Clergy Conference–worth the wait!
The pandemic meant that Down and Dromore’s recent residential conference for clergy and leaders happened much later than planned, but it was worth the wait!
Sligo was this year’s venue, and 138 leaders, guests and staff made the journey for three days of worship, teaching, fellowship and rest from 16–19 January.
As well as a time for receiving, the conference is also an opportunity for the bishop to spend time with his serving clergy and leaders in an informal setting – the first since Bishop David’s ordination on 25 January 2020.
Bishop David invited three speakers to address the conference: Revd Linda Maslen, Vicar of Fountains Anglican Church in Bradford, shared her experiences of church planting in areas of deprivation in the Diocese of Leeds while Rick Hill, who oversees the Council for Mission in Ireland for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, led us in two sessions on the importance of being disciple–making churches. It was also great to hear from the National Director of SOMA UK, Richard Moy, ahead of the visit of SOMA teams for diocese–wide mission in June this year.
We were delighted to have Revd Simon Ponsonby with us to give the Bible readings. Simon is an international author, speaker and theologian based at St Aldates, Oxford, where he is Pastor of Theology. Simon gave four wonderful addresses: Leading from our wounds, Leading out of Love, Leading from Hope and Leading from the River (Psalm 46).
As well as the teaching sessions and Bible Readings, the programme included morning and evening worship, Holy Communion, the very competitive ‘Big Table Quiz’ and some free time to explore the beautiful west coast of Ireland.
We’re grateful to Canon Roly and Susan Heaney who acted as Chaplains to the conference; to organist Beth Aiken; and to contemporary worship leader, Stewart Quinn.