OCTOBER 2019
We sow
the seed...
CONSIDERING GRACE
Presbyterians remember the Troubles
RAISE THE SONG OF HARVEST HOME
Reflecting on the importance of harvest
GETTING HELP TO CHURCHES PCI grants available for mission
CONTENTS | OCTOBER 2019
FEATURES 15 Celebrating Christian Unions
The Moderator reflects on his early leadership opportunities
16 No couch potatoes at Carland One congregation’s resourceful community project
18 Considering grace
Presbyterians remember the Troubles
32 Raise the song of harvest home A harvest reflection
34 A warm welcome New PCI resource
36 Getting help to churches
Considering grace p18
PCI grants available for mission
REGULARS 4 6 7 8 9 13 22 23 31 38 40 45
Letters News My story In this month… Life lessons As I see it Talking points Mission Connect Arthur Clarke Reviews Life in PCI Betsy Cameron
Raise the song of harvest home p32
Getting help to churches p36
CONTRIBUTORS Rev Trevor Boyd is minister of First Rathfriland Presbyterian Church and a regular contributor to Farming Life’s column on faith and rural life.
Ruth Sanderson lives in Co Down with her husband Harry. She is a freelance radio/television presenter and producer.
Rev David Thompson is Secretary of the Council for Congregational Life and Witness and chaplain to Glentoran Football Club.
Pip Florit is a Mission Support Officer for PCI. She is a member of Bloomfield Presbyterian and lives with her husband, Ismael, in Belfast.
Cover photo: Carland Presbyterian potato planting October 2019 No. 825 £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).
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CONGREGATIONAL STORY
No couch potatoes at Carland
David Brownlow, minister of Carland Presbyterian Church, Tyrone, explains how the congregation have been working hard to put some of the church land to good use.
H
aving successfully carried out a similar project five years ago, members of Carland Presbyterian Church in County Tyrone decided in the spring that they would undertake a ‘potato project’ for a second time. This would involve the growing of three acres of potatoes on manse ground owned by the church. As before, the proceeds raised would go to Fields of Life, a charity that, among other things, provides clean drinking water through the provision of bore wells throughout East Africa. The first phase of the project involved the ploughing of the field. This was undertaken by church members and friends on 13 April and involved the use of a vast array of vintage and classic tractors and ploughs. Drivers were young and old, male and female, experienced and not so experienced! The job was well executed and in record time. The drivers’ efforts were rewarded with a hearty supply of hot soup and rolls, which were
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also enjoyed by those who had come to spectate and support the effort. One week later, as the ground dried out, the field was cultivated and drilled in preparation for the seed potatoes. These were planted using three vintage tractors and potato-droppers that were manned by members of the congregation. Everyone, old and young, got a turn at ‘dropping spuds’. Lunch and good craic were enjoyed by all. Angus Wilson from Fields of Life addressed everyone present, telling them how vital the proceeds would be in bringing about a positive change for those who live in rural communities in East Africa. This project has been about much more than raising money for a very worthwhile
It has given our congregation the opportunity…to come together as a community.
