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Photo above – Gwen Carlisle MBE and Mags Southern MBE, retired SAMS Ireland mission partners.

Retired SAMS Ireland mission partners honoured

Two retired mission partners with SAMS Ireland, the South American Mission Society, have been awarded MBEs in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Gwen Carlisle and Mags Southern received honours for services to education in Paraguay. They were mission partners with SAMS Ireland for around eight years, following SAMS GB’s merger with Church Mission Society (CMS) in England.

Gwen and Mags were Senior School leaders in St Andrew’s College, Asuncion, for nearly 30 years. This school was founded by SAMS’ mission partners in the late 1960s and the women were part of the many developments of the school during this time. One of its past pupils is the current President of Paraguay, Mario Abdo Benítez.

Many Irish volunteers have gone to work at the school since 1990s and Gwen and Mags were frequent visitors to Ireland when on furlough in recent years to events like the SAMS Ireland Friday Night Live in Craigavon Civic Centre.

Most recently, Mags was due to assist a group from St Matthew’s Parish, Richhill, which was planning to travel to Paraguay last Easter, although had to be cancelled due to Covid-19.

The Rev Stephen McElhinney, Mission Director, said: “SAMS Ireland is very pleased that the scope and extent of Gwen and Mags’ educational work in Paraguay has been recognised in such a way and as such is well deserved.

Peter Little, Enniskillen

Peter Little has been “overwhelmed with messages and phone calls from all over the place, from old friends and people many years ago” after the announcement came that the Enniskillen man was awarded an MBE for his services to the community in the town.

Peter said he was “thrilled, honoured and deeply humbled that someone thought to nominate me”, adding that he is unsure who or what groups had put him forward for the honour from the Queen.

He is known to many across the county for his role in business in Enniskillen, as a director of TP Toppings car dealership, where he worked for 45 years before retirement from his business life. The landmark business was founded by Mr Little’s grandfather, and had been in Enniskillen for almost 90 years before it closed in 2019.

Peter has been involved with school governance across Enniskillen, serving for many years in several schools. He has served in governance for Enniskillen Model Primary School, the former Collegiate Grammar School, and former Portora Royal School.

He had a key role in the amalgamation of the two former schools, and now serves as the current Chair of the Board of Governors for Enniskillen Royal Grammar School.

Peter is an active member of Enniskillen Methodist Church, Darling Street, where he serves as a steward. He is also involved in the wider Methodist Church movement across Ireland.

He has lived in Enniskillen all his life, and said: “I am very lucky to live in this community; I have no regrets that I didn’t move anywhere, and I have no desire to leave. I have enjoyed trying to make a positive contribution to this community.”

Peter is looking forward to a visit to London with his wife to receive his award when Coronavirus restrictions allow the visit to take place.

Carpod church

At a time of increasing challenge in connecting with parishioners of all ages, the Rector of Christ Church Bray, the Revd Baden Stanley, is trying out a new initiative. In ‘Car–pod Church’, Baden reflects on our new reality and what it means to be Church in a different way.

“The concept of ‘Car–pod Church’ is borrowed/stolen shamelessly from James Corden’s ‘Carpool Karaoke’ where he collects a celebrity in his car and they have a chat, a song and a lot of laughs,” Baden explains. “In the Covid–19 realities, having anyone else in the car with me is very much a no–no, so in solidarity with our school children with their ‘pods’ and their ‘bubbles’ I am creating a car–pod of one (for now).”

Sitting in the car in the car park on Bray head, he has started recording short videos for all ages, reflecting on what it means to be Church in a very different way, at a very different moment in Church history. Over the coming weeks he will look at the emergence of the early Church in a time of crisis and great challenge, and identify what lessons we can learn as life changes so dramatically around us.

He will be putting the links to the videos up on the parish social media platforms or you can find them all together on the parish’s YouTube channel, The Story Tree.

“I am really looking forward to the days when I can have others join me in the car for Car–pod Church, but for now, I hope everyone enjoys this new connection point for all ages,” Baden concludes.

Church’s Ministry of Healing at the Mount

The Church’s Ministry of Healing- the Mount have teams of intercessors , and also 6 prayer teams for immediate response. The list of those who have asked for prayer for themselves, or by proxy, is also prayed “in house” at 162, at our Holy Communion healing service in 162, and in St Anne’s Cathedral each Friday.
If someone requests prayer either for themselves, or another, the office will be pleased to respond on 028 9079 5832, or in a emergency on 07743 118007 leaving a message if not answered immediately.

The requests are prayed for 30 days, and can be renewed by contacting the office.

If the request is confidential, pseudonyms can be used.

CAI founder member ordained

Gerry Lynch, a founder member and former Committee member of CAI was recently ordained Deacon in Sailsbury Cathedral. He is serving his title in the Parish of St John with St Mary’s in Devizes and we wish him every blessing as he begins this phase of his ministry.

Well said

Pointers to Prayer

Today we pray for cities across Nigeria. Demonstrations against police brutality have escalated in response to attacks on protesters by unidentified men with machetes. We pray for a just peace in Nigeria and an end to police violence worldwide.

Please pray for Church Army key workers who are involved in distributing food and supplies; that they will have new opportunities to make connections with the people who visit.

Today we pray for children in west and central Africa. Unicef has warned that the closure of schools during the pandemic has led to millions being unable to access education, leaving children at risk of child marriage, early pregnancy and recruitment by local armed groups.

Homelessness – Today we give thanks for charities working to support rough sleepers and other homeless people during the pandemic. Homeless Sunday past stressed that a difficult winter lies ahead for those without a home or facing homelessness.

Tearfund NI – We have recently implemented a new project in Sierra Leone to help end cases of Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C). This will help to empower women in their communities, and sit alongside our other initiatives to reduce this horrific abuse. Pray for an end to FGM/C.

 God in creation