the church, businesses need to be restarted, crops need to be replaced and counselling is needed for the traumatised.

The devastation in Solai was severe, but it was not the only place affected. Short, heavy rains caused flooding that overwhelmed many lowland areas. “The problem is, we are abusing nature,” Mr. Kanga says, as he tells me of the problem of deforestation in Kenya.

For many years, trees were cut down and not replaced, so every year, floods would come to the lowlands and every year, inhabitants of the lowlands would be temporarily displaced, moving from their homes to take shelter in churches and other buildings, before returning to their homes when the rains stopped, unsure how much damage would have been done. Now, the government has taken notice, creating a policy that means for every tree that is cut down, another must be planted. It’s a step in the right direction.

Kenyans have seen first-hand the devastating impact of climate change and are doing their part to counteract it.

Our experience of climate change may be vastly different from theirs, but we can’t ignore it; it’s our turn to do our part.

Pip McCracken is PCI Mission Support Officer.

A thought-provoking week Nadine Knight

This year, for the first time, congregations were encouraged to send an extra ‘under-30 representative’ to the General Assembly. One such representative, Nadine Knight, from Moneydig congregation describes her experience.

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hen I was first approached by my elders in on Friday morning and drew in a large crowd, as well as the Moneydig to attend this year’s General Assembly TV cameras. Same-sex marriage has dominated the political I was intrigued to find out what it would be like headlines in Northern Ireland for quite some time, as we are to witness the governing body of our Church the only part of the UK and Ireland which has not adopted at work. I expected to spend my time listening to reports and legislation to allow for individuals in same-sex relationships to resolutions about the day-to-day running of the Church. I marry and it was unsurprising that this debate would be of public didn’t quite anticipate that it would make me question what I interest. believe, what it means to be a Presbyterian or the role of the The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has categorically Church in modern day society – but it most certainly did! rejected the legal redefinition of marriage made by the rest On Thursday afternoon, we heard the report from of the UK and Ireland and I fully anticipated that on Friday the Council for Global Mission. Members of the global church, morning the General Assembly would pass the report and including those from South Sudan, Kenya reject the amendment. However, I was and the Middle East, spoke about the surprised and encouraged by the number I realised that I’m guilty of individuals who spoke out in support everyday challenges they face and the importance of PCI’s commitment to of the amendment, echoing my own belief of thinking about my global mission. As I listened to reports of that Appendix 2 of the report may act Church as an island at widespread discrimination, violence and as a barrier to faith, create divisions and fear, as well as the practical challenges send out a message of intolerance rather sea… facing growing congregations in countries than love. During the debate, I felt utterly where Christianity is not the local religion, I compelled to address the Assembly in realised that I’m guilty of thinking about my Church as an island support of the amendment. I wanted those with voting rights at sea and being unintentionally focused on our own successes to reconsider passing the report as I don’t want the Presbyterian and challenges. This report really made me to think about Church to close a door on anyone, draw lines in the sand or what we can do for our brothers and sisters throughout the world create an ‘us and them environment’, which ultimately, in my and how we can support the global church. opinion, I believe this report has the potential to do. After The report from the Council for Social Witness highlighted a balanced debate the Assembly voted and the report was the very practical ways in which the Church contributes to our passed with the amendment being defeated. society. They provide a wide range of services for the elderly, I hadn’t intended to address the Assembly, nor did I have a adults with learning and physical disabilities, individuals speech prepared but after quiet contemplation and prayer, I felt recovering from substance abuse and ex-offenders, by providing sure that it was the right thing to do. Before I got up to speak I supported accommodation, residential and nursing care. The felt oddly calm and at peace but I must admit that by the time report included the opening of their newest residential care I was finished I was weak at the knees! It was quite a daunting home, Trinity House in Garvagh. This was of particular interest experience as public speaking is not something I often do. I to me as Trinity House provides an invaluable service to my didn’t want to be disrespectful to the Doctrine Committee but I local community. The work carried out by the Council for Social did want to convey why I supported the amendment and I was Witness is incredibly important as it cares for and supports some truly humbled by the number of people who approached me of the most vulnerable people in our society and is the practical afterwards to thank me for contributing to the debate. Whilst I embodiment of Jesus’ command for us to love one another. recognise that all decisions were democratic, I remain concerned Rev. Cheryl Meban proposed, and John Hunter seconded, an about some that were made. The direction of our Church will amendment to the Doctrine Committee report. This amendment remain at the forefront of my prayers. would see the report passed by the Assembly with the exception My experience of General Assembly has been both positive and of Appendix 2 which stated that “same-sex couples are not rewarding. Jesus tells us in in Matthew 18:20: “For where two or eligible for communicant membership nor are they qualified to three gather in my name, there am I with them” and I felt that receive baptism for their children”. This amendment was debated Jesus was very much at the heart of General Assembly.

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The good news

of God’s wrath

Andrew Conway looks at how God’s anger holds a positive and encouraging message for believers.

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ow could God’s wrath ever be good news? Some believe the good news is that there is no wrath in God whatsoever. Even among those who recognise that God’s wrath is taught in Scripture, it’s probably not commonplace to think of it as good news. I humbly suggest that God’s wrath is good news.

Having made what might appear to be a bold statement, let me first demonstrate that this is the teaching of Scripture. It’s a common mistake to imagine that wrath

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is exclusively an Old Testament idea. This is simply not so. In fact, the word ‘wrath’ appears more frequently in the book of Romans than it does in all five books of Moses (Genesis to Deuteronomy) put together.

His anger…is never an out of control temper…It is a fitting response to the reality of evil.

Lurking behind this mistake is the even more dangerous view that there is a great discrepancy between the character of God as revealed in the Old Testament compared to His character revealed in the New. You can certainly arrive at such a view if you have a relatively sparing understanding of the Bible, but Christian people who take time to search the Scriptures of Old and New Testaments can readily see that the same character of the same God is revealed in both.

Without doubt His character is seen

more clearly in the New Testament than the Old, but it’s the same character nevertheless. Jonathan Edwards helpfully compares the Old and New Testaments to moonlight and sunlight. The light of the moon may be less clear but it too is, of course, light from the sun.

One of the most striking statements about God’s wrath in the New Testament is so subtle we could easily miss it, yet so striking that it greatly informs our understanding of the whole subject.

It’s found in Revelation 11:18. A few verses earlier loud voices in heaven have announced: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign for ever and ever” (v.15). In response to this announcement, “the 24 elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped” (v.16).

Verses 17 and 18 then record the content of this worship, some of which is of no surprise whatsoever. For example, they praise God because He is “almighty”; He’s “the one who is and who was”; He has “great power” and He’s in the business of “rewarding His servants”.

In the same prayer of praise, the heavenly elders include within their worship the simple but staggering statement: “Your wrath has come” (v.18).