cause. It has given our congregation the opportunity, along with other local people, to come together as a community. There has been a oneness of spirit to help those less fortunate than ourselves, as well as building friendships as we have spent time together. As a congregation, we wanted this project to be Christcentred, following his command to love our neighbour. On the day the potato field was ploughed, George Conn from Faith Mission presented the story of Cyrus McCormick, a pioneering agricultural engineer. Mr Conn told those gathered that Cyrus, who invented the McCormick reaper, gave his life to Christ as a young man and lived out his faith through his work. Those in the field that day were encouraged to do likewise. Mr Conn’s message was well received, and he was invited to return for the potatogathering day. At the time of writing, the crop is maturing well, and it is anticipated that
the potatoes will be gathered in late September/early October. As before, vintage tractors and potato-diggers will be called upon, along with a willing army of volunteers with buckets at the ready, to gather the crop. In the run-up to harvest day, the congregation are praying for dry weather, which will make life easier for all involved. Again, it is anticipated that this will be another great community day for everyone, working side-by-side to bring the potato project to fruition. It is envisaged, as before, to sell the produce to Wilson’s Country Potatoes, where the potatoes will be processed, packaged and distributed for retail. Our congregation could not have undertaken this project without the support of many local companies and individuals. Thanks are due to Angus Wilson, Stuart Meredith and all the team at Wilson’s Country Potatoes for suppling seed, monitoring the progress of the crop and marketing the produce after it has been harvested, God-willing. The congregation is also indebted to Clarendon Agricare, Portadown, for supplying agricultural chemicals
The project has focused the congregation’s mind on the many provisions that our loving God has blessed us with. throughout the growing season, and Gortavoy Feeds and Farm Supplies, for providing the fertiliser needed to grow the crop. Thanks are also due to local potato producer Robin Watters and family for their practical advice, support and encouragement throughout the project. The congregation are particularly grateful to church member Ashley Morrow, who faithfully sprayed the potatoes on a weekly basis throughout the growing season. Without God’s help, such a project would not be possible, as he is the one who brings the increase. As a congregation, we are grateful to him, and we appreciate everyone who has contributed in any way to make this project a success.
The project has focused the congregation’s mind on the many provisions that our loving God has blessed us with. We appreciate the fertile land and harvest that it produces. We are thankful for sunshine, rain and for the growth that only God can provide, and for the God-given health and strength to do a day’s work, alongside our friends and family. We thank God for the opportunity to share the good news of the gospel with our community, praying that he will be glorified through all that’s been achieved with his help. These words of Jesus seem to encapsulate what our potato project has been all about: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself ” (Matthew 22:37-39). David Brownlow is minister of Carland and Newmills Presbyterian Churches in County Tyrone.
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Considering grace
Fifty years on from the start of the Troubles, Ruth Sanderson delves into a new book, commissioned by PCI, which tells the stories of Presbyterians whose lives were significantly affected by those events. 18
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ifty years ago, Northern Ireland was plunged into the violence which shaped the following decades. Today, more than two decades after the Good Friday Agreement, many lives here are still being shaped by the memory, and the ongoing reality of the Troubles. It’s hard to know how to commemorate such an anniversary – nothing seems quite appropriate – especially since our imperfect peace is still a work in progress. Instead, this has been a time for reflection on things learned, actions taken, words spoken and unspoken. Crucially, it’s a time to begin to consider how the trauma of the past 50 years not only shapes present-day Northern Ireland, but also its future. Back in 2016, the Presbyterian General Assembly approved a proposal by the Council for the Church in Society’s ‘Dealing with the past’ task group (now the Council for Public Affairs). This was to commission a research project charting how Presbyterians were affected by, and responded to, the Troubles. The result of that project is a new book, Considering Grace: Presbyterians and the Troubles (Merrion Press), which tells the stories of 120 Presbyterians and ‘critical friends’ of the Church. Most of these stories have never been told before. “There’s always been a fear that if you tell your story it becomes part of sectarian cannon fodder; that you are reinforcing division,” says Rev Tony Davidson, minister of First Armagh Presbyterian and one of the main drivers behind the book. Author of the book, Dr Gladys Ganiel, agrees: “Nationalists and Republicans have been better at telling their story. The impression I get is that people from the unionist community almost thought that the nationalist community have already won the narrative war, so they are reluctant to tell their stories too.” Gladys is a sociologist at Queen’s University Belfast, with areas of interest including the Northern Ireland conflict,
We must remember that it’s not just those who lived through the Troubles who still reap its consequences. evangelicalism and Christianity in Ireland, amongst others. She and her research colleague, Dr Jamie Yohanis, conducted interviews which formed the basis of the book. This was somewhat of a self-selecting process – local ministers put forward members of their congregation who they felt had a story to tell. The book is split into nine categories of testimony; from victims to first responders, ministers to those who left Presbyterianism. From Willie Frazer to Seamus Mallon – the aim is to give as wide a gamut of experience as possible. The book is not an easy read – I read it with a lump in my throat – as the tragedy of the Troubles spilled out of every page; memories reliving terrible times as though only yesterday. Yet it is an extraordinary piece of work. Not just as a historical record of people’s experiences, but also from an empathetic point of view. It lets us experience not only how that awful time impacted on all sorts of people, in all sorts of ways, but it challenges our own response. How would we react? How have we reacted? How has the past 50 years inevitably shaped us? What’s our own story? “It’s an important book for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland,” says Tony, “For ministers and elders – there’s a whole issue around pastoral work. How we dealt with the past and how we are
…this book is hugely important as a way of educating the next generation in Northern Ireland.
