MAY 2019
Talking prayer with Pete Greig CHURCH PLANTING IN IRELAND
The changing landscape of churches
A YEAR IN THE SPOTLIGHT Interview with Moderator, Dr Charles McMullen
WE NEED YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY… NOT TOMORROW
Engaging young people in church
CONTENTS | MAY 2019
FEATURES 8
Browsing a bygone Blue Book Looking back to 1927
14 GDPR one year on… Top tips for churches
18 Prayer made simple
Interview with Pete Greig, founder of 24-7 Prayer
31 Church planting in Ireland
The changing landscape of our churches
34 A year in the spotlight
Interview with Moderator, Dr Charles McMullen
36 We need young people today… not tomorrow Engaging young people in church
Church planting in Ireland p31
38 Trading punches
Interview with Rev Alistair Bates
REGULARS 4 6 10 13 15 21 22 23 40 42 46 47
Letters News As I see it Life lessons My story Arthur Clarke Talking points Mission Connect Reviews Life in PCI Crossword Betsy Cameron
Pathway to success p16
A year in the spotlight p34
CONTRIBUTORS Pip Florit is a mission support officer for PCI. She is a member of Bloomfield Presbyterian and lives with her husband, Ismael, in Belfast.
Ruth Sanderson lives in Co Down with her husband Harry. She is a freelance radio/television presenter and producer.
Alan Meban attends Kilmakee Presbyterian Church and writes about culture and politics as Alan in Belfast on his own blog and Slugger O’Toole.
Mark Smith is PCI’s press officer. He lives in east Belfast with wife Debbie and daughter Emily.
Cover photo: Aneesa Dawoojee May 2019 No. 820 £1.50 (€1.80) 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: Elaine Huddleston; Phil Alcorn; 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 May 2019
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AS I SEE IT...
The world at one Dr Ron Savage
W
omen are better prayers than men. Many of of her nation after the American civil war, Mary Ellen James, us, especially of an older generation, learned to sent out a call to Presbyterian women in 1887 for a national pray at our mother’s knee: “I lay my body down day of prayer. Three years later two Baptist women suggested to sleep I give my soul to Christ to keep...”; an international day of prayer for overseas missions and the “Jesus, tender shepherd, hear me...”; “Take my life and let it be two combined in 1919. Canada joined in 1927 and soon other consecrated, Lord, to thee...” Often these prayers come to mind countries were observing a day of prayer for international as circumstances of our lives need them and we are blessed. mission. Grace Fargon, a Scottish representative, attending All over the world on the first Friday in March every year an international missionary conference in Jerusalem heard women from virtually every nation and denomination observe about the day of prayer and introduced the idea to Scottish a day of prayer from dawn to dusk and dawn again. “As o’er churches. The first service in the Republic of Ireland was in each continent and island the dawn leads on another day the 1934 and in Northern Ireland was 1943, held in May Street voice of prayer is never silent, nor dies the Presbyterian Church. Since then it has strain of praise away.” The first service is Participants discover the gone from strength to strength and held at dawn in Tonga on the international year celebrated 75 years in NI in a richness of the Christian last dateline, then as the earth rotates, a wave special service of praise and prayer in the of prayer rises through the Pacific to Presbyterian Assembly Hall, Belfast. faith…across multiple countries like Fiji and New Zealand and Now over 6,000 services are held in the denominations and continues through to Asia, India and the British Isles on the first Friday of March Middle East, to Africa, into Europe, across lands. each year and in 170 countries, in 100 the Atlantic, through the Americas and languages and 1,000 dialects. Attending onto the Pacific again to the last service of the day held on the the 75th anniversary of the WWDP in England in 1987, I island of Samoa. reflected on the diversity of the movement even then as I sat On Friday 1 March 2019 in Northern Ireland, over 1,000 between the head of the Salvation Army and the black, female women representing virtually every denomination met together President of the Baptist Church. in about 90 centres to follow guided prayer provided this The motto of the movement is ‘informed prayer and prayerful year by women of Slovenia. Each year the guided prayer is by action.’ It becomes more than an annual event with Bible women of a different nation. Next year it will be Zimbabwe studies, conferences, coffee mornings and prayer sessions with the theme ‘Rise take your mat and walk’; then Vanuatu: through the year. It is often incorporated into programmes of ‘Build on a strong foundation’; and in 2022 England, Wales women’s fellowships of all kinds. and Northern Ireland will provide the material currently being Through the preparation and the service, participants come prepared under the title ‘I know the plans and have for you’. to know how people of other countries, languages and cultures Once when I was in Malawi and in conversation with understand the biblical passage in their situation. They hear some of the Malawi Christians, I made reference to my wife’s of the needs and concerns of others around the world and involvement in our national committee of the Woman’s World feel at one with them in their faith experiences and journey, Day of Prayer (WWDP). “Oh yes,” said the mission school evangelism and care. Participants discover the richness of head, “That’s observed here too on the first Friday in March. the Christian faith as it grows deeper and broader in its We value the solidarity.” international expressions across multiple denominations and In recent years WWDP committees have been at pains to lands. As they listen and pray, they share each other’s burdens, encourage men to join in their services and finally in England, fears and hopes and rejoice in belonging to the family of Christ Wales and Northern Ireland they have followed other national ever increasing across the world. and local committees in referring to it as the World Day of Preparation days are planned for Grosvenor House Methodist Prayer (WDP). Are women better prayers than men? Perhaps Centre, Garfield Street, Belfast on 17 October and First more inclined to pray? Well, certainly they would welcome male Dungannon Presbyterian Church on 2 November. involvement in the prayer task and more and more men are Visit www.wwdp-natcomm.org.uk interested in joining the women in this prayer tryst. Where did the WWDP all begin? Concerned about the state Rev Dr Ron Savage is minister emeritus of Stormont.
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NEWS | PCI
News
Find out more on www.presbyterianireland.org
Events
DIARY DATES
Disciple-making Leadership
PCI Intern Scheme Applications are still open for the 2019-20 PCI Intern Scheme. This opportunity is for individuals with a passion for God, a heart for the church, a willingness to learn and with gifts to contribute. This is a 12-month programme focused on developing young leaders while placing them within a local congregation to contribute to ministry there. As well as serving, interns will receive quality and regular training to help develop their gifts. For more information or an application form, contact the CLW office.
Summer teams Spaces are still available to take part in a PCI summer outreach team. Those on the teams will be working with children, teens, adults, and in the community to show and share the good news of Jesus with a needy world. If you think God is calling you to be on a team this summer then visit www.presbyterianireland.org/ summerteams for further information.
Assembly Buildings in Belfast will host the Disciple-making Leadership event on Friday 21 June, from 10.30am to 1pm. Ideal for any minister, elder or leader in a congregation, this event will unpack how our disciple-making should be shaped by a biblical understanding of what the church is, what it’s for and the God-given purpose of its leaders. The guest speaker is Mark Stirling from St Andrews in Scotland. Mark is the director of the Chalmers Institute and the leader of the European Disciple-Making Leaders Network. He will explore where discipleships fit into the overall context of the body of Christ, helping to position discipleship as patterns rather than programmes. This is a free event but booking is essential via the CLW office or the events page of the PCI website.
May Taking Care designated persons training
West Presbyterian, Bangor – Thursday 2 First and Second Markethill – Tuesday 21
Taking Care refresher training
Hamilton Road Presbyterian, Bangor – Tuesday 7
Presbyterian Women annual conference
Assembly Buildings, Belfast – Thursday 9
Youth Night and Unplugged This year’s Youth Night and Unplugged event will take place at Assembly Buildings, Belfast on Saturday 8 June from 7.30pm. The theme is ‘Called’. Tickets cost £5 (euro equivalent) for Youth Night only or £7 (euro equivalent) to include the Unplugged event. For more information visit www.presbyterianireland.org
MAD 2019 ‘Newsfeed: God’s story in headlines’ is the theme of this year’s MAD weekend. Taking place at Ulster University, Coleraine, MAD is a quality youth weekend of Bible teaching and activities for youth groups. Tickets costing £50 (euro equivalent) per person will go on sale on the PCI website at 1pm on Thursday 16 May.