Would we have been so quick to guess that wrath would be among their reasons for praise? Yet there it is, in black and white.

I dare suggest that this text proves, not only that the wrath of God is taught in the New Testament as well as the Old, but also that such wrath ought ultimately to be seen as good news. It may well be truly terrifying news, but it’s something for which God deserves praise. It’s not a fault in His character, nor some kind of blemish in His constitution. It’s truth for which He is worthy of worship.

The glimpse into heaven that the closing portion of Revelation 11 affords may perplex and amaze us, yet surely it must be the case that the 24 elders had a nearer sight of the Lord than we have yet had. They saw His wrath as reason for praise; therefore, it must ultimately be good news.

Perhaps you’re now convinced that God’s wrath is both affirmed in Scripture and spoken of positively. Yet you might very naturally be asking the question, “How can God’s wrath possibly be good

news?” In part, our struggle with this question flows from some confusion as to what wrath is. We probably don’t use the word very much, and if we do ever come across it, the images that come to mind are likely along the lines of explosive temper, cruel rage and bitter and vindictive retaliation. When wrath is expressed by human beings, these evils are all too often its outworking.

The wrath of God is a different matter altogether. Yes, it does concern His anger and His punishment. His anger, though, is never an out of control temper or anything of the kind. It is a fitting response to the reality of evil. A God who could look on all the wickedness that

Our God is not blasé in His attitude to sin, yet in unsearchable grace He has acted in Christ to save sinners. pervades His creation and merely shrug His shoulders would not be good. The true and good God is rightly angry at sin.

It’s good news that God cares enough about His world to be angry at sin.

Of course, this leads us on to the wonder of wonders: God rightly hates sin and will see that it is punished, yet overflows with love for sinners and has acted to rescue all who repent and believe the gospel. When as Christian people we see that God is right to be angry because He is good and that we too were fitting objects of His anger, we can surely see that the cross is the most marvellous truth in all the world. “On that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” Hallelujah!

Why does this matter? Without a proper understanding of God’s wrath, we lack a proper sense of His good character and our understanding of the gospel is far short of what it ought to be. Of course, we’re also capable of going to the opposite extreme and thinking of God’s wrath in such a way that we neglect His mercy and grace. This too would obviously lead to great difficulty in the Christian life. Allow me, though, to wrap things up with a couple of suggestions as to how a renewed appreciation of God’s wrath might aid our daily walk with Jesus.

1. Motivation to godly living Realising that God hates sin and is rightly angry at it because He is good can help us appreciate the call to godliness and purity. Sin may be appealing and even enjoyable for a season, but it’s ultimately wicked and self-destructive.

God hates it because He is good. We don’t just need saved from sin’s negative consequences; we need saved from sin itself. Seeing this truth clearly can help motivate us to live for the Lord in all things, by the power of His Spirit.

2. Wrath should have a place in teaching and witness Of course, it shouldn’t be the only gospel truth we seek to pass on to others, but if we’re to be true to Scripture the reality of God’s wrath deserves some place in our teaching and witness. We’re all well aware of the stereotypical hellfire and brimstone preacher who gives the impression that God takes perverse pleasure in damning people and doesn’t really desire to save people. Many of us have let the pendulum swing too far the other way and have forgotten to pass on the glorious truth that our good God hates sin because He is good.

3. Are we ever fittingly angry?

As Jesus changes us into His likeness we of course learn (all too slowly, in my case at least!) to be less and less angry when we have no right to be angry. That is doubtless a vital part of our growth in grace. Yet I wonder if there are other ways in which we ought to be getting angrier. The terrible truth is that we can hear of how our family in the Lord are persecuted in other parts of the world and be coldly indifferent. If we were more like the Lord perhaps a certain anger would arise in us when hearing such news. Needless to say, we would need to seek His help to express such anger fittingly.

4. Praise the Lord Our God is not blasé in His attitude to sin, yet in unsearchable grace He has acted in Christ to save sinners. Praise His great and holy name!

Rev. Andrew Conway is minister of Clonduff and Hilltown.

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REVIEWS

LI – Louise Irwin is part of the worship team at Kirkpatrick Memorial GT – Graeme Thompson is PCI’s Youth Development Officer CK – Chris Kavanagh is the Director of the Dohnavur Fellowship Corporation

Essential Songs For Kids: Every Move I Make ESSENTIAL CHRISTIAN £7.93

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I love kids’ worship music. I love seeing children engage in the worship of God with their whole selves, through movement and song. Of course, this is only true as long as we keep offering up music that will catch their imaginations, along with words that they will understand and that are full of the truth.

I get a bit frustrated when I hear the same kids’ songs being sung over and over again, as if there is a very limited choice. There is so much on offer for churches to choose from that there is simply no excuse for singing the same thing on repeat. That’s where an album like this is so useful.

Essential label has pulled together its ‘essential’ album of songs for children and it hits the mark fairly well. There are a few well-known, often-sung ones in there, like Creator God and Every Move I Make and there are also less familiar ones like Doug Horley’s Flabbergasted and a new version of What a Friend We Have in Jesus by Pete James. There are the very upbeat, dance songs and the low-key thoughtful songs and everything in between.

A great kids’ song is one that the whole congregation will enjoy singing and there are plenty of those on here. It’s a great one for Sunday schools, holiday clubs or simply for a family who wants to listen to some music together. Now just to figure out how to get the whole congregation to join in the actions...

LI

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Growing Young Kara Powell, Jake Mulder and Brad Griffin BAKER BOOKS

£12.25 (Amazon)

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What would your congregation be prepared to do if it guaranteed effectively engaging 15-29 year olds?

You may immediately be suspicious of the question, making a list of what you would not be prepared to do (compromise the gospel, invest in gimmicks, snub older generations etc.). But you must admit the question is intriguing, because at a time when the church is finding it harder to reach everyone, this age group provides the greatest challenge.

Growing Young is based on detailed research into hundreds of churches, of different sizes and locations, who are growing (spiritually and missionally, if not also numerically) and have a fruitful track record of engaging young people.

The book encourages us to prune unfruitful branches in our ‘congregational tree’, and focus on six strategies, proven to bear fruit in this key age group. Do not be put off that this was USA research, as much of what you read here will resonate in an Irish context.

This contains no silver bullets but could be a significant tool in helping reprioritise your strategy to effectively engage teenagers and young adults with the gospel. It is available as Kindle and audiobook versions. There is also a large range of supplementary resources available at: http:// fulleryouthinstitute.org/ growingyoung and http://churchesgrowingyoung.com GT

Triumphant Love J. (Hans) Kommers Free download

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A completely new biography of Amy Carmichael has been written

by Dr. Hans Kommers. I read this book enthralled by the detailed and exhaustive research that had gone into the writing. Dr. Kommers has used so many sources outside of Amy’s own writing that he gives a very rounded picture of her.

