Church of Ireland launch a new pioneering mission

Pioneer Ministry, a new chapter in the Church of Ireland’s initiative to reach people with little or no connection to a church or parish has been launched at a service in St Patrick's cathedral, Dublin.

The new ministry’s leadership team was commissioned by the archbishops of Armagh and Dublin the Rev John McDowell and the Rev Dr Michael Jackson.

Pioneer Ministry will encourage, support and release volunteer and paid pioneers and new ministries to "share the good news of Jesus Christ in new places and in different ways".

With the endorsement of the church's House of Bishops and generous funding secured from the CoI's senior representative body, the initiative is being led by a national director, the Rev Rob Jones, assisted by Archdeacon Barry Forde and lay member Ms Ingrid Brennan.

A representative from each of the Church’s 11 dioceses was present at the commissioning service in a packed cathedral.

The guest preacher was the Archbishop of Wales, the Revd Andrew John, who highlighted the need for good foundations in church life. “This ministry offers an opportunity for us to further strengthen the life of God’s church on these islands,” he said.

Archbishop John noted that the current sense of crisis in the world made the church’s role of presenting the light of the world and hope of the nations “all the more pressing”. He spoke of bringing new life into ancient stories and ancient places, drawing on the spiritual search made by young people during the recent covid pandemic.

Down and Dromore the Rev David McClay, who chairs the Pioneer Ministry council, thanked St Patrick's cathedral dean Rev Dr William Morton for the warm welcome at the service, and the leaders who had brought the initiative to its present point.

Church primate Archbishop McDowell welcomed the church combining the 11 dioceses on the initiative. “It will only work if we recognise that fruitfulness in one part of the body is fruitfulness in every part of the body," he said.

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* One-third of the £18,000 proceeds from the Church of Ireland Dean of Clogher’s recent Christmas charity sit-out has been presented to Air Ambulance Northern Ireland. A £6,000 cheque was presented to George Irvine, from Air Ambulance Northern, at a service in St. Macartin’s cathedral, Enniskillen.

Earlier, Dean Kenneth Hall, who organised the sit-out, and local church volunteers from the Fermanagh area. visited the Air Ambulance base near Lisburn to see the work of the charity.

The charity operates in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to provide helicopter emergency support across the province. The Air Ambulance service costs around £5,500 per day to run and the crew of the helicopter comprises a pilot, doctor and paramedic 12 hours a day, 365 days a year.