The new president of the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Rev Dr Brian Fletcher, was installed at a ceremony in Christ Church, Leeson Park, Dublin, last night.
The installation, which also marks the beginning of this year's Methodist Conference, was attended by the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Rev Diarmuid Martin, the first time a Catholic archbishop has done so.
Conference sessions take place at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, from 9.30 this morning and continue to Tuesday afternoon.
Predominant topics this year will include a breakdown of the church's population growth in the Republic, from 5,000 in 1992 to 10,000 in 2002, and where this has taken place. In total there are more than 55,000 Methodists on the island.
This afternoon Archbishop Martin will convey ecumenical greetings to the conference, as will Bishop Ken Clarke of the Church of Ireland, the Rev Dr Ivan McKay, former moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and representatives of the smaller churches. A major feature of Sunday's proceedings will be tributes to the Rev Edmund Mawhinney, who is retiring as secretary of the church.
On Monday, in discussion on the church's Council on Social Responsibility report, it is expected the result of yesterday's citizenship referendum will provoke comment whatever the outcome.
In a statement last month the council's southern executive strongly advised a No vote. It described the referendum as "ill-judged" and said it would have "unfortunate consequences".
Dr Fletcher was an electronics technician at Queen's University Belfast when he felt called to the ministry in 1967-68. After being accepted for training he went to Emmanuel College in the UK in 1970, where he met his wife, Rosemary, then matron at the college. In 1974 he returned to Ireland and was installed as minister in Dungannon, Co Tyrone.