For those who, like myself, never met Amy, but have been inspired by her life and writings, there are new insights. There is the tremendous challenge of her spirituality and her high standards of Christian living.

Her children, who now have the charge of the work Amy began, are so happy to have this new source of information.

Sura Carunia, who came to Amy in 1940, said, “As one who had never met her, Dr. Kommers writes with an amazing depth of understanding of the personality, character and spirituality of ‘Amma’.” She held nothing back from her Lord and Saviour, desiring always to follow Him and to live “the crucified life” with, as she put it, “my spirit tender of the glory of God”.

He brings her to life in a way that will touch the hearts of all of us, highlighting the very loving, special person she was. We would hope that all who read this book would be challenged and motivated to live for the glory of God with a renewed commitment.

Triumphant Love is available to download for free as a pdf file, or to purchase as a print on demand book from the AOSIS website: https://books.aosis.co.za/index.php/ob/ catalog/book/36 CK

REFLECTIONS

Inspirations Arthur Clarke Study in Philippians 3:10-17

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n 14th April 1865, President and Mrs. Lincoln, Paul’s way of life, but he had absorbed his teaching, made it his against the advice of their security people, attended own and lived by it. Timothy, like his master, was not a dabbler the theatre. About 10 o’clock, John Wilkes Booth, in an unfelt truth, but grasped, defended and proclaimed, with a fanatical southerner, somehow got into the a flaming heart, the gospel essentials. Leadership is born out of President’s box and shot Abraham Lincoln at close range. The understanding the needs of those who will be affected by it and President never regained consciousness. the leader, knowing what is required, sets about achieving such When the body of the late President was being prepared goals. for burial the following items were found in his pockets: a Jeremiah, typical of all God’s spokespersons, confessed: handkerchief with ‘A. Lincoln’ embroidered on it, a penknife, a “When your words came I ate them; they were my joy and my purse in which he had a five-dollar bill in Confederate money, heart’s delight” (15:16). With similar delight Saint Paul asserted a spectacle case held together with string the authority and durability of Scripture and a newspaper cutting in which John in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The nature of Bright is quoted claiming: ‘Lincoln is the …the role of a leader is Scripture is that it is inspired by God. The greatest man of our time’. to inspire, encourage and apostle states no explanation of how such Why did Lincoln carry this cutting in inspiration took place but makes clear in strengthen the flock… which John Bright was quoted? We don’t other passages the process did not destroy know, but could I hazard a supposition? but who encourages the the individuality or active cooperation Did he often look at that paper cutting and of the human writers. The purpose of encourager and who find in the words of an English scholar a Scripture is to make clear the way of source of inspiration and encouragement to salvation. Timothy’s experience is a good pastors the pastor? hold fast to his ideals? paradigm of this revelation. Taught the Certainly Lincoln was a lonely man, both Scriptures from his youth by this mother in temperament and high office, and to know that someone and grandmother, trained in its understanding by the apostle with mature insight believed in him did the President a power and transformed by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Timothy of good. That the mature apostle trusted him to hold fast to was thoroughly equipped for every good work. the message in times of stress surely did Timothy a power of Paul impressed upon Timothy the challenges he would face good too! It is a commonplace belief that the role of a leader is and the need for strength of character in pursuing his pastoral to inspire, encourage and strengthen the flock and all well and obligations, but whom God commissions, God equips and the good, but who encourages the encourager and who pastors the young man would prove the prophet’s words: “When you pass pastor? through the waters I will be with you.”

In the passage of Scripture under review we have, at least, Charles Colson wrote: “It is not what we do that matters, two profound influences which were intended to inspire and but what the sovereign Lord chooses to do through us. God encourage the youthful pastor: the life and witness of his doesn’t want our success, He wants us. He doesn’t demand our mentor (2 Timothy 3:10-14) and the authority and durability of achievements but our obedience.” his message (2 Timothy 3:15-17).

“Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were In this passage Paul twice employs the same Greek word exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a in his instruction of Timothy: “as for you” (v.10 and v.14). better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come His mentor is saying, “But as for you, in spite of all the false together to one completed whole” (Hebrews 11, The Message). teaching, you have been closely following my doctrine, way of life with its patience and persecutions amid a generation of charlatans and deceivers.” Timothy had not merely witnessed

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LIFE IN PCI

Aghadowey minister retires

Killead honours former BB captain Rev. John Murdock presents Samuel Hyde with a gift from Killead Presbyterian in Co. Antirm to mark his retirement as BB captain.

Dr. Robert Kane has retired as minister of Aghadowey Presbyterian. The congregation marked the occasion after a recent evening service when William Knox (clerk of session) presented Dr. Kane with a generous gift cheque while Doris Knox presented Anne Kane with flowers. At an earlier function, gifts of jewellery, meal voucher and flowers were presented to Mrs. Kane from the PW group in appreciation of her work and support to that group. Kathleen Cunningham, recently appointed captain of First Aghadowey BB company, presented gifts to the couple at the BB parents’ night.

Due to the increased use of small digital and phone cameras we are having to reject some of the photos due to their quality or size. Digital images should have a minimum resolution of 2000x1500 pixels (approx. 7x5 inches) at 300dpi and be the original, unedited image.

Further information can be found in our submission guidelines at www.presbyterianireland.org/herald

Queen’s badges in First Lisburn BB Paddy Hunter and David Wallace receive their Queen’s badges from their mothers. Both are members of First Lisburn BB, which is affiliated to Railway Street Presbyterian in Lisburn. During the recent BB annual inspection and display, tributes were paid to the late George Toombs, who was a former captain and company president.

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Long service recognised in Ballynure

New minister in Second Randalstown

Marbeth Coulter MBE and Doreen Stevenson receive gifts from Richard Wallace (retired clerk of session), on behalf of Ballynure Presbyterian Church, at the display of the 162nd NI GB (Ballynure) company. Between them, the ladies share 106 years of service as GB officers and they are still very much involved with the Co. Antrim company, where Marbeth has been captain for the past 50 years. Photograph by Maurice Hall.

Rev. Alan Moore (seated third from right) has been installed as minister of Second Randalstown Presbyterian. He is pictured with church elders and members of the Templepatrick Presbytery commission. Included are Rev. David Steele (acting moderator of Templepatrick Presbytery), Rev. Eddie McDowell (vacancy convener), Rev. John Murdock (clerk of presbytery) and Rev. Stephen Lockington, who read the sermon.

Herald July/August 2018

To share good news stories from your congregation please send your photographs and details to herald@presbyterianireland.org

100th birthday in Gilnahirk Dr. Frank Sellar and Rev. Stephen Moore (minister of Gilnahirk Presbyterian) wish Lyn Grahame a happy 100th birthday.

