The Church of Ireland
Press Release

Thank you to all who have given us such a warm and affirming welcome. Thank you to Archdeacon Derek Johnston and our former Archdeacon Stanley Johnson, both of whom have been such a help. Thank you to our Diocesan Secretaries, Clerical Secretaries, Treasurers, all who serve on our committees and not least our Diocesan Magazine Committee, the Editor, Treasurer and all the team. Thank you to Wilfred Baker who is our Assessor for today and who has travelled from Cork to be with us today. Please give our greetings to Cork Diocese. Thank you to Ann Reilly for her work in preparing the Power Point Presentation of this address. I hope you enjoy the graphics and thank you to Billy Stafford for operating the laptop and projector. Thank you to all who serve in our Diocese in a great variety of ways. We are serving together in the same Diocesan family.

FAMILY TABLE

This is my first year sitting at your family table. The most important aspect of the family table is that the members of the family are present, interacting with one another, communicating, listening to each other and having fun. A beautiful table, attractive furnishings, the most expensive tableware are no substitute for the warmth and openness of a close family. In a healthy family people are important and feel important. People are valued. Family values are about the value of the family. This is one of the reasons why the family of God is so special. People matter to God. It is interesting that the present Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Dr. Alister Dunlop, has chosen for his theme this year "People matter to God." People are the focus of His unique love, an essential part of the motivation of His purposes, and the reason for His greatest initiative. We are reminded of this truth every time we celebrate the service of Holy Communion and we hear those words of the apostle John," God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son." In God's heart and mind people are priority.

This is precisely why one of my priorities in this first year as your bishop has been to attempt to visit as many members of the diocesan family as possible and to meet as many people as possible. My wife Helen and I have enjoyed visiting different parishes and participating in a variety of services. In the past seven months I have been in over 40 congregations in the diocese for services of worship. It will take time to get around all of the congregations. We have approximately 90. However I believe it is vitally important that we develop our sense of family in a diocese, which is geographically large and covers the five counties of Cavan, Leitrim, Sligo, Longford and Roscommon and some parts of other counties.

STATISTICS

As you know, we face enormous challenges as a diocese. These are stretching and exciting times. In terms of our numbers the statistics are as follows

• 25 Parochial Units
• 90 congregations
• 13 Rectors
• 5 Non Stipendiary Ministers
• 11 Lay Readers
• 70 Parish Readers
• 7000-7500 Church of Ireland people

As you can see we are urgently in need of more clergy. Some parishes have experienced long vacancies. Pastoral care and the "equipping of the saints" suffer when leadership is absent. Morale can be dented. Growth can be stunted. A sense of direction and purpose can be lost. Throughout the Church of Ireland we have a shortage of ordained clergy and of ordinands. At the moment we have 4 ordinands in our diocese. Sandra Hales is in the Theological College in Dublin and three people are in training for the non-stipendiary ministry. However we are also being prompted to examine and explore patterns of ministry, which are appropriate relevant and effective in the 21st Century. With this in mind "A summit on ministry" has been arranged for September next year when representatives from the whole Church of Ireland will have the opportunity to engage in a radical and far reaching examination of ministry. Please pray for an understanding of God's will for patterns of ministry in our Church and diocese. We are at a time of opportunity and I am praying that God will call people who will share His vision and be willing to serve in our diocese as we rebuild our diocesan team.

WORSHIP

Each Sunday there are over 80 Church of Ireland services of worship in the whole diocese. As you will realize the diocesan infrastructure is totally stretched on a Sunday and especially at holiday time. We are deeply indebted to Mrs. Sheena Johnston and Canon Ivan Biggs for the work they do in arranging the Sunday services and to all our clergy, retired clergy, Lay Readers, Parish Readers and helpers from other dioceses who serve faithfully and energetically each Sunday. In worship we focus primarily on the nature and work of a God of grace and greatness. We catch a fresh glimpse of Him, His mandate to the Church and His vision for the world. We go out strengthened, encouraged, inspired and better equipped to serve Him with enthusiasm and in obedience. Worship, if anything, should be God centred, prayerful, joyful, reflective, instructive and inspiring. If it isn't, why not? Worship, which is shoddy, thoughtless, half-hearted and dull, is not worthy of our God.