dealing with it in the present as well.” It also gives a window into the Presbyterian experience for those from other backgrounds. “We need to be understood and I think we have found a way to do this. People complain about the re-writing of history – the only way to deal with that is to tell your own stories.” At this 50-year juncture, it is becoming more important than ever to try and make sense of what happened in this country, and time is now of greater importance. “Churches have the capacity to write down stories while people are still alive,” says Tony. Perhaps the passing of time is an important factor in people being able to talk about what happened here. It may have been too painful, too raw to discuss until now. “Ironically, it all has to do with the future,” he says. Gladys agrees: “We are developing study and reflection resources to go with the book and we want the Church to use the book and the resources as the impetus to do something positive for the future.” We live in extraordinary times – these stories are being read in the context of political wrangling and increasing civil unrest in Northern Ireland. Fifty years on, they echo as a warning – a warning not to go back down the road we were on. Several things strike me as I read the stories. One was the importance of interfaith relationships, not just from clergy’s perspective, but from quiet peacemakers and victims. Local churches played a huge role in building relationships with neighbouring Catholic chapels and uniting around the Bible. Clergy from both traditions met together, prayed together. Victims talk of how they remember the local priest coming to see them, Catholic neighbours in sympathy. These instances stick with them. I am struck by the many references to Rev David Armstrong, who in 1984 was forced to resign from PCI because of his work with the local Catholic church. His children were spat on, his family received death threats, his church was picketed. In the end, the pressure was too much and he was ordained into the Church of England. Another figure who crops up again and again is Rev Ian Paisley. Almost all Herald October 2019
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references are negative. Many saw the threat of the Free Presbyterian Church as one of the reasons that Presbyterianism was inhibited from reaching out more across faith divides. As the experience of David Armstrong proved, if one was to extend the hand of friendship to Catholics, the Free Presbyterians would protest outside your church. If you refused to take an Orange Order service, major ructions were caused. At the same time, there are examples of when the Orange Order acted as a moderating influence which, it could be argued, helped prevent revenge attacks or kept some young men from joining paramilitary organisations. Another fear, especially in rural congregations, was of losing church members to the Free Presbyterian Church. Such a fear, it’s suggested, inhibited the Church from being as radical as it potentially could have been. Many are critical that, instead of PCI working with one voice, it was left up to individual clergy and lay people within the Church to take a stand, often unsupported by the wider Church. The courage of those engaged in this work cannot be understated. They faced opposition from within their own congregations, from members of the Orange Order, and from those outside. The section which explores the testimony of victims is astounding. There are many reactions within it, various degrees of reconciling what has happened to them. A view is often expressed that the ‘Church’ didn’t do enough, but once again, it was individual clergy who made the impact. Two things struck me. The first was how it was often those left behind who demanded no bitterness, no retribution, no retaliation; who took an astonishing higher ground. I believe it was these people who saved Northern Ireland from becoming an even worse place than it was. It was these acts of
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We forget sometimes, that peacemaking is about being active…It takes an effort. It takes enormous courage. grace by many which stood as an example to wider society and to a wider world. While extremists bayed for vengeance, it was often the appeals of widows which spoke louder than all of this. It was children who were guided by parents
still grieving for a spouse, who espoused goodness, grace and godliness. The other thing which comes across was the importance of prayer throughout the entire conflict. Victims describe praying to the Lord in hospital beds, in mourning, in desperation. Others describe the importance of prayer in