Retirement in Kilmacrennan A presentation has been made to Maureen Burns to mark her retirement as organist of Kilmacrennan Presbyterian after 57 years. Mrs. Burns is pictured with Rev. Amanda Best (minister of the Co. Donegal church).

President’s badges in Granshaw Joshua Patterson, Bradley Dugan, Ben Morris and Christopher Moore receive their President’s badges from their mums at the Granshaw BB display.

Retirement in Comber Bill Anderson has retired after 11 years as clerk of session in Second Presbyterian Church, Comber. Rev. Roy Mackay presented him with the gift of an original painting. Flowers were given to Yvonne Anderson.

Retirement in Aughnacloy and Ballymagrane Rev. Ian McKee has retired as minister of the two border congregations of Aughnacloy and Ballymagrane after six years of faithful ministry. Pictured are members of the two kirk sessions at an informal evening held in Ballymagrane.

Back row: Colin Mullan, Derek Loane, Cecil Givan, Noel Givan, Francis Robinson and Murray Robinson. Front row: David Allen, Mr. McKee, Ken Beattie and Jim Cromie. Gifts were presented to both Mr. McKee and his wife Annette in appreciation of the esteem in which they are held.

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LIFE IN PCI

BB anniversary celebrated in Dunmurry

Tag good news stories from your congregation on Twitter with #lifeinpci and @pciassembly

Anniversary in New Mossley

This year saw 78th Belfast Boys’ Brigade company celebrate its 75th anniversary in Dunmurry Presbyterian Church. Pictured are: Clifford Jones, Mark Fisher, Stuart McDonald (captain), president Brian Milligan, Denise King, Phillip Finlay and Rev. Corrina Heron.

New Mossley Presbyterian held a surprise 40th wedding anniversary celebration for Rev. Ian McDonald and his wife Rosemary. The Glengormley congregation presented the couple with a cake and a gift.

Anniversary marked in Garmany’s Grove

New elders in Kilmore

Recently the congregation of Garmany’s Grove in the Newry Presbytery marked the 10th anniversary of the installation of their minister. Pictured are: Heather Smyth (congregational secretary), Rev. Ker Graham and George Smyth (elder).

A commission of the Down Presbytery recently ordained and installed David Rea and Ian Spratt to the eldership in the congregation of Kilmore.

Front row: Robert McClurg, Ian Montgomery, Mr. Spratt, Mr. Rea and Rev. Mark Spratt (minister of the Co. Down church). Back row: Rev. Roy Mackay, Rev. Ian Abraham (clerk of presbytery), Rev Alistair Smyth and Dai Kennedy (clerk of session).

New elders installed in Upper Cumber Four new elders have been installed in Upper Cumber. The new elders, Wesley Haslett, Arlene Moore, Jennie Campbell and Kenneth Haslett, are pictured in the front row with minister of the Co. Londonderry church Rev. Keith Hibbert (left), moderator of presbytery Rev. Paul Linkens (centre) and clerk of session Alan Lindsay (right). Members of the presbytery commission are in the back row.

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REFLECTIONS

Away

Betsy Cameron

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here do you go when you want to get away Whatever item we handle – plastic bag, bottle, disposable from it all? Do you head for the hills for a bit of container – had a life before we needed it at its manufacturing walking or flock to the seaside for sand and surf ? stage and has a life after we discard it. Our blinkered view must Do you enjoy exploring a new city or do you become much larger, especially given how brief our contact with return again and again to a well-loved place of rest? Me? I just many items such as single-use plastic can be. What made plastic love being away – though not necessarily getting away – and such an exciting innovation – its cheapness and its durability – swapping the exhausting grind of daily life for the exhilaration are the very things that make it such a menace. Why didn’t we of freedom, however short-lived it may be. On holiday, the see this coming? challenges before you are all delightful ones and every day We lived for some years in Malawi with no running water presents itself as a blank slate, unencumbered by the burdens of and no electricity. As simply as we lived there, we did manage the day before – where will we go, what will we do, what bakery to generate rubbish, which was placed in a small pit dug behind has the best cupcakes? our tin-roofed house. The little that did go in never stayed long.

The break from routine always refreshes me and enables me to Nearby children turned our trash into treasure, and I got no end return home with a renewed appreciation of delight in seeing how they created pullof what I have. ‘Away’ for a holiday is along lorries out of Sunlight soap boxes …we have a Christian wonderful because there is ‘home’ to come or amazing pinwheels out of discarded back to. Home and away. You couldn’t have duty to care for our packaging. one without the other! Sometimes I don’t planet and understand Those days seem so innocent now, and even need to leave home to appreciate it; I could not have imagined then where showing visitors around reminds me how our place in creation. we, as a planet, would be today with our truly magical this beautiful part of the waste. Some countries, such as Kenya, have world is, and I notice things afresh that I might have taken for taken big, decisive action and have banned the manufacture, sale granted. and even use of plastic bags, punishable by severe fines. Action Not long ago, I was stopped in my tracks by a documentary can be on a personal level as well. I have stopped buying liquid which explored another aspect of ‘away’. It was about, of all soap in plastic bottles and gone back to bars of soap wrapped things, rubbish and it posed the question: when we throw in paper, the way I remember soap from my childhood. In a things away, where do they go? Once I’ve gone through the move that has made me very unpopular in my family – not to daily task of separating rubbish, recycling and compost or mention being the cause of some serious laundry challenges – I decided what to do with the things that have reached the end have gone back to ketchup in glass bottles. There is certainly a of their lives with us – outgrown clothes, broken kettles, old knack to getting that first glug out! These are small steps, to be mobile phone chargers – I just think of them as ‘away’. Gone. sure, and I am challenging myself to do more.

But where is ‘away’?

The psalmist reminds us, “The earth is the Lord’s, and Images from the news over recent months give us a disturbing everything in it.” Doesn’t this mean we have a Christian duty to and sobering answer. ‘Away’ is an eerie island floating on the care for our planet and understand our place in creation? In our world’s oceans and rivers. ‘Away’ is the guts, muscle and fat of denomination at the moment we are discussing the idea of sin, marine animals who ingest plastic. ‘Away’ is a mountain of toxic which is a discussion of huge importance. Can our relationship waste on which poor people make their homes and their livings. with the created world be considered sinful – or is it only our Even here I see rubbish everywhere, and unless it’s my interactions with other people? imagination, it seems to be getting worse. On my journey to We cannot get away from this problem that we have created. work (by car – I know!) I travel on country roads through There is no ‘away’. There is only home, this good earth, created beautiful farmland, and I am astonished at how much litter I by our loving God, and entrusted to our care. pass on the roadside, much of it plastic bottles and takeaway containers. Have we really become so heedless of others and so unthinking of the environment that we believe this is OK? Is the convenience of the moment really all that matters?

