Bishop Harold encourages Synod to be ‘filled with confidence’ for mission
“I want us to be filled with confidence, “Bishop Harold Miller told the Down and Dromore Diocesan Synod which met on 20 June in Seagoe Parish Centre.
At the end of a mission–focused Presidential Address, the Bishop urged that as, “With confidence and without hindrance Paul preached the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, (Acts 28:31) we should do the same in our day, our place and our generation. “If we do have confidence, nothing will stop us, he said. “… By God’s grace we can do it!”
A year ago the diocesan synod unanimously passed a motion to designate 2015 a ‘Year of Mission’, and preparations are well underway. Referring to the success of the recent evenings when he commissioned more than 800 Select Vestry members, the Bishop addressed the ‘gate keeping’ role of the diocesan synod, so important in the greater scheme of things.
He reminded synod that our primary calling was to, “go into all the world, and to do the work of the kingdom, and to make the mission of God real in our communities,” and that our other tasks simply enable – or when put first instead of second, disable – this.
Rural and working class areas
In terms of mission, the Bishop acknowledged the challenges faced by two particular types of parish – the small and rural and those set in predominantly working class areas.
The Bishop promised to enable and resource small rural parishes who want to move from decline to growth and to share together ideas about how they might most effectively live out the Gospel in their setting.
Turning to working class areas facing many difficult issues of social deprivation, Bishop Harold reminded Synod of our calling to an intentional and long term engagement with a new generation, not least those who used to own the title ‘Church of Ireland’ in working class areas. “We must be fully committed to this,” he said, “and to the role of the church in the transformation of our province into a place for all.”
Preparation and Starting Points
Bishop Harold shared 3 images for mission to help inform and focus Synod’s thinking:
A group of people holding hands and looking inwards being transformed into a group of people holding hands and looking outwards (being turned inside out!).
The application of a ‘Mission filter’ where we challenge ourselves relentlessly to see everything we do through the lens of mission and in fact drop it if it not helpful. The diocese will do this too with our synod next year, in the light of the recent visit to Albany.
Moving from a plateau to growth, including numerical growth, and the basis that the church is an organism rather than an organization (as the Primate said at the General Synod, and that healthy organisms change and grow.
The Bishop went on to outline further elements in the preparation for 2015 – The Bishop’s Bible Week in August, the establishment of a Mission Working Group in each parish, the forthcoming Episcopal Visitation of the Diocese and A Year of 24/7 Prayer for 2014.
He also offered some starting points for mission including church planting and finding young godly leaders – two areas on which Archdeacon David McClay will focus. Bishop Harold also praised Andrew Brannigan’s ‘Foundations‘ programme which has already engaged about two hundred young people in their 20s and 30s.
Bishop Harold revealed that when the 1% Cathedrals Fund comes to an end this year he was considering initiating a Church Planting Fund, building on the old Church Extension Fund, to provide seed funding for new Church plants.
Presentations
During the afternoon session presentations were made by Messy Church, Bishops’ Appeal, The Irish Churches Peace Programme, 24/7 Prayer, the ‘Foundations’ programme and a series of short films about Maridi Diocese were launched.
Guests
Special guests at Synod included Mrs Eleanor Patterson, wife of the late Archdeacon Philip Patterson to whom the Bishop and several others paid tribute during the Presidential. The Rt Revd Justin Badi, Bishop of Maridi and his wife Joyce and the Mayor of Craigavon, Councillor Mark Baxter were also present. Mayor Baxter addressed Synod after lunch and presented Bishop Justin with a gift from the Borough.
View a Diocesan Synod gallery here.
Download the full text of the Bishop’s presidential Address here.