THE FUTURE

Looking to the future where are we going as a diocese? The answer to this question will depend on how we understand our priorities. The direction we go in will reflect the priorities we cherish. Prior to my consecration I spent some time on Retreat. This gave an opportunity for prayer and reflection. Out of that time came three areas, which I believe are to be three priorities in our diocese as we seek to understand our calling.

CHRIST-CENTRED

1. We are called to be a Christ centred people and diocese. In all the waves of daily demands, employment responsibilities, parochial problems and personal pressures, it is easy to lose sight of our high calling. We have been called by Christ, to Christ and we are to live for Christ. He has commissioned us to be His agents and ambassadors wherever we are. We are the Church, his people, the Body of Christ. We are to be society-flavouring salt and penetrating light in the Ireland of the 21st Century. However the following questions may help us in assessing where we are.

• Have we become so buildings focused that we are neglecting the building of the Kingdom of God?
• Have all our energies been given to a building that needs care and attention or to people who need care and attention?
• Is our dominant mind-set "survival at all costs" or serving Christ and others whatever the cost?
• Do those in the wider community see us as Jesus people, positive and caring, or do they see us as property preservers, negative and despairing?
• Are we attractively distinct or imminently extinct?

These are hard questions to face but in answering them we see more clearly our priorities. Of course we have a responsibility where buildings are concerned but are we serving them or are they serving us? Has the time come for much more substantial financial help from the State when buildings are considered to be of significant historical interest? If financial help is not forthcoming then more and more of the financial burden falls on a small group of people who are also seeking to support the maintenance of ministry and outreach. Christians are called to be Christ-centered people and to love the people He loves. This is our calling, our charge and our priority.

CHARACTER DEVELOPING

2.  Society today places a high value on charisma, credentials and celebrity. God places a high value on character. In recent years we have seen a shift in perception regarding the relationship between public service and private morality. How far does a person's private life and life-style affect their ability to govern effectively, discern perceptively and decide wisely in major political decisions?

God is into character development, as the young people would say, "big time!" The Holy Spirit has been given to enable us to be more Christ-like in our character. When the Church is not marked by integrity and consistency of character great damage is done. Rediscovering a rugged real and radical Christ-like character will be a priority in our diocese. Sometimes we will get it wrong. There will be malfunction but that's where grace (a big heart and big heartedness) and generous forgiveness can enable all of us to move on rather than sinking into cynicism bitterness and undesirable division. We have seen enough of such a destructive spirit in Ireland… and its consequences!

Our priority will be not just personal character development but church character development. The character and architecture of our congregations requires our attention.

• What kind of a church does God want us to be?
• How do we function as church?
• Are we a holy (wholly) exclusive club?
• Are we welcoming to others or do others feel excluded?

I have met many very friendly people in this diocese and such a spirit of friendship is vital if we are to develop an inclusive inviting approach to church life. Dare we consider that we might grow? Many people in Ireland today do not worship in any tradition. Are we building bridges of compassion and care into their lives? The tradition of Jesus is to reach out with an open hand and an open heart. Too often in Ireland we have seen the clenched fist of tribal tradition and sectarian separation. We see such an evil expression of evil and hatred not only in street demonstrations and protests but also in more subtle and sophisticated ways in other areas of society. Rediscovering together the character of Jesus and helping to develop in each other that same character is a vitally important dynamic in our journey together.

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMING

3.  In the Church we do not exist for ourselves. The world is our parish. We are called to agents of compassion and change within our communities. Navel-gazing is not our calling! People gazing is! When Jesus gazed at the crowds He had compassion on them. He saw not only changed people but also a changed and transformed society. He came to usher in a new Kingdom, a Kingdom with upside down values. The Church is called to be a radical counter-culture where a different distinctive lifestyle is enjoyed and a different set of values cherished. In many ways the Sermon on the Mount is Christ's manifesto. These are the principles we live by and are willing to die for. An Ireland polluted by centuries of political poison, influenced by parental and peer sectarian venom and deceived into thinking that an economic tiger will satisfy all desires, is an Ireland that urgently needs to rediscover the Carpenter of the Cross who walks a distinctive path of selfless public service and outrageous generous lavish love. He did not bleed the community. He bled for a new community.

Exploring ways of serving in, and making an impact on, the communities of which we are a part is to walk the road Christ walks. Some think the Church of Christ is on the way out in Ireland today. The Church of Jesus Christ is very much alive and never more needed as an agent of prophetic insight and healing transformation. What a calling we have in Ireland today, and in Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, to be Christ-centred, character developing and community transforming.