Press Releases14 Nov 08

Service Marks New Beginnings at Church of Ireland Theological Institute

A special service of Inauguration for the Church of Ireland Theological Institute (formerly College) and Commissioning of its Director, the Revd Dr Maurice Elliott, was held at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin last night (13/11/08). Attended by a large congregation of clergy and laity including current students and participants in the Institute’s new Foundation Course, the service was presided over by the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr John Neill. The preacher was the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Alan Harper, OBE.

Pictured with the Revd Dr Maurice Elliott (centre) at hisCommissioning as Director of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute in Christ Church Cathedral are the Bishops and Archbishops
present (left to right) the Most Revd Richard Clarke, Meath and Kildare, the Rt Revd Harold Miller, Down and Dromore, the Rt Revd Trevor Williams, Limerick and Killaloe, the Most Revd Alan Harper, Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Dr John Neill, Archbishop of Dublin, the Rt Revd Michael Jackson, Clogher, the Rt Revd Alan Abernethy, Connor and the Rt Revd Ken Clarke, Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh.

In his address, Archbishop Alan Harper said, ‘We must make things new in order to be better fitted and more effective for the demands of a new time. This is the lofty aspiration of the nascent Church of Ireland Theological Institute.’

The Bishop of Clogher, the Rt Revd Dr Michael Jackson, Chair of the Ministry Formation Project, further commented, ‘The Theological Institute offers to members of the Church of Ireland a new way of collaborative learning which will involve the Church in its totality. Exciting pathways of training for lay leadership and service will open up alongside and in combination with training of clergy for freshly focussed ordained ministry.’

Pictured at his commissioning as Director of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin is the Revd Dr Maurice Elliott (Centre) with the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Alan Harper (left) and the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr John Neill (right).

The Revd Dr Maurice Elliott with the Rt Revd Michael Jackson, Bishop of Clogher, the head of the Ministry Formation Group.

The Revd Dr Maurice Elliott (centre) with students of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute following Dr Elliott's Commissioning as the Institute's Director in Christ Church Cathedral.