Presbyterian Women’s annual conference Helen Warnock, principal of Belfast Bible College, will be the guest speaker at this year’s conference, held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, on Thursday 9 May. She will be speaking on the theme ‘Restore’ at both the annual meeting, which begins at 2pm, and the evening celebration, which begins at 7.30pm. For more information visit www.presbyterianireland.org/pw or follow Presbyterian Women on Facebook @presbyterianwomen
Resources
Presbyterian Historical Society lecture Union Theological College, Belfast – Thursday 9
MAD 2019
Tickets released – Thursday 16
June General Assembly
Assembly Buildings, Belfast – Monday 3 to Friday 7
Youth Night and Unplugged
Assembly Buildings, Belfast – Saturday 8
Disciple-making Leadership
Assembly Buildings, Belfast – Friday 21
July Summer teams
Passing the baton
Latest Proximity resource available
A new resource, ‘Passing the baton’ is now available. Designed to be used by kirk sessions or those already engaged in young adults’ ministry, the resource aims to consider how to be more effective in ministry with this age group and offers four different models which could be adopted. For further information visit www.presbyterianireland.org/ passingthebaton
If you are looking for a resource to help in your discipleship journey, then the new Proximity resource might be helpful for you. Containing personal Bible reflections, questions for discussion and space to journal, the Proximity resources are ideal to use in small group discipling relationships. ‘Life in God’s Story’ explores how to live in response to God’s big story. The eight sessions point to God’s identity as creator, redeemer, rescuer and renewer, helping us to understand our responsibility as his children. Booklets cost £2 (euro equivalent) and can be ordered at www.presbyterianireland.org/proximity or from the Council for Congregational Life and Witness office.
Mullingar – Friday 5 to Saturday 13 St Andrew’s Bangor – Saturday 13 to Saturday 20 Dungannon – Saturday 20 to Saturday 27 Abbey, Monkstown – Saturday 20 to Sunday 28 Seaview – Saturday 27 to Sunday 4 August Sion Mills – Sunday 28 to Sunday 4 August
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Please pray for... n IRISH MISSION – Philip Whelton, Irish mission worker serving in Arklow. Pray for the children’s and youth clubs, as well as the holiday Bible club, that through these ministries many young people will come to know Jesus. n HOME MISSION – Carrigart and Dunfanaghy congregations, and for the minister, Rev Andrew Watson. Pray for extra opportunities for sharing the gospel in local schools. n CYCLONE IDAI – Pray for all affected by Cyclone Idai. Pray that those affected will be given the assistance they need over the coming months to rebuild their homes and livelihoods. n HOME MISSION – Greystones congregation whose vision is to be a church that reaches out to the men and women of north County Tracey Nicholl Wicklow with Christ’s transforming message of grace, love and forgiveness. Pray too for the minister, Rev Gary McDowell. n DEACONESS – Michelle Purdy serving in Ballyclare, and for all the opportunities she has to love others through the toddler group, foodbank and links with community groups. n ZAMBIA – God’s wisdom and guidance for the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian Synod of Zambia. Pray for those in Zambia who struggle at times due to poverty and for the church as they seek to help them. n URBAN MISSION – The work and witness of Strand congregation in east Belfast, and for the minister, Rev Danny Rankin. Pray for Strand’s new after-school club for post primary children. n HOME MISSION – Rev Rodney Thompson and Glenelly congregation. Pray for the ongoing ministry of the Word and for the presence of the Holy Spirit. n PAKISTAN – The work and witness of the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan. Pray for wisdom for the leadership and ministers of the Church. Pray too for Gujranwala Theological Seminary, which is training people for ordained and lay ministries. n CHILD ABUSE – Children and young people are subjected to many forms of abuse, harm and exploitation. Give thanks for organisations that work tirelessly to prevent this and pray for those in recovery having survived their abuse. n HOME MISSION – The congregation of Smithborough and for Rev Alan McQuade as he settles into ministry there.
MAY 2019 n COMMUNITY OUTREACH – Jonathan David as he continues to settle into his new role in First Rathfriland and seeks opportunities to share the gospel. n KENYA – Stephen and Angelina Cowan serving in Tuum, engaged in training and skills development; sharing the gospel; nurturing believers and developing Christian leaders. n HOME MISSION – The congregations of Cahir and Fermoy, and for the minister, Rev William Montgomery. Pray for wisdom and guidance for all in leadership roles within the congregations. n DEACONESS – Tracey Nicholl serving in St James’ Ballymoney. Pray for their new project ‘Living Hope Community’ which seeks to help those who struggle to afford school uniforms. n MALAWI – Lyn Dowds in her medical work at the David Gordon Memorial Hospital, and for Johnny’s work with the ‘Living Trees for Livingstonia’ project. Pray too for their children at boarding school in Zambia. n COMMUNITY OUTREACH – John McCandless in all his work with Mountpottinger and Mersey Street congregations in east Belfast, especially for the work on the streets and door-to-door meetups. n HOME MISSION – Rev Helen Freeburn and Galway congregation. Pray for more Sunday school teachers and small group leaders. n HEALTH SERVICE – Pray for staff at all levels who are often abused physically and verbally by members of the public. Pray that health managers will ensure suitable systems are in place which meet patient needs and are timely and effective.
