200-strong NI group issues plea

The Church of Ireland Primate, Dr Robin Eames, is among almost 200 interdenominational church members and victims of the Troubles…

The Church of Ireland Primate, Dr Robin Eames, is among almost 200 interdenominational church members and victims of the Troubles who have declared their support for the Belfast Agreement.

The group has placed a full-page advertisement in today's News Letter encouraging the pro-agreement parties.

Other signatories include Mr Michael McGoldrick, whose son Michael, a taxi-driver, was shot dead by UVF members in Lurgan, Co Armagh, in July 1996, and Mr Alan McBride, whose wife, Sharon, was killed in the 1993 IRA bomb attack on Belfast's Shankill Road.

All six of the North's Church of Ireland bishops have signed the statement, as well as members of the Catholic, Presbyterian and Methodist churches.

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The advertisement, entitled "Faith in a Brighter Future", expresses support and encouragement for the talks participants.

It says: "We acknowledge that considerable difficulties remain to be overcome but we believe that you have the will and ability to overcome them. We trust you to do this for us and we strongly encourage others to support you.

"Through our work we are left in no doubt that there is an overwhelming desire for political progress that leads to a just and lasting peace."

A group of 40 evangelical Protestant ministers met DUP members along with other anti-agreement unionists at Stormont Buildings in Belfast yesterday. The clergymen said they were against the proposals before today's Ulster Unionist Council meeting.

"We feel that to incorporate Sinn Fein without any decommissioning of terrorist arms into the government of our country at this time would be opposed to Holy Scripture," said the Rev Eric Culbertson, a Church of Ireland minister from Newmills, Co Tyrone. "We pray, and we plead with the Ulster Unionist Council delegates tomorrow to vote No to these proposals."