Moderator finds a 'healthy' church on Tyrone presbytery visit
Irish Presbyterian moderator the Rev Dr Richard Murray, having completed his fourth and final presbytery tour, has thanked the presbytery of Tyrone, for making him so welcome on his recent visit to the Mid-Ulster towns of Dungannon, Cookstown and Magherafelt, and surrounding villages.
Each Presbyterian moderator undertakes week-long tours of four of the church's 19 presbyteries during their year in office. Since the first tour, which took place in the presbytery of Carrickfergus in October, Dr Murray has been to congregations in South Belfast, Ballymena, and lastly,Tyrone presbyteries, which he said he found to be in "good heart".
“As a parish minister, your calling is to the pastoral and teaching needs of the congregation that you serve, and for me that is Drumreagh, just outside Ballymoney, and you really only get to hear about what is happening in your own presbytery. One of the things that I have enjoyed most about my year as moderator has been preaching in, and visiting different congregations on a Sunday, but also, being able to spend time with my ministerial colleagues during each of the four Presbytery tours."
Dr Murray added: “In Tyrone, we were able to meet at two venues for lunch and a time of prayer and fellowship, and with ministers and elders from across the presbytery at a separate meeting. From all that I encountered, I found the church in the Mid-Ulster area to be in a healthy position,”
Presbytery tours for a moderator are always a busy time, and during his week in Mid-Ulster, Dr Murray either preached in, or visited 12 of the presbytery’s 33 congregations.
“Seeing the work of the Church on the ground first hand, being able to offer encouragement to my colleagues and witness their work as they, and their congregations reach out as a blessing to the wider community, really has been a highlight for me, and not just in Tyrone, but across the three other presbyteries,” he said.
In Tyrone, Dr Murray visited Newmills primary school, where he took assembly; Kilronan special school, where he met pupils and staff, and Cookstown High School. There, he spent time with the senior teaching team and spoke to members of the school's Scripture Union.
“I was also updated with plans that Culnady and Swatragh Presbyterian church has for the old Culnady primary school, which they have purchased as part of their community outreach. With many of the churches reaching out, the link between Kilronan special school and First Magherafelt congregation in Co Londonderry through the Café Revive project was a wonderful example of a very practical partnership.
“The relationship between the school and the church is a longstanding one. The café in the church hall provides work experience opportunities and essential life skills for the older students before they leave school at 19. It was a joy to be there,” Dr Murray said.
Alongside a number of church-based activities, the moderator also visited a local cement factory, a care home and took part in an informal gathering with local farmers.
“It is strange to think that with the last of my Presbytery tours completed, my year in office has just another three months to run. Across the four presbyteries that I visited, it has been a privilege to see the wider Presbyterian church at work, quietly bringing the Christian gospel to people in different ways, bringing hope and practical assistance to their local communities across the generations, and all in the mighty and wonderful name of Jesus Christ. To me that is great news.”
* Dr Murray ends his year as moderator during the June Presbyterian General Assembly, when he will lead the service of installation for his successor Rev Trevor Gribben, current clerk of the General Assembly.