Church of Ireland parishes in appeal over bikes for clergy ministering in South Sudan

By Billy Kennedy

Published 13th Apr 2024, 00:00 BST

Maridi Anglican diocese has 92 clergy and five deacons plus lay readers, evangelists and Mothers' Union members serving 75 parishes. These are scattered across a wide area, largely inaccessible by car, meaning that to reach their congregations clergy must walk long distances for many hours.

On his recent visit to Maridi, Down and Dromore bishop the Rev David McClay spent quality time, pray and worship with the faith filled-clergy and lay people of the southern African diocese.

“The diocese of Maridi has the same number of parishes as Down and Dromore, but each parish will often have many worshipping communities with new ones being birthed continually as the diocese grows.

“Most of the clergy do not receive a monetary stipend having to exist by growing their own crops and perhaps keeping a few chickens and goats. In this way they resource their ministries and provide for their families.

"I was impressed by the Biblical literacy; prayer lives and the costly commitment of these wonderful clergy who lack any form of transport and carry out their ministerial duties on foot," said Bishop McClay..

The bishop added: "Strong, suitable bicycles for pastors are urgently needed and can be purchased for £200 each. I am appealing to all parishes in Down and Dromore diocese to help us reach our target of 100 bicycles.”

If sending monies electronically, please indicate the name of your parish and then ‘bikes’. Please follow this with an email to Brian Lavery: [email protected] or Mrs Kelly McCullough: [email protected] so that they can easily identify the donations coming into the bank account. Bank details are: AIB (NI), 35 University Road, Belfast BT7 IND.

Account Name: Diocese of Down & Dromore Sundry Funds Number: 17028093. Sort Code:

93–80–92 IBAN: GB86 FTBK 9380 9217 0280 93.

If sending by cheque, the payee should be ‘Down & Dromore Sundry Funds’ and the cheque enclosed with a note to say who it is from and for what purpose ie. 'Bikes in Maridi'. Please send to: Diocese of Down and Dromore Finance Office, Diocesan Offices, Unit 1, 21 Old Channel Road, Belfast BT3 9DE. Donations should therefore be received before Friday June 7. When collected the bicycles will be dispatched to Maridi diocese, South Sudan. Considerable costs will be involved to transport the bicyles to South Sudan.

* Down and Dromore Church of Ireland diocese has 75 parishes, stretching through all of Co Down, East Belfast and north Armagh, in the Portadown and Lurgan areas.