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Day 2

Visitors to General Synod Bring Greetings

A number of ecumenical visitors to General Synod brought greetings to members this afternoon.

The Very Revd Dr Frank Sellar, former Presbyterian Moderator, said it was a joy to be present at Synod. He said it was a privilege to be at Synod because last year as Moderator he worked closely with Archbishop Richard Clarke and meet old friends; and because of our partnership in the Gospel; and because of family links. He brought the greetings of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland as they deal with many of the same issues.

The Worldwide President of the GFS, Thembeka Pama brought greetings from the GFS worldwide and from the Archbishop of South Africa. She thanked Synod and GFS for the welcome she had received. She said that Ireland was the second biggest membership of GFS in the world after South Africa. She called for more dioceses to introduce more branches to help in growing the Kingdom of God. She appealed to the Archbishops to support GFS and asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to recognise GFS. She outlined projects being undertaken by GFS Worldwide.

The Bishop of Haarlem, in the Netherlands, The Rt Revd Dr Dirk Jan Schoon, brought greetings from the Old Catholic Church and the International Bishops’ Conference. He outlined the Old Catholic Church and how they ended being recognised by the Anglicans. He identified the common challenges experienced by the Old Catholics and the Church of Ireland.

The President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Revd Dr Laurence Graham, brought greetings to Synod and said it had been a joy to attend synod and renew old friendships. He spoke of the good and stimulating relationships which made up ecumenical life. He encourage Synod members to keep talking in partnership in the Covenant and beyond that to let the priority of the Covenant be what the two churches do together.

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