At a second Special General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) to meet in as many months, PCI’s Moderator, Right Reverend Dr Richard Murray, said that the Church was living through ‘an ecclesiastical earthquake’ and encouraged ministers and elders gathered in the Assembly Hall of Assembly Buildings in Belfast, to look to Psalm 46, a psalm for times of trouble and hope.
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Moderator speaks of ‘an ecclesiastical earthquake’ and hope at Special General Assembly
Dr Murray was speaking during a service of worship, which opened the Special General Assembly. The meeting formed part of the ongoing process of addressing a range of issues and related matters that stemmed from failings in the central administration of its safeguarding processes, which the Church announced in November of last year.
While Dr Murray said that no one was sure when Psalm 46 was written, “…it was written at a time of huge change in the history of the people of God… [who] had a sense about them of earthquakes happening…” pointing to verse 2, which says, “The earth gives way…the mountains moved into the heart of the sea.”
The Moderator continued,
“Clearly the psalmist was living through times of cataclysmic change and it’s good to remind ourselves that such times have always been faced by God’s people, to a greater or lesser extent. We in PCI are living through such a time when there’s been an ecclesiastical earthquake and when safeguarding has (quite rightly) been moved centre stage.”
Speaking of what had taken place, Dr Murray affirmed those “who have faithfully and dutifully carried out their safeguarding duties, but others have failed us and, in their wake, we are acutely aware of people who have suffered and been left desolate, and then there are forces without and forces within that oppose us and sometimes we wonder what’s coming next?”
He then posed the questions ‘What does the future hold for PCI?’ and ‘where is the Lord in the middle of it all?”’ Talking of Psalm 46, Dr Murray said that it would help the Church navigate such a time as this, pointing to verse one which says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Dr Murray continued, “We in PCI are in trouble, make no mistake about it, especially, again, and most necessarily we think of those hurt, harmed, traumatised by our failings and as David Bruce said away at the beginning “even one case is one too many…”
Ministers and a representative elder from each of the all-Ireland denomination’s 500-plus congregations were entitled to attend today’s meeting, which will receive an update on safeguarding and progress regarding the General Council task groups that were set up as a result of decisions taken at December’s Special Assembly.
The two principal pieces of business that will also follow the Moderator’s opening address, will ask Members of Assembly to consider the ceremonial and reporting aspects of PCI’s General Assembly in June and the approve resolutions concerning the appointment process of a new Clerk of the General Assembly’, and a new senior leadership structure for the Church.
You can read the full text of Dr Murray’s speech here.
The Special General Assembly is open to the public to attend and livestreamed here where the reports and resolutions can also be found.