n CHAPLAINS – Wisdom for John Coulter, chaplain at the Ulster University (Coleraine campus), as he seeks to provide a useful chaplaincy ministry in a radically and fastchanging university context. n HOME MISSION – The life and witness of Carlow and Athy congregations and for the minister, Rev Stephen Rea. Give thanks for a number of immigrants who recently joined Carlow congregation. Pray for wisdom and motivation to reach out to others. n NIGHTLIGHT – Linzie Cobain and the work of Nightlight in Belfast. Pray that God would continue to bless conversations staff and volunteers have with people on the streets. n TRINITY HOUSE – Trinity House is PCI’s latest residential home, set in spacious grounds in Garvagh, Co Londonderry. Give thanks that Trinity House provides accommodation for 50 residents. Pray for home manager Jayne Bellingham and the staff team as they care for the residents. n HOME MISSION – The elders and members of First Bailieborough, Trinity Bailieborough, Corraneary and Ervey congregations. Give thanks and pray for the teenage youth group ‘Focus’. n INTERNATIONAL MEETING POINT – For Henry Coulter, assistant project leader at the Meeting Point, as he serves there. Pray for the Meeting Point as it continues to help and share the good news with many refugees, asylum seekers and other local people on the Lisburn Road in Belfast. n WILLOW BROOK – Elizabeth Wilson is project manager at Willow Brook supported housing scheme for people with a learning disability and Topley Court for people with a physical disability. Pray for Elizabeth as she ensures that tenants are encouraged to live as independently as possible with appropriate support from staff to help with personal care, domestic and social skills. n PORTUGAL – James and Heather Cochrane as they lead the church plant in Senhora da Hora and seek opportunities to build relationships with local people.
n NEPAL – United Mission to Nepal’s work in the areas of education, healthcare, n LEADERS IN livelihoods, disaster TRAINING – Leaders James and Heather Cochrane response, integral from partner churches development and which PCI supports peacebuilding. Pray for new appointments while they undertake further study aimed made recently in UMN. at helping their personal development for future ministry and leadership within their n BRAZIL – Naomi Keefe as she continues church and context. her work in church-based, Bible-based community development and evangelism in the Olinda area in north-east Brazil.
www.presbyterianireland.org/prayer
Church planting in Ireland Pip Florit looks at the changing landscape of our churches and their missional opportunities.
I
reland is changing. The signs are everywhere, from cities to schools to streets to churches. The Ireland of 2019 is a different country from the Ireland of 1999, let alone 10, 20, or 30 years before that. What was a largely white, Englishspeaking island has become a multicultural melting pot. What was a place where most people looked to the church for meaning and morals has become more and more secularised. Society is changing in a hurry; what does that mean for the Church and its response? In 1975, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland had 380,000 members; by 2018, that figure had decreased by 43% to 215,000 (General Assembly Annual Reports, 2018). The problem is, by no means, a lack of churches – in some parts of this island, it seems there is a church on every corner, but how many of those beautiful, steepled buildings with inviting signs outside are less than half full? And why, in the midst of declining membership, would anyone think that
the solution is to start more churches? Could it be that in that context of dwindling congregations, new expressions of church are exactly what is needed? Over the past 10 years, a number of Presbyterian churches have begun to examine this: what is our response to a society that is moving quickly, lauding diversity above all else, becoming more interested in spirituality and less interested in Christianity? In this society with its new priorities and new problems, the Church needs a new response.
Church planting Planting churches, in itself, is not a new thing. It is not even a new thing for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. From the mid-1920s to the 1980s, in response to migrating populations, PCI
...if the body of Christ is to grow, new churches and new expressions of church are needed.
engaged in what was known as ‘church extension’. The need for a new church was determined by assessing households in an area; if two out of seven households were identified as Presbyterian, a church would be built. Eighty churches were started in this way, but as society has changed, this strategy has changed. Church extension was a way to give believers a place to worship; church planting is about introducing non-believers to a God who is worthy of worship. Church planting was a key part of mission and evangelism for the Apostle Paul, but did he only plant churches because there were none? If that was the case, should church planting be as central to our mission and evangelism, when we have plenty of churches? Consider that Paul planted churches to reach people for God and if there’s anything our society needs, it is to be reached for God.
