Diocesan News
More than 170 attend Bishop of Connor’s First Lent Seminar of 2012
More than 170 people attended the first of the Bishop of Connor’s Lent seminars on the topic of Gospel and Culture in St Peter’s Parish Church, Antrim Road, Belfast, on Tuesday February 28.
Margaret Bell and Heather Boyd, parishioners of St John’s, Donegore, with the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, Bishop of Connor and the Rev Adrian Dorrian, rector of St Peter’s, Belfast, which hosted Bishop Alan’s first Lent seminar on February 28.
In his introduction, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy said that in thinking over his vision for the future, the word that emerged was ‘disconnections.’
He recalled growing up in East Belfast, when each activity outside of school was linked to the church. “My whole life revolved around the church, but over these last few decades that has begun to disappear,” he said. “Something has happened in churches and society that has caused this disconnection.” For further information please contact:
Connor Diocesan Communications Officer
Bishop Alan outlined the three strands identified in the recent survey of parishes in Connor Diocese. The first of these was the need to engage with culture. The second was empowering ministry, and the third was effecting change.
The Bishop said he intended to ‘unpack’ the issues around engaging with culture. “We are trying to understand what is going on around us in the society in which we live and the context in which we are trying to do church and talk about Jesus,” he said.
He talked about what he called the ‘backclothe’ to present day culture, and about issues affecting communities today – urbanisation, pluralism, the environment, technological advances, and the increase in individualism and fragmented communities.
Bishop Alan also looked at the image of the church, expressing concerns that people considered it to be irrelevant, confused and self–righteous, inward looking and apathetic.
Following a break for tea and fellowship, Bishop Alan concluded his seminar by looking at ways the church can reconnect with culture and community.
“We need to find connections so we can incarnate the presence of Jesus into the cultural mess that we live in, and that is very exciting,” the Bishop said.
Bishop Alan’s next seminars takes place in Bushmills Parish Centre on March 8 and in All Saints’, Antrim, on March 26. Both seminars begin at 7.30pm. Places should be booked by contacting the Bishop’s Secretary Mrs Rosemary Patterson on 028 9082 8870 or email [email protected].
Contact Details
Karen Bushby
028 4066 0798
07766103880
[email protected]