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Summer Reading – All Sorted???

Why not get a last minute book to read on that long flight or the beach or the coffee shop as you sit and watch the world go by…..

Martin Luther 500

Papers marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation Edited by Laurence Kirkpatrick

£5.00 per copy The Faculty in Union Theological College, Belfast organised a two-day conference in February 2017 to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in European history.

Eight of the conference papers have been published in a book, providing an introductory overview of Luther’s life followed by focused chapters which represent themes of interest as identified by each contributor.

Copies of the book are available by contacting Union Theological College +44 (0)28 9020 5080 or email: reception@union.ac.uk

CROSSWORD Puzzle no. 243 1

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solution on page 58 3

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13 14 16

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compiled by Harry Douglas

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ACROSS DOWN

1 A broadleaved tree (8) 1 Being devoted to God (11) 2 Sewing and embroidery (10) 8 Small poisonous snake (3) 3 Location of film studios in 9 Describes God’s love for us (11) London (6) 10 An eagle’s claw (5) 4 Beautiful Carlingford village (9) 12 Carrick’s football team (7) 5 Three-sided instrument (8) 13 Laid by a hen (3) 6 Don’t get on the wrong end of this (6) 14 Shape of 13 across (4) 7 Almost empty (6) 16 Ancient warlike city (4) 11 Own goal (2) 18 City in N.E. Scotland (5) 15 Traffic instructors (7) 20 A dog or a car? (5) 17 Teenagers (6) 22 Capital of Azerbaijan (4) 19 Theatre in Belfast (5) 24 Relating to the theatre (10) 21 Mineral used for polishing (5) 26 Bowman (6) 22 Jesus preached in one of these 27 Turkish city in Revelation (4) chapter 2 (6) 23 To surprise completely (4) 28 Powder from a fire (3) 25 Where Jesus’ robe was touched (3)

Dungannon Presbyterian Church is seeking to appoint a

Youth Worker Applications are invited to develop youth work in our congregation.

This is a new full-time position, for 37.5 hours per week (to include evenings and weekends), for a fixed term of three years.

Salary will be in line with PCI salary scales band B points 1-4 (£22,849 - £26,061), depending on experience and qualifications.

The successful applicant must: – be committed to the Christian ethos of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland; – have at least 2 years’ full-time paid employment within the previous 5 years working with young people in a Christian congregational setting; – have a third level qualification and have studied theology or youth work.

Details of the job description, personnel specification and application form can be obtained from: Adrian McAlister, Tel: (028) 8772 5125 Email: adriangeneral@btinternet.com Closing date for applications: 7th September 2018 at 6pm.

Joymount Presbyterian Church, Carrickfergus

Church Administrator – Job Share Applications are invited for this part-time (8 hours per week) post to join an established ministry team and Church Administrator.

The post holder will focus on the specific area of administration.

There will be interaction with the ministry team, church organisations and effective communication, integration and coordination will be necessary.

Salary will start at £8 per hour leading to £10 per hour following a probationary period and experience.

Closing date: Monday, 30th July 2018 Application forms and job specification can be obtained from: The Administrator, Joymount Presbyterian Church Office, 1 Robinsons Row, Carrickfergus, BT38 7DW. Tel: (028) 9335 0926 Email: bodles7dw@btinternet.com

First Saintfield Presbyterian Church is seeking a committed Christian for the position of

Musical Director

Our vision is to further develop congregational praise through a mixture of contemporary and traditional praise in public worship.

For further details please contact: Rev. Jonathan Currie, Tel: 07873 595262 or email: jjcurrie@hotmail.co.uk Closing date for receipt of applications: 31st August 2018.

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First Carrickfergus Presbyterian Church

First Carrickfergus Presbyterian Church

seeks to appoint a

seeks to appoint a

Family and Community Development Worker

Youth and Children’s Development Worker

to engage in all activities associated with the development of ministry to families, women and the elderly.

to engage in all activities associated with the development of youth and children’s ministry.

This is a part-time permanent position

(20 hours per week which may include evenings and weekends).

Salary: £22,849 p.a.

(pro rata, in keeping with PCI salary scale Band B1).

(20 hours per week which may include evenings and weekends). (pro rata, in keeping with PCI salary scale Band B1).

Closing date: Friday, 31st August 2018.

For further information, please contact Rev. Dr. Cecil Grant Email: cgrant@presbyterianireland.org Tel: 07989 353732.

This is a part-time permanent position Salary: £22,849 p.a.

Closing date: Friday, 31st August 2018.

For further Information, please contact Rev. Dr. Cecil Grant Email: cgrant@presbyterianireland.org Tel: 07989 353732.

Herald July/August 2018

55

CHURCH RECORD VACANT CONGREGATIONS, MODERATORS AND CLERKS OF KIRK SESSIONS (Information supplied by Clerks of Presbyteries, Conveners of Assembly Commissions and Councils).

1. LEAVE TO CALL GRANTED ANNALONG: REV. S.S. JOHNSTON: Mr. Jim Hanna, 209 Kilkeel Road, Annalong, Newry, BT34 4TW. BAILIEBOROUGH, FIRST; BAILIEBOROUGH, TRINITY, CORRANEARY & ERVEY: (Reviewable Tenure - 7 years) REV. D.T.R. EDWARDS: (Bailieborough, First) Mr. Fred Gilmore, Lisgar, Bailieborough.

(Bailieborough, Trinity) Mr. Bert Coote, Kells Road, Bailieborough. (Corraneary) Mr. Eddie Martin, Ardmone, Canningstown, Cootehill. (Ervey) Miss Jean Archibald, Largy, Drumcondrath, Co. Meath.

BALLYMENA, FIRST (ASSOCIATE): (Reviewable Tenure - 5 years) REV. WILLIAM SINCLAIR: Mr. Tom Heaney, 109 Loughmegarry Road, Ballymena, BT43 6ST. BALTEAGH & BOVEVAGH: REV. J.G. JONES: (Balteagh) Mr. William Robinson, 46 Drumaduff Road, Maine South, Limavady, BT49 OPT. (Bovevagh) Mr. Boyd Douglas, 279 Drumrae Road, Dungiven, Co Londonderry, BT47 4NL. BANGOR, HAMILTON ROAD (ASSOCIATE): (Reviewable Tenure - 5 years) REV. T.W.D. JOHNSTON: Mr. Tom Clarke, 85 Churchill Park, Bangor, BT20 5RW. CALEDON & MINTERBURN: REV. A.D. DAVIDSON: (Caledon) Mr. Joseph Lawson, 51 Derrycourtney Road, Caledon, BT68 4UQ. (Minterburn) Mr. Alan Campbell, 46 Rehaghy Road, Aughnacloy, BT69 6EU. CLOGHER & GLENHOY: REV. L.M. KEYS: (Clogher) Mr. David Boyd, Knockmany, Augher, BT77 0DD. (Glenhoy) Mr. Rowland Mulligan, 3 Knockgreenan Park, Omagh, BT79 0DD. COOKSTOWN, FIRST: REV. D.S. BROWNLOW: Mr. Gordon Black, 21 The Dales, Cookstown, BT80 8TF. CORBOY & MULLINGAR: (Reviewable Tenure - 7 years) REV. DR. K.D. McCRORY: (Mullingar) Mr. Wilson Porter, Joristown, Raharney, Killucan, Co. Westmeath.

