Knocknagoney rises to the challenge
Congratulations to Revd Canon David Brown, who has been nominated as rector of Knocknagoney Parish where he has been bishop’s curate since 1991.
Behind the transition from a bishop’s curacy to a full incumbency lies an encouraging story. It’s of a parish rising to the challenge of its call and gaining the confidence of its community where it is now known as, ‘a kind church’.
Knocknagoney was a daughter church of both St Mark’s Dundela and Holywood parishes. When David arrived 21 years ago, the parish church sat virtually in the middle of a field on the edge of the Knocknagoney estate. Not only was it removed from the community but the church and halls were vulnerable to vandalism and difficult to keep in good repair.
A game–changing decision by David and the Select Vestry with the support of the Diocesan Council was taken to sell the land around the church for development and to renovate the church hall. The new houses built added some protection and brought the building back into the community.
With encouragement, giving increased to meet specific challenges such as the replacement of the heating system in the church. David, however, acknowledges the vital role of the Priorities Fund of the Church of Ireland when it came to enabling the hall renovation and the later appointment of Emma Rutherford as family worker. Both of these were landmark events in the life of the parish.
The hall was finished in 2001 and renamed The Aslan Centre because of the link with St Mark’s and CS Lewis. Now the church could engage more effectively with the community by offering them use of the space. The usual church organisations met in the halls but now happening alongside them were birthday parties or meetings of local groups.
Family worker, Emma, spent 5 years developing valuable work in the parish and community before leaving to train for the ordained ministry. One and a half years ago, John Beattie came on board to head a 3 year project co–funded by Tearfund and the Priorities Fund. His title is Church Development and Community Outreach Officer.
John is working with all stakeholders in the community. One of his roles is to tackle the roots of poverty, rather than constantly firefighting their results. The primary aspect of his work is to make Christianity real and to place the church fully within the community. The Knocknagoney Area Forum was recently formed, of which the church is an integral part, allowing every section of the community to meet, talk and work together. As well as local people, stakeholders include Tesco (which has a Superstore in the area), the PSNI, whose training college is on Garnerville Road, Belfast City Council and its Community Centre along with the Glenluce Quality Care Centre. The parish also has close links with Garnerville Presbyterian Church with whom there is a joint prayer meeting every Friday morning.
The project has a 20 year vision with the aim of creating sustainable improvements that allow the community to help itself. These are often simple initiatives such as giving the elderly the best advice for keeping warm, running transfer clubs that help with the transition to secondary education or a GCSE Club that encourages young people to return to school for sixth form.
“John is a great networker,” says David. “He has made strong connections with the local schools including taking Personal Development Classes in Knocknagoney Primary school. Last year the school used the church for their Carol Service. Our parish administrator, David McCartney runs a beekeeping club for the primary school. The sale of ‘Goney Honey’ harvested from the hive in the church grounds raised £100 for our youthwork.”
John Beattie also heads the church’s Youth and Children’s work under the umbrella of Urban Saints and on a Friday evening they welcome approximately 40 primary school and 40 secondary school children into the Aslan Centre.
“Friday nights for the Secondary School young people is deliberately regarded solely as a place of relationship building,” says David, “But we now offer a youth fellowship on a Sunday evening and about 15–25 of these young people now attend weekly.”
As in most parish settings, the work is slow, but prayer, patience and perseverance pay off. “All that has happened in Knocknagoney has been a partnership,” says David. Without the initial support of Grant bodies, the Priorities Fund and the support of the the Diocesan Council, we couldn’t have renovated our halls or employed Emma. Without them and Tearfund, John Beattie wouldn’t be doing the valuable work he is. I have called on others for expertise and advice over the years and listened – to them, to the parish and to the community.
“We have homegroups now, we are engaged in local mission and we have a Strategy Group to help us move forward. The next stage is for every member of the church to grasp a sense of this great gospel adventure and to want to be part of it. Our mission statement is: to know Jesus, to show Jesus and to share Jesus. We want, together, to make Jesus real to the people of Knocknagoney.”