Retired Church of Ireland and Methodist clergy meet in 'The Church on the Hill'
Members of the Retired Clergy Association (NI) and the Retired Methodist Ministers’ Fellowship recently opened their respective 2025 programmes with a joint meeting in ‘The Church on the Hill’, a Church of Ireland/Methodist Covenant Church serving the village of Maghaberry, close to Moira.
The new RCA (NI) chairman, the Rt Revd Patrick Rooke, welcomed all present in the spirit of the Covenant between the two Churches and, appropriately, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
His remarks were echoed by the president of the Retired Methodist Ministers’ Fellowship, the Revd Billy Davison (a former President of the Methodist Church in Ireland), who stressed how much the Methodist clergy value the fellowship with their Church of Ireland colleagues.
Thriving church
Following light refreshments, the Revd Clare Kakuru, the Church of Ireland Minister-in-charge at Maghaberry, briefly outlined the development of the church, beginning in 2006 and culminating in 2013 in a joint Church of Ireland/Methodist congregation which since then, she said, had been “united together in worship and leadership teams and formed a thriving church and community”. She then led members in a short act of worship.
Faith and Heritage Project
The guest speaker was the Revd Paul McAdam, rector of Aghalee, whose topic was ‘Sharing Faith and Heritage in Aghalee Parish’.
In an illustrated talk, Mr McAdam described the nature and work of the Aghalee Parish Heritage Project with which he had been very closely involved from its inception in 2018 to 2023, when Aghalee’s historic Holy Trinity parish church was reopened and rededicated by the Bishop of Down and Dromore, the Rt Revd David McClay.
Whilst a considerable part of the project (which had support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund) comprised the restoration of the church, Mr McAdam emphasised that this was not the only strand of the project. In addition, work was undertaken to research and record the heritage of the parish, including the hamlet of Soldierstown and its military history and the Broadwater and Lagan Navigation.
Although some of the project is still ongoing, over the years other aspects included open days, exhibitions and heritage talks by visiting speakers; the erection of information panels around the area; the publication of leaflets and a book, Soldiers, Sailors, Saints & Spinners, detailing the history of the whole project; and the construction of a digital heritage archive to share the parish’s history online.
All this culminated in a Heritage Festival Weekend and costume pageant in October 2023 which involved the local community and showcased the project through floral, photographic and other cultural displays.
After Bishop Rooke thanked Mr McAdam for his “most detailed, enlightening and enthusiastic presentation”, presentations were made to Mr McAdam and Mrs Kakuru for their preparation and hard work in facilitating such an enjoyable and informative morning.
Report and photo by the Revd Clifford Skillen
(For further information about the Aghalee Parish Heritage Project, tel: (028) 9209 0989 or email aghaleeparish@gmail.com)
Pictured above: The Revd Paul McAdam and the Revd Clare Kakuru (front left and 2nd left respectively) with back, from left: Canon Jim Campbell, the Revd Ken Lindsay, the Revd Billy Davison and Bishop Patrick Rooke.