Church of Ireland thanks for Bishops’ Appeal support as £170,000 is raised

From supporting people displaced by the war in the Middle East and sending essential relief funds to the Anglican diocese of Jerusalem, as well as stoves to people in Ukraine whose homes have been destroyed, Bishops' Appeal money makes a life–changing difference.

CoI Bishops’ Appeal also supports projects away from the media spotlight where the needs are equally urgent and where climate change is having a devastating impact on the lives of millions of people.

In Madagascar, the church has been able to support a project promoting sustainable silk production businesses, which are replacing the previous dependence on cutting down trees to create charcoal.

Elsewhere, a CoI Mothers'’ Union literacy project in Burundi is not only supporting women to run businesses to support their families, but also basic literacy and numeracy skills help prevent fraud with the added bonus of the women being able to read the Bible for themselves.

Victims of two recent natural disasters in 2023 – the earthquake that devastated large parts of Syria and Turkey, and floods in Libya – have been provided with ongoing support through our partners on the ground locally.

Other projects in Malawi, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Somaliland will all receive support to enable lives to change, with training, green energy projects, and security measures around a vocational college which all help to address the many challenges people face in their everyday lives.

Senior CoI clergy say it is the Irish church's privilege through Bishops’ Appeal to support brothers and sisters around the world who are often living in great need, but who are full of faith.

The Church of ireland has 11 dioceses, with five located in Northern Ireland -Armagh, Connor, Derry and Dromore, Clogher, and Derry, which is twinned with Raphoe in Co Donegal.

* The annual general synod of the Church of Ireland will be held next month n Armagh, the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland, for the first time in six years.

The main synod business will be conducted over two days on Friday and Saturday May 10-11. The synod will be opened with a communion service (10am) in St Patrick's cathedral, conducted by the bishop of Clogher the Rev Dr Ian Ellis.

Later, the presidential address will be delivered by the church primate Archbishop John McDowell. More than 600 synod delegates from the bishopry, parish clergy and laity will attend from the 11 dioceses in Ireland, discussing and taking decisions on a wide range of religious, social, educational and administrative issues relating to general church life.

Over recent years,, the annual Church of Ireland general synod has been held at venues in Belfast, Dublin and Londonderry, including Presbyterian Church Assembly Building in Belfast..