Church, but not as we know it In his article, ‘Why plant churches?’, Tim Keller cites many studies claiming that Herald May 2019
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the average new church gains 60-80% of its members from those who are not attending any worshipping body, while churches older than 10-15 years gain 80-90% of new members from other congregations. With this in mind, it seems clear that if the body of Christ is to grow, new churches and new expressions of church are needed. Why is it that a church plant, in its embryonic state, is better placed to reach people than an established church, with its experience and programmes and structures? A church plant is church, but not as we know it, we who have attended services with a predictable structure at 10.30 or 11am every Sunday for years. A church plant might meet on a Wednesday, there might be tea and coffee before the service, it might not meet in a building with a steeple or a pulpit. In these differences, these new expressions are a platform that can allow the plant to meet needs in ways that established churches can’t. A newly planted church may have the following benefits: Outward focus. Many established churches have a missional focus and intentional commitment to the communities around them, but for church plants, the nature of this focus and commitment is different. The church plant’s survival relies on bringing people in from the outside, so the emphasis has to be on the needs of the people outside the church walls. An established church
has people inside its walls whose needs are high priority. Natural contact with non-Christians. When a church is made up of mainly new converts, there will naturally be more contact with non-believers. As well as providing more opportunities for personal invitations, this can make church plants more sensitive to the society around it and its needs. New attracts new. If you want different results, you have to do things differently.
None of this means that established churches are becoming redundant or are unable to reach out. If you want to draw in new people, do something new. ‘New’ is exciting and interesting, but it’s also easier to be new when the situation you’re going into is new, without well-established routines or unspoken rituals. Breaking the mould. In Ireland, there are certain perceptions of church – what it is, who goes to it, what is expected. These perceptions can deter new people. Church, as they perceive it, is not for ‘people like them’ – they may fear being judged, not knowing when to stand or sit or any number of things that are second nature to anyone who has been in church
for a long time. In a church plant, which is starting from the start, there is freedom to break the mould, making the church more accessible to those outside it, who may have certain expectations of it. Geography. When most of our established churches were started, they were started where they were needed – in rural hubs or town centres. They were started where the people were. The problem is that people have moved. Fewer people stay in rural settings throughout their lives and more people live in suburbs than in urban centres. Church plants have the relative freedom of not being tied to a particular building – they can go to where the people are. None of this means that established churches are becoming redundant or are unable to reach out. Not at all. There are many churches that are thriving, nourishing and growing the body of Christ. The problem comes when we try to separate the Church into categories – church plants and established churches. We are the body of Christ and we are not in competition with each other. More than that, what one part of the body does has an impact on the other parts. Church plants bring renewed ideas, new family members, new leaders, and new opened doors. We need to rejoice in the building up of the body of Christ, even if our little corner seems to be declining.
The Plant: Donabate Presbyterian Church Andy Carroll leads Donabate Presbyterian Church, which he planted along with half a dozen families from Malahide Presbyterian who lived in the area. A little more than eight years after it started, it has around 200 people as part of its community. “I became a church planter more out of a desire and sense of call to minister in the Republic of Ireland rather than a sense that I would plant churches. When I was eligible for call, the Board of Mission in Ireland (as it was then) was seeking to call someone to plant a church in North County Dublin. I was excited about the possibility of being involved. Being from the north side of Dublin, this meant I’d be getting the opportunity to bring the gospel to an area that was close to home. I’ve learned a whole lot from the experience of church planting. Maybe the thing that strikes me most is a renewed understanding of how God is often working in people’s hearts and minds long before they come into contact with a church. Many of the people who have come to faith over the
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years in Donabate were triggered to connect with us through a hunger for God or a longing for answers that wasn’t provoked by us or by any programme or event we were running. For whatever reason, when those longings and questions arose, we were known as a people who might be able to help out. Church planting allows us to shape our ministry and mission to the contexts in which we find ourselves. Instead of pouring all of our resources of energy and people into ministries designed to maintain Christians or ‘church-going’ people, starting fresh allowed us to shape church life in ways that enabled us to connect with people who had no notion of going to church. Our very existence depended on seeing others becoming disciples of Jesus Christ and using their gifts to lead the church and see it grow further.” Rev Andy Carroll
Doing it right When it comes to doing new things, there is usually a bit of fear and even reluctance. There are many things about the way Presbyterians have done church for years that work really well. If we move away from established ways of living and sharing the gospel into the new and untested, do we risk changing that gospel, perhaps diluting it to suit our audience and our environment? Any new or different expression of church must keep God, his Word and the gospel central, but, while we don’t change the contents of the package, we can change the package and to draw people in, that’s precisely what we need to do. Another important factor is the base from which a church plant grows. A new church should not stand alone, but should come from a more established base that can nourish it with support and prayer.