WARINGSTOWN: VERY REV. PRINCIPAL J.S. CARSON: Mr. David Crawford, 148 Avenue Road, Lurgan, BT66 7BJ.

2. LEAVE TO CALL DEFERRED BALLYMENA, WEST CHURCH (ASSOCIATE) REV. D.J. KANE: Mr. Harry Lamont, 17 Brookleigh Heights, Ballymena, BT43 5LG. BELVILLE: REV D.S. HENRY: Mr. Jack Parks, 95 Dromore Road, Hillsborough, BT26 6HU. GORTNESSY: REV. P.E. LINKENS: Mr. Ross Hyndman, 32 Temple Road, Strathfoyle, Londonderry, BT47 6UB.

TEMPORARY STATED SUPPLY ARRANGEMENT BALLYBLACK: REV. R.J. STEVENSON: Mr. Alex Warden, 92 Bowtown Road, Newtownards, BT23 8SL.

SETTLED STATED SUPPLY APPOINTED BALLINDERRY: REV. W.J. HENRY, Minister of Maze BLACKROCK – ST. ANDREWS: REV. DR. K.P. MEYER, Minister of Sandymount – Christ Church BOVEEDY: REV. DR. T.J. McCORMICK, Minister of 1st Kilrea BOYLE: REV. D.J. CLARKE, Minister of Sligo

DROMARA, FIRST: REV. K.W.J. HANNA: Mr. I. McCullagh, 10 Mullaghdrin Road, Dromara, BT25 2AF.

BRAY – ST. ANDREWS: REV. C.W.P. KENNEDY, Minister of Dun Laoghaire

HARMONY HILL: REV. JOHN BRACKENRIDGE: Mr. Derek Alexander, 24 Downshire Park, Hillsborough, BT26 6HB.

CAHIR: REV. WILLIAM MONTGOMERY, Minister of Fermoy

HOLYWOOD, FIRST (ASSOCIATE): (Reviewable Tenure - 3 years) VERY REV. DR. J.N.I. McNEELY: Mr. Joe Campbell, 2a The Esplanade, Holywood, BT18 9JG. IRVINESTOWN, PETTIGO & TEMPO: (Home Mission) REV. R.S.G BEACOM: (Irvinestown) Mr. John Dickey, Ardmore House, 47 Pound Street, Irvinestown, BT94 1HF. (Pettigo) Mr. Noel Baxter, Flowerdale, 80 Sydare Road, Ballinamallard, BT94 2DU. (Tempo) Mrs. Carole Trimble, 5 Tullyreagh Road, Edenmore, Tempo, BT94 3GJ. KEADY, FIRST & ARMAGHBRAGUE: (Reviewable Tenure - 7 years) REV. S.M. HAMILTON: (Keady, First) Mr. Ronnie Boyd, 113 Keady Road, Armagh, BT60 3AD. (Armaghbrague) Mr. William Henry, 39 Dungormley Estate, Newtownhamilton, Newry, BT35 0HY. KEADY, SECOND & DRUMHILLERY: (Reviewable Tenure - 5 years) REV. D.J. HUTCHINSON: (Keady, Second) Mr. David Coulter, 1 College Glebe, Killylea, Armagh, BT60 4GL. (Drumhillery) Mr. George Mitchell, 55 Drumhillery Road, Middletown, Armagh, BT60 3QB. MONAGHAN, FIRST & SMITHBOROUGH: REV. DR. G.W. CLINTON: (Monaghan, First) Mr. David Hamilton, Aughnaseda, Monaghan, Co. Monaghan. (Smithborough) Mr. John Bole, Glenlough, Smithborough, Co. Monaghan.

NEWTOWNHAMILTON, SECOND & CREGGAN: (Reviewable Tenure – 5 Years) REV. J.K.A. McINTYRE: (Newtownhamilton, Second) Mr. Jim Copeland, 2 Old Mount Road, Newtownhamilton, Newry, BT35 0DS. (Creggan) Mr. Cyril Feely, 20 Cloughogue Road, Cullyhanna, Newry, BT35 0LS.

56

RICHVIEW: (Part-Time (60%); Reviewable Tenure – 5 Years) REV. N.S. HARRISON: Mr. Victor Garland, 25 Abingdon Drive, Belfast, BT12 5PX.

Herald July/August 2018

KATESBRIDGE: REV. N.J. KANE, Minister of Magherally KILREA SECOND: REV. S.A. MORROW, Minister of Moneydig TYRONE’S DITCHES: REV. J.K.A. McINTYRE, Minister of Bessbrook

3. DECLARED VACANT ARKLOW: REV. GARY McDOWELL: Mrs. Emily Kearon, Malindi, Sea Road, Arklow.

ABBOT’S CROSS: REV. E.J. HYNDMAN: Mr. Gary O’Rourke, 14 Abbeyhill Road, Newtownabbey, BT37 0YE. AGHADOWEY & CROSSGAR: REV. DR. MARK GOUDY: (Aghadowey) Mr. William Knox, 46A Mullaghinch Road, Aghadowey, Coleraine, BT51 4AT. (Crossgar) Mr. William Reid, 87 Broomhill Park, Coleraine, BT51 3AN. AUGHNACLOY & BALLYMAGRANE: REV. N.L. SMYTH: (Aughnacloy) Dr. Cecil Givan, 230 Main Street, Lisnaskea, BT92 0JG. (Ballymagrane) Mr. Murray Robinson, 184 Caledon Road, Aughnacloy, BT69 6JD. BALLYCAIRN: REV. ROBERT LOVE: Mr. J.B. Milligan, 19 Glenariff Drive, Dunmurry, BT17 9AZ.

Editor’s Note: Information for this page is supplied by the General Secretary’s Department.

Vacancies for Conveners of Commissions, councils and committees of the General Assembly are online at www.presbyterianireland.org/convenerships BALLYHOBRIDGE, CLONES, NEWBLISS & STONEBRIDGE: REV. C.G. ANDERSON: (Ballyhobridge) Mr. David Jordan, Drumboghamagh, Newtownbutler, BT92 8LL. (Clones) Mr. Tom Elliott, Bellmount, Newtownbutler, BT92 6LT. (Newbliss) Mr. Thomas McConkey, Killyfuddy, Newbliss, Co. Monaghan.

