Down and Dromore Synod declares 2015 a ‘Year of Mission’
Delegates at the Down and Dromore Diocesan Synod on 21 June unanimously passed a motion to designate 2015 a ‘Year of Mission’. The motion, proposed by the Diocesan Council for Mission, was heartily endorsed by Bishop Harold Miller in his Presidential Address which was a decisive call to missional thinking and action.
The Synod, which began with a service of Holy Communion, was again hosted by Seagoe Parish in St Gobhan’s and the adjoining Parish Centre.
During his address, Bishop Harold presented some of the findings from the latest triennial census which broadly characterise the diocese as having plateaued. He shared his strong conviction with delegates that, “The time has come to move from a plateau to growth”.
Defining mission as “all that Jesus Christ sends us to do, “and, “much more than evangelism or the Ulster concept of ‘a mission’”, Bishop Harold encouraged parishes to think of ways in which they might reinvent themselves with, “a more thoroughgoing missional DNA.”
In preparation for 2015, Bishop Harold will speak on Revelation 2 and 3 at the Bishop’s Bible Week with the theme, ‘What the Lord of the Church wants to see in His Church’. “Having established where we are in relation to sexuality in the Church of Ireland, we desperately need to focus now on a missional agenda which will have a positive impact, and make clear the welcome of the Church to all who seek the way of Christ in their lives,” he said.
The Bishop also announced another visitation of the diocese after an 8 year gap, beginning in October 2013. The substance of the visits with parishes will concern Community (outwards mission), Children (forwards mission) and Church (inwards mission) and will be part of the preparation for 2015. During that year, each parish will be asked to engage in mission to both those inside and outside their church in a way that is sensitive to their own character and context. The Diocesan Synod will also be asked to re–invent itself missionally, perhaps modelled on the Convention in Albany Diocese which a number of Down and Dromore clergy and laity have attended.
The Synod passed two other motions during the morning session:
To increase the overall assessment for the Diocesan General Fund by 7% per annum in each of the years 2013, 2014 and 2015
To permit Diocesan Mission Orders under certain circumstances (laid out in detail in the motion paper)
Bishop Harold and Synod also took the opportunity to congratulate and pray for the rector of Knocknamuckley, The Rt Revd Darren McCartney and his wife Karen. Darren was very recently consecrated as Suffragan Bishop in The Diocese of the Arctic and will take up his post at the end of the year.
After lunch, delegates heard three presentations each of which were pertinent to the mission theme. Tim Magowan and Diane Holt presented the Tearfund ‘Discovery’ resource whilst Church Development Consultant, Chris Hollies, presented a programme called ‘Natural Church Growth’. Our own Andrew Brannigan spoke about the Family Time publication and how parishes might effectively use it.
As has become the custom, Synod set aside time during the afternoon for a ‘Conversation on the work of God,’ and several delegates took the opportunity to share their encouraging experiences of the work of God in their context.
This Synod also marked the retirement of the two Honorary Secretaries (Lay) and another long serving Council member, Mr Bert Wilson. Mr Wilson (MBE) joined the Council 17 years ago and served both the Permanent Commission and the Finance Committee.
Mr Fred Rankin served on the Diocesan Council and many of its committees for 30 years and spent the last 12 as Honorary Secretary (Down). Mr Rankin made a major contribution to the Down and Dromore Succession List and was instrumental in the move to the current Diocesan Offices.
Mr Desmond Linton was a Council member for 26 years and became Honorary Secretary (Dromore) in 1993. Amongst others, Mr Linton served on the Joint Committee the Library Committee and Down Cathedral Board.
Bishop Miller presented each with a Down and Dromore plaque and thanked them individually for their long and valuable service to the diocese.
The new Lay Honorary Secretary for the Diocese of Down is Dr Elizabeth Leonard and for Dromore, Mr Basil O’Malley. Replacing Archdeacon Roderic West as Dromore Honorary Secretary (Clerical) is Revd Bryan Martin.
The afternoon ended with tea in the rotunda and a surprise ice–cream for those in a summery mood!
Click here to see the photo gallery
Click here to download the Bishop’s Presidential Address