Archdeacon Jim is installed in Down Cathedral
Warmest congratulations to the Ven Jim Cheshire who, following his appointment as Archdeacon of Down, has been installed in Down Cathedral. The Very Revd Henry Hull, Dean of Down, led the service, which included Holy Communion, and installed the new archdeacon as family, friends and colleagues looked on.
The service was livestreamed, allowing Jim’s family in America to be part of the occasion. It was however a delight to have the Ven Patrick Lowthian, Jim’s close friend from his seminary days, join us in the cathedral. Patrick is a US Army Chaplain currently stationed in Germany.
Jim and Diane’s children, Ethan and Eva, each gave a reading and Revd Noel Gordon, the curate in St Mary’s Ballybeen, led the intercessions. Jude Frame, Rebecca Adair and Eva led worship along with cathedral organist Michael McCracken.
Jim’s invited preacher was the Rt Revd Ken Clarke who took the first chapter of John’s Gospel as his text. Bishop Ken focused on the familiar words in verse 6, “The was a man sent from God whose name was John,” – words that refer to John the Baptist, but equally to Jim Cheshire!
“God’s most frequent way of working is through ordinary men and women, a John, a Jim, a Mary a Margaret,” he said. “Mistakenly, many think that there is a spiritual elite who are called but ALL Christians are called to point people to Christ. We are called to be signposts!
“Christ is the Way and Archdeacon Jim is a great example of being a signpost pointing people to Jesus. His heart’s desire, just like John the Baptist, is to decrease and ensure that the whole focus is on Christ. Jim is one of the humblest Christians I know and brings humility integrity and consistency to his ministry as Archdeacon of Down. What a blessing he is and will be!”
Bishop Ken continued: “John was ‘sent from God!’ He wasn’t self–appointed or self–centred. Jesus Christ was the foundation and focus of his life…and Archdeacon Jim is the same. All who know Jim and his wife Diane see in their lives something of the Jesus they love and serve. Jim will help the Bishop in encouraging every local parish to be a community of love, a gathering of authentic disciples of Jesus, a family where everyone is special, a fellowship of sinners growing in grace.“
The role
Jim was appointed on 1 October 2023 and is released from parish ministry for two days each week in order to carry out diocesan work. As well as taking on the administrative and pastoral tasks that come with the role of archdeacon, Bishop David has charged Jim with enabling evangelism so that it becomes embedded in our parochial and diocesan life. He said: “Jim is a man who puts evangelism at the heart of everything and we as a diocese must keep evangelism and reaching people at the top of our agenda.”
The Ven Jim Cheshire
Jim is originally from the United States and experienced God’s call on his life for ministry as a teen growing up in Florida. Following his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida, Jim gained his Master of Divinity degree from Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary, Massachusetts.
In 1999 Jim married Diane, who is from Coleraine, and moved to Northern Ireland. Since then, he has ministered pastorally in a variety of denominational contexts, first in Bangor and then East Belfast before being called to serve as Leader of Discipleship for Holywood Parish in 2009.
It was while he was in Holywood that, to his surprise, he found his heart ‘strangely warmed’ and opened to a future in the Church of Ireland in a way he had not expected but could not avoid.
Following his ordination in 2014, Jim served his curacy in Bangor Parish before being instituted as the Rector of Ballybeen in 2018. During the course of his ministry, he has served as an OLM Tutor, on Diocesan Council, as a member of General Synod, and on Standing Committee.