The Balmoral Show, which opens on Wednesday, draws thousands of people from across Northern Ireland and further afield to its gates, and once again, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) will have a pastoral presence.
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Pastoral presence at the Balmoral Show
With the Church’s Rural Chaplaincy team on site, the Presbytery of Dromore will once again have its stand in the Eikon Shopping Village (EK 45) catering for weary visitors who need a seat, some refreshments, and those who may need a listening ear.
The presbytery is one of PCI’s 19 regional bodies that covers the north eastern corner of County Down, and takes in the showgrounds. Made up of 22 congregations, volunteers from churches in the presbytery will be on hand to serve those who come for a rest.
The minister of First Dromore Presbyterian Church, Rev Dr Keith McIlroy, heads the presbytery committee that organises the stand, “Given that we have only had the stand since 2014, when you think that this is the 157th Balmoral Show, we are relative new comers! We are here, however, to serve and it is a privilege to be able to offer a place to sit and a cup of tea and coffee. Along with some great ‘Presbyterian traybakes’, we are also there to provide a pastoral listening ear, should anyone want to chat.”
"On my first time on the stand a couple on the verge of separation sat down and began a conversation about their marriage. Some people, however, just want to sit and have a moment to themselves, while others want to chat, with conversations ranging from the deeply personal, to questions of faith, and who just won the sheep shearing. It is also an important opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus.”
With a special reusable ‘goodie bag’ to take away that contains some gospel literature, and book entitled ‘The Man on the Middle Cross’, Dr McIlroy looks forward to extending a warm welcome to the stand.
Dr McIlroy continued, “Agricultural shows are important parts of farming life. Like them, as a denomination we are also very much a part of rural life, with many farmers and farming families attending our churches, like my own in Dromore. Running the stand on behalf of the wider Presbyterian Church is a privilege, as is being able to offer a compassionate, pastoral listening ear for anyone who may want to chat over a cuppa. It is something that we feel we have been called to do.”
Rev Kenny Hanna, PCI’s Rural Chaplain, and the rural chaplaincy team, will also be occasionally on the stand and around the Show. The minister, who grew up on the family farm, has farming in his blood, and always looks forward to Balmoral.
“Ever since I came to my first Balmoral Show as a boy, there has always been something special about it. Perhaps it is about being part of a bigger farming family? As a chaplaincy team, we are also part of that farming family, meeting people where they are, be they at the Mart, on the farm, or at one of the agricultural shows, coming alongside people as we seek to meet their pastoral needs and point them to the hope only Jesus can bring.
Encouraging show goers to visit the stand, the rural chaplain said, “Being at Balmoral is, I think, an acknowledgment of the importance that we as a Church place in being there to support our farming community, especially in these times of great challenge. If you are going to be at Show, please take time to visit us.”
Visiting the Balmoral Show
The Balmoral Show opens on Wednesday, 13 May and closes on Saturday, 16 May at Balmoral Park, Halftown Road, Lisburn, BT27 5RD, County Antrim.
If you are planning to go, you are more than welcome to visit the Dromore Presbytery Stand, which is EK45 in the in the Eikon Shopping Village.