(Stonebridge) Mr. Gerald Mackarel, Roughfort, Clones, Co. Monaghan.

BELVOIR: REV. B.J. McCROSKERY: Mr. Brian Dunwoody, 19 Drumart Drive, Belfast, BT8 7ET. BURT: REV. JAMES LAMONT: Mr. James Buchanan, Heathfield, Burt, Lifford, Co. Donegal.

CAIRNALBANA & GLENARM: REV. W.F. DICKEY: (Cairnalbana) Mr. T. Montgomery, 133 Doury Road, Ballymena, BT43 6SR. (Glenarm) Rev. W.F. Dickey, 6, Ambleside, Cullybackey, BT42 1RQ. CAVANALECK & AUGHENTAINE: REV. W.D. CUPPLES: (Cavanaleck) Dr. Charles McKibbin, Cooneen Old Rectory, 9 Tattenabuddagh Lane, Fivemiletown, BT75 0NW. (Aughentaine) Mr. John McCrory, Screeby Road, Fivemiletown, BT75 0TP. CRUMLIN ROAD: VERY REV. DR. T.N. HAMILTON: Mr. J. Coleman, 2 Abbeydale Parade, Belfast, BT14 7HJ. CULNADY & SWATRAGH REV. D.W. LEACH: (Culnady) Mr. Robert Kyle, 75 Culnady Road, Upperlands, BT46 7TN. (Swatragh) Mr. Ivan Bolton, 55 Barnside Road, Swatragh, BT46 5QS. DRUMBANAGHER, FIRST AND JERRETTSPASS & KINGSMILLS REV. B.D. COLVIN: (Drumbanager, First and Jerrettspass) Mr. George Moffett, 16 Glen Road, Jerrettspass, Newry, BT34 1SP. (Kingsmills) Mr. Raymond McCormick, 119 Kingsmills Road, Bessbrook, Newry, BT35 7BP. FORTWILLIAM & MACRORY: REV. J.K. DOHERTY: Ms. Carolyn Crowe, 84 Somerton Road, Belfast, BT15 4DD. GLENDERMOTT: REV. K.A. JONES: Mr. George Walker, 3 Beverley Gardens, Londonderry, BT47 5PJ. INCH: REV. JAMES LAMONT: Mr. James Buchanan, Heathfield, Speenoge, Burt, Co. Donegal, F93 W3K6.

Clerks of presbytery please note: Only material received by the General Secretary’s Department by the first Friday of the month can be included in the Church Record.

VINECASH: REV. DR. MICHAEL McCLENAHAN: Mr. Thomas Graham, 38 Richmount, Portadown, BT62 4JQ.

THE ELDERSHIP Ordained & Installed: FITZROY: Flo Adair, Trisha Eaton, David Hall, Norman McKinley, Sara Patterson HILLHALL: Alan Parker, Elaine Megaw, Robert Sleator, Katherine Tolerton, Simon Tolerton, Julie Stevenson, Stewart Thompson MALONE: Jackie Armstrong, Gillian Brown, Jill Gilpin, John Kenny, Carolyn McGrath, Andrew Scott, Elizabeth Scott Installed: FITZROY: Paul Bowman Died: MOUNTNORRIS: Leonard Walker

THE MINISTRY Licensed: Philip Boyd Houston, by the North Belfast Presbytery, on 10 June 2018 Ben Johnston, by the East Belfast Presbytery, on 10 June 2018 Robert William McFaul, by the Derry & Donegal Presbytery, on 17 June 2018 Richard Morrison, by the Route Presbytery, on 3 June 2018 Campbell Mulvenny, by the Newry Presbytery, on 3 June 2018 James Alexander Porter, by the Ballymena Presbytery, on 10 June 2018 Ordained & Installed: Bryan Alexander Kee, as minister of First Newry, on 8 June 2018 Alistair John McCracken, as minister of Cloughwater, on 1 June 2018 Inducted: Graham Robert Stockdale, as Prison Chaplain, on 3 June 2018 Installed: Nathan William Duddy, as minister of Downshire, Carrickfergus, on 31 May 2018

MARKETHILL, FIRST & SECOND: REV. N.J.E. REID: Mr. Ken Toal, 9 Magherydogherty Road, Markethill, BT60 1TX.

Retired: Amanda Best, as minister of Ramelton & Kilmacrennan, on 4 June 2018

MOSSIDE & TOBERDONEY: REV. A.J. BUICK: (Mosside) Mrs. Mabel Morrison, 284 Moyarget Road, Mosside, Ballymoney, BT53 8EH. (Toberdoney) Mr. Hugh Hill, 5 Castle Park, Deffrick, Ballymoney, BT53 8EW.

Resigned: Thomas James Conway – released from his charge as minister of Culnady & Swatragh on grounds of Medical Incapacity on 16 June 2018 Nathan William Duddy, as minister of Arklow, on 30 May 2018

RAMELTON & KILMACRENNAN: REV. C.M. WILSON: (Ramelton) Mr. David Armour, Loughnagin, Letterkenny, Co Donegal. (Kilmacrennan) Mr. Nathaniel Rogers, Gortnavern, Coolboy, Letterkenny, Co Donegal.

Died: Rev Prof James Stanley McIvor, Theological Professor (Emeritus), on 23 May 2018

RYANS & BROOKVALE: REV. F.J. GIBSON: (Ryans) Miss Nora Hamilton, c/o Bronte Fold, Rathfriland, BT34 6LU. (Brookvale) Mr. Norman McCrum, 49 Ballynamagna Road, Rathfriland, Newry, BT34 5PA.

TEMPORARY STATED SUPPLY ARRANGEMENT DONEGORE, SECOND: REV. JONATHAN BOYD: Mr. Samuel Gawn, 120 Parkgate Road, Kells, Ballymena, BT42 3PQ. DUNDALK: (Home Mission) REV. T.D. HAGAN: KELLS: (Home Mission) REV. DAVID NESBITT: Ms. Ruth McCartney, Shancarnan, Moynalty, Kells, Co Meath.

A82 PF60.

MAY STREET: REV. GRAEME FOWLES: Mr. Arthur Acheson, 56 Quarry Road, Belfast, BT4 2NQ. TOBERMORE & DRAPERSTOWN: REV. DR. J.A. CURRY: (Draperstown) Mr. G. Dickson Jnr, 7 Strawmore Road, Draperstown, BT45 7JE.

