Presbyterian congregations throughout the island have been asked to set aside time during this Sunday services, and through the weeks to come, to pray for the forthcoming General Assembly. It runs from June 6th to June 10th in the Assembly Buildings, Belfast, and is the biggest annual event in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s calendar.
This year’s incoming Moderator, Rev Dr Frank Sellar, is no stranger to Dublin, having served as minister of Adelaide Road Presbyterian Church for 17 years, before moving to Belfast in 2007 to serve in his present charge, Bloomfield Presbyterian Church, in East Belfast.
This year's General Assembly theme is A Community of Global Concern. Dr Chris Wright will be the guest speaker at the Wednesday evening meeting organised by the Moderator. Dr Wright is currently the International Ministries Director of Langham Partnership International. He was the principal of All Nations Christian College, and is an honorary member of All Souls Church, Langham Place in London. In his book The Mission of God, Wright traces the narrative of the Bible as the story of God's mission. Thus all Christians are engaged in God's mission to the world.
This year’s General Assembly will have a slightly different feel to it, in comparison with previous Assemblies. Along with the necessary reports presented by various internal Councils and Task Groups, more space is being given to discussion and debate at a strategic level. For the first time in several years, business will continue into a fourth day.
To those watching from the outside, the General Assembly’s procedure may seem antiquated, even cumbersome. But as with many representative bodies in positions of leadership, it seems to be the most effective vehicle to serve the denomination as a whole. Ministers and elders are sent from each congregation throughout the island. What sets the General Assembly apart is, or its obviously intentional, Christian, input and Presbyterian ethos.
The General Assembly starts in the context of a worship service on Monday evening, when the new Moderator is installed. Meetings begin with prayer, and daily corporate worship is understood as an essential part of the proceedings. All Presbyterians are asked to pray for this year’s Assembly.
In other news, Arklow Presbyterian Church will have a new minister installed on Saturday May 28th. Mr Nathan Duddy and his wife, Ashley, have been part of the Legacurry congregation, just outside Lisburn, where Mr Duddy is the Assistant Minister. His ordination and induction service marks the next in a series of significant changes for the Arklow congregation. Last year, the congregation celebrated its 100th birthday.
Less than five years ago, under the leadership of its previous minister, Rev Michael Anderson, a significant building project was completed.
The congregation now has an excellent, fit for purpose facility; providing space for a flourishing Montessori School, as well as rooms offering significant outreach opportunities, such as the annual Holiday Bible Club. Mr Duddy joins a congregation that enjoys strong community relations in the town for Jesus’ sake.