In recognising the importance of planting churches in the right way, PCI has assembled a church planting panel, a group of individuals passionate about seeing new churches spring up. This panel exists to see: • New life in Christ grow across this island, north and south, through the planting or re-planting of churches; • New people trusting in Christ who have a desire and giftedness to lead a planting work; • New places springing up for planting or re-planting in diverse locations with new burdens and energy for planting to be placed on congregations, north and south.
We need to rejoice in the building up of the body of Christ, even if our little corner seems to be declining.
Throughout the early part of this year, Mission in Ireland rallies have taken place across the country, during which, there has been a call to prayer for this new life, these new people and new places. Let’s take up this call and get behind this movement as it gains momentum. Pray that God will lead the right people to the right places. Pray for wisdom and perseverance for those involved. Pray for the church plants that already exist – thank God for his provision and guidance. When you look at the statistics, when you listen to what society is saying, the story might not look great for the church in Ireland, but in the midst of statistics and secularism, there is hope rising up in the form of church plants – new life, new people coming to God in new places. Pip Florit is PCI’s Mission Support Officer for Partnerships.
The Plant: Maynooth Community Church In our 12th year as a congregation in Maynooth, we have come to see that there is both a simplicity and a complexity in the work of establishing new churches. The following are some of the basic things that have shaped our development, though we know that it is Jesus who really does the building.
1. Grace-centred community When our new members share what struck them most as they first encountered MCC, they almost always answer with something like “the sense of acceptance and love we felt here.” There is something truly attractive about a community that embodies God’s grace in its interactions and, whatever the size of our congregation, this a resource that we all have full access to.
2. Building bridges with our wider community In thinking about mission, we have always felt God calling us to build connections not just with people but with our town itself. From the earliest days, we have tried to connect with Kildare County Council, our local politicians, Maynooth Community Council, the university, our schools, sports clubs and other local churches. Some of this happened naturally through existing relationships. Some required quite an effort. So often we expect others to encounter the gospel by crossing our thresholds. Often it is us who need to cross theirs.
3. Every member ministry Every Sunday, around 23 people are involved in our services. This is both a necessity and a blessing. Participation is a crucial element in discipleship. Creating a place where participation is encouraged, where it is ok to have a go even if it doesn’t work out, helps people to feel included.
4. Service Gaining the trust of our local communities is difficult. This is where service can make such a difference. Our annual arts festival, our Christmas concerts in aid of refugees and our Saint Patrick’s Day breakfasts have been some of our public attempts to serve. Service changes how we are perceived, as well as leading to great opportunities to share our faith. It has been such a joy to see people come to understand the wonder of God’s grace for themselves. Ministry is often hard and discouraging but amidst our strains and struggles, God continues to draw people to himself and give them a whole new life. Rev Keith McCrory
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A year in the spotlight As the Moderator begins his last full month in office, PCI’s press officer, Mark Smith, caught up with Charles McMullen to discuss the ‘bird’s-eye view’ that he’s had of the Church this year.