Herald July/August 2018

57

CLASSIFIEDS Accommodation Northern Ireland PORTSTEWART LET: Luxury 3 bedroom townhouse in private development. View property on www.northcoastholidaylets. c o. u k , fo r m o re i n fo te l e p h o n e 028 90401745 or 07800 802662.

PORTSTEWART: Five bedroom semidetached chalet bungalow overlooking sea coastal road. OFCH. Non smokers. WiFi available. Tel: 028 25582525.

FERMANAGH: Fermanagh Lakeland.

‘Muckross Lodge’ Bed & Breakfast, Muckross Quay, Kesh. Situated overlooking Lough Erne. All rooms en-suite, TV, tea/coffee making facilities. Open all year. B&B £25pps £5 single supplement. Tel: Caroline Anderson 07739 910676.

PORTSTEWART: Sea Holly Lodge. Modern luxury bungalow, presented to the highest standard, 3 bedrooms (1 en-suite) in quiet cul-de-sac. Ten minutes’ walk from promenade, garden front and rear, TV/ video, washing machine, dryer, microwave.

No smoking, no pets. Available high and low season. Tel: Tommy or Hannah Collins 028 29540645. Mobile: 07989 397942.

PORTSTEWART: A modern 3 bedroom semi-detached house presented to a high standard, with off-street parking and a fully enclosed rear garden. Near local amenities.

Available high and low season. No smoking and no pets allowed. Contact Paula: 07840 123518 or 028 79632163.

PORTSTEWART: Modern 3 bedroom house (1 en-suite). All mod cons. Situated in quiet cul-de-sac (Lisadell Mews). Corner house, very private. Large enclosed garden to rear. Walking distance to promenade and beach. Available July/August.

Tel: 07973 134576.

CROSSWORD Solution to No. 243

ACROSS 1 Consecrated 8 Asp 9 Everlasting 10 Talon 12 Rangers 13 Egg 14 Oval 16 Troy 18 Elgin 20 Rover 22 Baku 24 Theatrical 26 Archer 27 Smyrna 28 Ash

58

DOWN 1 Chestnut 2 Needlework 3 Ealing 4 Rostrevor 5 Triangle 6 Dagger 7 Sparse 11 OG 15 Signals 17 Youths 19 Lyric 21 Emery 22 Boat 23 Stun 25 Hem

Herald July/August 2018

Please note: Adverts must be received in writing (email or post) by the first of the month preceding publication to guarantee inclusion. Adverts received after that date will be published if space permits. Advertising rates can be found on the website – www.presbyterianireland.org/herald – or telephone the Herald office on +44 (0)28 9032 2284 for more information.

PORTSTEWART HOLIDAY HOME: Recently refurbished end of terrace house.

Enclosed back. Sleeps minimum 8. Quiet area.10 minutes’ walk from promenade.

Available high and low season. Tel: Elaine 07763 566140.

BUSHMILLS COTTAGE, 3 BEDROOMS, available for the summer. Ballyallaght Farmyard Cottages, Whitepark Road. £550 per month or £1,000 for 1st July31st August. For further details contact Caroline on 07738 932650 or email knoxc@hotmail.co.uk PORTSTEWART: Luxury 2 bedroom apartment. Excellent location overlooking the harbour. Holiday bookings throughout the year. Adults only. No pets. Tel: 07749 048378.

Republic of Ireland FOREST LODGE BED AND BREAKFAST, Hornhead, Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal.

Tel: Jean Scott NI (0035374) ROI (074) 9136104 Mobile: 086 3215396. Web: www. forestlodgedonegal.com Email: info@ forestlodgedonegal.com

Self Catering SELF CATERING ACCOMMODATION: FLORIDA (villa/apartments) lake views, large swimming pool complete with sun loungers, 10 minutes from Disney. SPAIN (apartments) coastal location, sea views available. N. IRELAND (apartment) north Antrim coast, sea views/minutes from beach. Contact Gerald 07971 194211 or www.christiancoastalapartments.com

Catering MOIRA PRESBYTERIAN WILL cater for groups coming to visit Hillsborough Castle, the forest park , Dobbies, Sprucefield, Lisburn etc. Morning coffee; lunch; afternoon tea; high tea. Contact: Mrs. Dorothy Cantley 028 92692454.

Services VIDEO RECORDING: Professional service for interviews, website videos, short stories, appeals, events, weddings, corporate, church, charity. Tel Phil 07531 779502 www.reelimpressions.com

Miscellaneous MALIN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: From Saturday, 14th July to Saturday, 25th August inclusive, there will be afternoon teas served in church hall from 2.30-5pm.

There will be home baking and jam for sale.

Everyone very welcome.

BIBLE BLOG: http://bibletheologyqa. blogspot.co.uk – read ‘Britain’s culture of death!’

Personal

Ross Morrow A.L.C.M., L.T.C.L.

WANTED: Young Christian female student/ professional to share home with widow.

Non-smoker. No pets. Own room and keys. East Belfast area. Convenient to local transport. Available from September 2018.

Tel: 07547 801383.

Piano Tuning Services available throughout Ireland

Tel: +44 (0)28 9268 9468 Mobile: 07788 746992

Church AV Specialists

PA systems • Loop systems Projectors & screens • Installation & repairs alan@audiopromotions.co.uk www.audiopromotions.co.uk

07855 450887 Coleraine Community Choir available for

Praise Services and Gospel or Variety Concerts Contact: Roberta (028) 7035 6157 / 07751 347530

McCracken Memorial Presbyterian Church seeks to appoint a

Director of Music The Sunday morning service is a traditional service with the choir having an important role. We are looking for a part-time Organist and Choirmaster / Director of Music, willing to develop the musical talents of the congregation and to explore traditional and contemporary styles of music in our worship.

More information along with application forms can be downloaded from the church website www.mccrackenchurch.com and returned to: Mrs. Rosemary Simpson, The Anvil, 26 Glen Road, Drumbo, Lisburn BT27 5JR. Email: rosemaryecs@btinternet.com Closing date for applications is Friday, 7th September 2018

This ad is being seen by over 30,000 people.

It could be yours!

To advertise in the Presbyterian Herald contact Lisa on +44 (0)28 9032 2284 herald@presbyterianireland.org www.presbyterianireland.org/herald

24th August - 1st September Hamilton Road Presbyterian Bangor, Northern Ireland

Opening Night at Spires

Saturday 25th August, Assembly Buildings, Belfast Exhibition open from 6pm, event starts at 7.30pm Tickets ÂŁ5 - available from worldwidemission.org or at the venue on the night.

Petr JaĹĄek from Release International will be the main speaker.

The story of Amy Carmichael, as written by Etta Halliday, will also be performed and music will be led by New Irish Arts.

Professional Audio Visual Installations 57 Drum Road Cookstown BT80 8QS

T: 028 8676 4059 ¦ www.reasound.com