‘Just do it’ – Bishop Harold Miller’s Bible week plea; Installation of Canons and Archdeacons at Belfast Cathedral; New Cork ordinand; Clogher Institution
‘Just do it’ – Bishop Harold Miller’s Bible week plea
‘Just do it,’ was Bishop Harold’s plea as he brought the seventh Bishop’s Bible Week to a close with teaching on, ‘The Practical Practice’ of mission.
The bishop laid firm foundations on the first three nights, preaching from the Book of Acts on: The Preparation of Prayer, The Pouring Out of the Spirit at Pentecost and The Preaching of Penitence.
‘We are working as a diocese towards a whole year of mission in 2015,” he said. ‘We are going to think differently, act differently, live differently – we are going to become a missional diocese and we’re well on the road this week.’
He acknowledged, however, that the critical thing is to ‘make it all real in every single one of our parishes and churches.’
‘Sometimes,’ he continued, ‘parishes have an aspiration and they don’t put the strategy in place to make it happen. And that’s what today is about. Just do it.’
On the first night, Bishop Harold launched an exciting new appeal – ‘plant forHim’ (Down and Dromore Church Planting Fund) with an initial target of £100,000. This seed funding will be used to train church planters and diocesan evangelists and to enable new church plants to be set up in the areas that the diocese has already identified. There are immediate plans for The Braniel and Moneyreagh and other locations will unfold in the future.
That same evening, 12 of the 14 ‘graduates’ of the Bishop’s Bible Course were presented with their certificates by the bishop and the course lecturer, Canon Robert Neill, rector of Drumbo.
The four nights of Bible teaching and worship was hosted in the Diocese of Dromore by Shankill Parish, Lurgan. Last years’ large attendances were repeated as people of all ages and from all parts of the diocese gathered for fellowship in the church building.
Worship at the Bible Week embraces both contemporary and modern music and was led this year by Shankill’s Musical Director, Carl McCambley and his team. We were also delighted to welcome SAMS Mission Director, Bishop Ken Clarke, as our host.
Another characteristic of the Bible Week is the offer of prayer ministry each evening from a trained team of volunteers from around the diocese. Many people took this opportunity in a time of response after Bishop Harold’s teaching.
Prior to the Year of Mission 2015, the diocese plans a year of 24/7 Prayer in 2014 which will require the participation of every single parish. A model prayer room was set up in Shankill’s side chapel to give a taste of different ways to engage in prayer and provide a model for those for whom this is an unfamiliar concept.
On Tuesday 28 August on the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s famous ‘I have a dream’ speech, Bishop Harold shared his dreams for the Diocese of Down and Dromore. It was a postscript to his address, ‘The Pouring Out of the Spirit at Pentecost,’ delivered to a congregation of over 600 people.
Installation of Canons and Archdeacons at Belfast Cathedral
Three Canons and two Archdeacons will be installed in St Anne’s Cathedral at a Service of Evensong at 5.30pm on Wednesday September 11.
The Ven George Davison will be installed as Precentor and Archdeacon of Belfast and the Ven David McClay will be installed as Chancellor and Archdeacon of Down.
The three new Canons are the Rev Robert Jones, Canon of Connor; the Rev Stephen Lowry, Canon of Down and Dromore; and the Rev Denise Acheson, Canon Treasurer.
Denise, who has been rector of Dunmurray since May 2008, takes up her post as Dean’s Vicar at St Anne’s Cathedral on Monday September 2. Denise will be taking particular responsibility for all aspects of the liturgical life of the Cathedral including baptisms, weddings and the organisation of special services.
New Cork ordinand
A parishioner of Ballydehob Union – David Compton – was recently recommended for training for the ordained ministry and will soon commence the course at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute.
David has spent some years in dialogue with th diocesan Director of Ordinands, Dean Alan Marley, and with the Bishop. Bishop Colton sent David to the Bishops’ Selection Conference last March which gave its positive recommendation.
In his parish, David has been working as the parish treasurer and assisting as a Eucharistic minister. He has in the past also been active as a change-ringer in the Abbeystrewry Parish Church bell tower in Skibbereen, taught Bible study courses, and helped to found a not-for-profit church-run crèche. David has been a financial journalist and editor, following a career in marketing and strategy with several multinationals. He has a BA and MA in political science and an MBA in marketing, and is completing his doctoral dissertation in Islamic Studies in the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Studies at Trinity College Dublin. His special interests include pastoral care, prayer life, spirituality, Christian education, and church growth.
Clogher Institution
A large congregation filled Belleek Parish Church in County Fermanagh on the evening of Friday 9th August 2013, to mark an important milestone in the life of the Garrison, Slavin, Belleek and Kiltyclogher group of parishes. The group of parishes, which are the most westerly group in the Church of Ireland Diocese of Clogher, welcomed their new rector, the Revd Ngozi Njoku, who was instituted by the Bishop of Clogher, the Rt Revd John McDowell.
Prior to taking up the position in the Garrison Group, Revd Ngozi Njoku served as curate for four years in Goldington Parish, Bedford, in the Diocese of St Alban’s. The preacher at the service of institution was the rector of Goldington, the Revd Richard Howlett.
Prior to her curacy at Goldington, Revd Ngozi spent three years studying at Trinity College Bristol. A native of Nigeria, Revd Ngozi has also lived in the Gambia, the Netherlands and Belgium. She was ordained deacon in 2009 and priest in 2010. Looking forward to settling into life in County Fermanagh as she takes up her first incumbency, she said “God has no grandchildren, but generations and I want to see the next generation in Garrison group of Parishes take the Gospel of Jesus to the next generation. I also want to support the work of the Mothers’ Union, the youth, families and the farmers.”
Assisting the bishop at the service were the Venerable Cecil Pringle, Archdeacon, and the Revd Canon Glenn West, Rural Dean of Kesh. The Bishop’s Chaplain was the Revd Sampson Ajuka. The Organist was Mrs Sadie Moore and the singing was led by combined choir from the group of parishes together with Ms Evelien Ebbers, flautist.