Having completed his fourth and final presbytery tour yesterday, Presbyterian Moderator, Right Reverend Dr Richard Murray, has thanked the Presbytery of Tyrone, for making him so welcome on his recent visit to Mid-Ulster.
News
Moderator finds churches in 'good heart'
Each Moderator undertakes four weeklong tours of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland's (PCI) 19 regional bodies during their year in office. Since the first tour, which took place in the Presbytery of Carrickfergus during October, he has visited the Presbyteries of South Belfast, Ballymena, and lastly, Tyrone, 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.
“In Tyrone, we were able to meet in two venues for a bite of lunch and a time of prayer and fellowship, and with elders from across the Presbytery at a separate meeting. From all that I saw I found the church to be in good heart,” Dr Murray said.
Presbytery Tours are always a busy time, and during his week in Mid-Ulster, the Moderator 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 he visited Newmills Primary School, where he took assembly, Kilronan Special School, where he toured the school meeting the pupils, and Cookstown High School. Here he spent time with the senior team and spoke to the Scripture Union.
“I also heard the exciting 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 through Café Revive 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 at,” Dr Murray said.
Alongside a number of church-based activities, the Moderator also had a wide range of other engagements. These include a visit to a local cement factory, a visit to a care home and 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. Good news often isn’t newsy, but across all four Presbyteries, it has been a privilege to see the stories that aren’t being told, or never will make the news – the church at work, quietly bringing the 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. To me that is great news.”
Dr Murray will end his year as Moderator during June’s General Assembly, when he will lead the service of installation for his successor, Rev Trevor Gribben, the current Clerk of the General Assembly, who will succeed him.