bringing communities together. Ministers weeping through prayer as they conduct yet another funeral of someone’s son, brother, husband, wife, sister, child. The toll of trauma on a nation’s shoulders. The enormity of sadness of the situation often too much to bear. Some of those interviewed have stepped away from faith, some still struggle with it. Yet all have ongoing dialogues with God about what happened to them. It appears to me that this book is hugely important as a way of educating the next generation in Northern Ireland. Tony tells me, “For some younger ministers, the Troubles will be pure history. When we were having consultations on this, many said, ‘Just move on; we shouldn’t revisit the past’. “Until one young man told one of the focus groups that there was a crack in the ceiling of his family home. He hadn’t known until recently that the crack was caused by a bomb. He made the analogy that the younger generation still live with the cracks which were made by the Troubles. We must remember that it’s not just those who lived through the Troubles who still reap its consequences.” “You can never really say that it’s just history,” adds Gladys. “People may not recognise the transgenerational transmission of trauma. When you read the book, you have to realise that. We are in a political vacuum, we haven’t had a government for nearly a thousand days. You don’t want to be alarmist about it, but we could be sleepwalking back into the Troubles. The book should remind people how terrible it was. We need to get creative and get working so that we never go back.” Tony adds, “There’s a high level of suicide in Northern Ireland, it’s clear that there is ongoing trauma – you can’t deal with trauma unless you know where it’s coming from.” Karen Jardine, PCI’s Public Affairs Officer,
adds, “This book is very focused on the anger – and had been with him all along. …these stories…Fifty This is a common theme in the book. Troubles, but there is no congregation years on…echo as a Many are angry with God, many cannot which hasn’t experienced trauma in some respect. Those same issues around warning – a warning not understand what he has done. But many found God in the chaos of tragedy, felt pastoring still stand. to go back down the road his presence and guidance through the “As someone who was leaving for most difficult of circumstances. What is university when the ceasefires took place, we were on. sure is that God grieved with each victim, then coming back, I have been thinking testimony from Rev Terry Laverty. His and felt every blow inflicted in our about what these stories mean to me. We Troubles. He has been there through it brother Robert, an 18-year-old member have a chapter about quiet peacemakers all, and he continues to be there in these of the RUC, was shot dead by the IRA. – but who is the next generation of quiet times of uncertainty. For the teenage Terry, the devastation of peacemakers? Maybe we didn’t think Terry Laverty, although he understands we’d need the next generation but it’s that event led him on a journey with God that many victims never recovered from very clear to me that we do. Can this – anger, rage, incomprehension. He railed their loss, experienced resource, these stories the healing balm of being told, encourage forgiveness. He writes: people in that way?” “I want to encourage “I hope another anybody who is generation is inspired to struggling as a result make peace,” says Tony, of violence and trauma “because this doesn’t to consider grace; to happen automatically. It’s consider the hope the easiest thing in the that Jesus offers, to world to avoid and just consider that there is live in your little grouping, a possibility of living and sometimes churches without bitterness and can make that easier. You walking on as somebody have to have a particular who is amazingly and The Laverty family showing Robert on the left Robert at the age of his death effort and inspiration to wonderfully free.” make your way across that against God, and one day after shouting divide.” at him, the words of Psalm 88 came into We forget sometimes, that his head: “You have taken my friends peacemaking is about being active, about and loved ones from me. Darkness is being the hands and feet and mouths of my closest friend.” He found comfort God in a situation. It takes an effort. It takes enormous courage. in these words, understanding them as The book’s title, Considering Grace, permission to be angry with God. Terry comes from its opening story – a now believed that God understood his
Considering Grace Book and resources Considering Grace will be launched on Tuesday 5 November at 12.30pm at the Assembly Buildings Conference Centre, Belfast. There will be other regional launches throughout November. For more information and to pre-order your copy (£12 plus postage and packaging) please go to: www.presbyterianireland.org/consideringgrace The study resources, which will be available in the new year, have been developed by Dave Thompson of Confluence Facilitation. Dave, and Gladys Ganiel (author of the book) have piloted stories and questions raised in the book with six different focus groups in five locations in Northern Ireland. Based on focus group feedback, one resource is tailored for use in congregations and other small groups; the other is tailored for trainee and young ministers and will be used at Union College.
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