“I
t’s a funny old feeling” was the text I got from the Moderator the night presbyteries met to elect his successor in February. “How do you mean?” I texted back. Given the year that the Church has had, his response may surprise many: “Sad, I suppose that my tenure is now moving to an end. An indication of how much I have enjoyed this year.” While Dr McMullen admits that it has been more challenging and intense than he had imagined, it has been a year when he has been inspired and excited by what he has seen of the work of the Church across Ireland and overseas. “It may seem a bit twee, but it feels like in many ways that every day has been Christmas Day. “Each day has been special, encouraging and different. I have met all kinds of people and experienced such hospitality, realising that there is a tremendous heart in our Church and that is one word that I would want to emphasise as I step down, this whole idea of ‘heart’, and the overall heart of our denomination is good. “There is a great love, a great commitment, a great dedication and
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desire to serve the Lord across our congregations, a vibrant beating heart that reflects the rhythms of grace. This year has given me a renewed passion for the local church and how it is not on its own, but part of a bigger family. It has also shown me and reinforced the overall importance of relationships,” he says. ‘Building relationships, Christ’s love compels us’ – Dr McMullen’s theme for his year in office – has been a constant presence. It has also been a theme that may have seemed a little unfortunate to some, foundering at the General Assembly’s decision to end its symbolic relationship with the Church of Scotland and other controversial issues. While
…there is a tremendous heart in our Church and that is one word that I would want to emphasise as I step down…
hindsight is a wonderful thing, he completely disagrees. Looking back, he says that his theme came to him on the night of his election. “Two words struck me: ‘building relationships’. I believe I was given those words, it was as if God said to me, ‘This is right, but it will not be altogether easy… this is very much for the long haul.’ Throughout the General Assembly and the ensuing year, bearing in mind I believe that God gave me this theme and said that it would be for the long haul, it became all the more vital and all the more imperative,” he says. In the immediate aftermath of the Assembly, with the headlines and general reaction, Dr McMullen says that as he began his engagements and preaching in different congregations, he encountered both “support and heartache” over what had happened. “Initially when I was elected I might have talked myself into this role by saying it would be a career break from my
congregation for a year, I soon discovered that it wasn’t. As Moderator you try always to listen and weigh things up, and one of the phrases I found myself using in those early days was ‘on the one hand/ on the other’. “As a Church it is vitally important that we state what we believe in accordance with the Scriptures, but we must also stress the importance of having a pastoral heart and throughout the year perhaps God has given me the grace to respond to the challenges as I have tried to set the tone, always being gentle and consensual,” he explains. He admits, however, that it has been challenging and that he has been personally stretched in different ways, having had to grapple with many complex issues and deal with the media profile that he was suddenly given. While some of the work has attracted positive headlines, such as the Church leaders’ initiative to bring Northern Ireland’s politicians together, and attending the state reception in Dublin for Pope Francis, much of it hasn’t attracted the spotlight – yet it has, in his own words, been “life changing”. His overseas tour of Jordan last August and his visit to Greece in particular. “We went to Jordan to encourage colleagues connected with PCI and it was there that we came face-to-face with Christianity and the rawness of faith in a kind of way that was simply amazing. In refugee camps we met brothers and sisters in Christ, who had experienced persecution in other parts of the Middle
In the immediate aftermath of the Assembly…Dr McMullen…encountered both “support and heartache” over what had happened. East, people who had put their needs on the line to serve Jesus. For me, it put a lot into perspective,” he says. In March he travelled to Greece to meet with representatives of the Greek Evangelical Church. During the visit he also saw first-hand the work of the Church in reaching out to Syrian refugees, which he says he found inspirational and deeply moving. “On one occasion we visited a church planted right in the heart of a Roma community camped on the edge of the perimeter fence of the local airport, on what really was a rubbish heap – and yet lives were being changed for Jesus Christ,” Dr McMullen explains. But it wasn’t just in Jordan and Greece that he discovered people making a real difference in demonstrating Christ’s love to others. Throughout his four weeklong presbytery tours, his visits most Sundays to local congregations, touring the denomination’s homes and support units and seeing Presbyterians showing leadership in business, have all given him an incredible bird’s-eye view of life in
PCI, which has also left him “in awe” of his ministerial colleagues. “As time has gone on I have had a renewed passion for the church of Jesus Christ. We live in a society that is fractured and broken, but the local Christian community of God’s people is very much the hope of the world, something that I have witnessed across our Presbyterian denomination and farther afield. “I have been inspired by the example of our people, from the exuberance of a thousand teenagers committed to Christ at last year’s ‘MAD’ event in Coleraine, to being so blessed by the long years of Christian witness of the centenarians I have met, and so many faithful people in between,” he says. So, after such a year, is the Right Reverend Dr Charles McMullen looking forward to hanging up his robes and becoming ‘the Very Reverend’, the subtle change in title that denotes a former Moderator? He answers thoughtfully, “I’ve seen this year as a marathon sprint and I will keep praying that the Lord will get me safely over the line at the beginning of June. There will be a certain amount of relief, but it will be tinged with genuine sadness that it has come to an end. But I have run the race, supported so steadfastly by Barbara, by the prayers of many and the awesome power of the Holy Spirit. As a parish minister first and foremost, I will look forward to returning to West, but with memories of an unbelievable year.” Herald May 2019
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