Churches: Huge response to Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal across parishes north and south

Within this total, £397,000 was given to help people displaced by the ongoing war in Ukraine in response to appeals by Christian Aid; £199,000 supported projects in Africa; £76,000 went to countries in Asia, and £17,000 to Central and South America.

In 2023 so far, the Bishops' Appeal has given out £353,000 in funds, including £215,000 for Syria and Turkey following the earthquake in the region in February

Bishops’ Appeal has operated since 1972, when it was set up by Church of Ireland’s bishops in response to the commands in the Bible to bring good news to people living in poverty and relief to the suffering.

Church of Ireland Bishops' Appeal is a registered charity in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic and its aims are:

"Educate the church at home about the needs and concerns of people in the less developed world and the causes of poverty; encourage church members to examine the reasons for the problems facing the less fortunate in the world and to consider what we can do to change conditions; reach out in God’s name to those who need our help; encourage informed prayer and prayerful action aimed at strengthening the poor; raise funds needed to allow Bishops’ Appeal to support development projects and alleviate the suffering caused by disasters, both natural and man-made."

Most significant recipient country for the Church of Ireland Bishops' Appeal was Ukraine, in response to appeals by Christian Aid, Tearfund and Habitat for Humanity.

However, sustained support for projects in Africa continued, especially in East and Central Africa.

Bishops’ Appeal also supported projects in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Nepal, Bangladesh, Haiti, and Honduras.

Meanwhile Ms Hilary McClay has just been appointed as education advisor for the Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal for world aid and development.

For 20 years, she worked in community development in Northern Ireland, supporting local churches to engage with issues of poverty and deprivation as part of their Christian mission and outreach.

She has also visited several countries where extreme poverty and climate change has had such a severe impact on the lives of people, and has seen what churches in countries such as Ethiopia and Nepal are doing and how the support of agencies like Christian Aid is helping.

Ms McClay says: "As Christians we have a particular responsibility to campaign, advocate, respond, give and walk alongside the most vulnerable in our world – which is what Bishops’ Appeal is all about."

She added: "I look forward to learning more about what Bishops’ Appeal does to support the work of Christian agencies on the ground, and to bring positive change to people’s lives.”