Diocesan News
Archbishop Robin Eames' Presidential Address to the Armagh Diocesan Synod
ARMAGH DIOCESAN SYNOD
TUESDAY 25TH OCTOBER 2005
SYNOD HALL, ARMAGH
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS BY THE ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH
MOST REVD DR ROBIN EAMES
Members of the Diocesan Synod,
I welcome you to the meeting of our Synod for 2005 and pray that Almighty God will bless and guide us in our deliberations.
OUR DIOCESE
This annual occasion allows us to take a prayerful look at the life of the diocese to which we belong. It also allows us to appreciate yet again one of the most important features of the life of the Church of Ireland. The privilege and responsibility of clergy and elected laity meeting to make decisions, review events and plan the way forward together is something we have valued since our disestablishment back in 1871. It is worth remembering that privilege and that responsibility in an age when wherever we look people talk about transparency and democracy.
To underline this principle I want to pay tribute on this occasion to some of those who exemplify responsibilities for diocesan service in Armagh.
It is now some twenty years since I first addressed the Diocesan Synod as Archbishop and Primate. How much I have valued the support and prayers of our diocesan family and valued the work of this Synod. So many give freely of their time in the work of our committees and boards often at the expense of their daily work. They do so because of loyalty to the Church we all love and serve : but I want to express my personal thanks to you all on this occasion.
STAFF AND OTHERS IN ARMAGH DIOCESE
In addressing you I want to pay tribute to the Honorary Secretaries you have elected to serve Synod and Diocesan Council for their work during the year. Their work involves much more than preparation for the Synod alone : many aspects of our responsibilities as a diocese passes through their hands.
I thank Mrs Leighton, our Diocesan Secretary, for her invaluable and patient work for our diocese. Since she became Secretary she has seen so many changes in diocesan life and her willingness to help clergy and laity at the parish level is so much appreciated. I have been delighted to see her work recognised at a central level through appointment to important responsibilities in Dublin and not least her role in the Theological College. Mrs Jennifer Kirkland has already established herself as assistant in our Diocesan Office and I know how much we appreciate her friendly approach to all our queries and problems.
Then I turn to Mrs Roberta Haffey, my Secretary. What more can I say about Roberta which has not been said by many on various occasions. I know better than anyone her devotion, faithful service and personal integrity. She is admired throughout the Anglican world. She carries more responsibilities than you will ever know and as I have said before I am now used to being introduced across the world as ?Roberta?s Archbishop?. Behind the scenes so often her consistent commitment to Christ and the Church has been an inspiration. Her abundant optimism has brightened many a crisis or dark moment for me. No Primate could ask for a better secretary. I thank her on behalf of a multitude for all she does in such a quiet but proficient way.
An Archdeacon of Armagh carries much more responsibility than is usual in any diocese. Given the responsibilities of my office I have to rely on and expect support from my Archdeacon in so many ways. As my Commissary he has had to deal with many matters on my behalf. Perhaps one of his tasks we tend to take for granted is the filling of vacancy and sick duties in our diocese. This is testing and exacting work. I acknowledge Archdeacon Hoey this morning and thank him for all he does.
In these tributes I include members of all our committees not by any means least the Diocesan Nominators whose responsibilities are heavy in these days.
THE DEAN OF ARMAGH
As many of you are now aware the Dean of Armagh has announced his retirement. He will be vacating his responsibilities on 31 January next and this will therefore be the last Diocesan Synod he will be attending as Dean of St Patrick?s Cathedral and Keeper of the Public Library in Armagh.
In referring to his retirement I speak not only of a trusted colleague but a friend of many years.
We both found ourselves rectors of what was then called new area parishes in the seventies; he as rector of St Columba?s Portadown and I as rector of St Dorothea?s, Belfast. Facing similar challenges in new and developing communities we shared our ideas and indeed our Select Vestries met together. That friendship continued through the Church of Ireland Men?s Society visits to England and our membership of Dublin committees. When I appointed him Dean of Armagh in 1989 he brought to this Diocese his experience of ministry in the dioceses of Derry and Raphoe, Kilmore as well as Armagh. In 1990 he became one of the honorary clerical secretaries of the General Synod in addition to the many committees he served at a central level. As Secretary he carried heavy responsibilities in relation to the policy and planning of our Church.
St Patrick?s Cathedral is well described as the ?mother Church of our diocese? and so many important diocesan occasions involve worship in its historic precincts. It is therefore important that the standards of worship there are at all times of the highest order. Dean Cassidy has always had such appreciation and I have often been so thankful for his input. However there have been an increasing number of extra-diocesan occasions when St Patrick?s has hosted visitors from beyond Armagh diocese. I recall the historic visits of at least two Archbishops of Canterbury, thanksgiving as well as memorial occasions during our dark years of the Troubles, the visits of the Anglican Primates to Armagh when my colleagues from across the world spoke so highly of the welcome they received at St Patrick?s and then of course the recent visit of the General Synod to our city. On all these occasions I was rightly proud and thankful for the work of the Dean and his colleagues.
As Keeper of the equally historic Public Library founded by Primate Robinson, Dean Cassidy has seen the large increase in its use by visitors and research scholars.
Mrs Cassidy has had a life-time association with the diocese of Armagh. From her early days growing up here to her return as the Dean?s wife in 1989 Ann has been known and loved by us all. She has supported Herbie?s ministry in every way as well as playing a full part in the life of the Cathedral, the Clergy Wives Fellowship and the Mothers? Union.
When we say farewell to Herbie and Ann next January we will do so with genuine appreciation for their friendship, support and service. Today as the Diocesan Synod I ask you to join me in wishing them well.
RESPONSIBILITY
The key word in my Address to Synod this year is one of the oldest terms in our vocabulary. But it is one which in my opinion has become of less significance in recent years. Not only has it become diluted in its own right, but it has been given a myriad of interpretations as circumstances change. That word is ?responsibility?.
Any search for definition and meaning to this word uncovers different elements ? but all agree on its relationship to privilege granted, privilege given or privilege conveyed. In the English language privilege brings with it responsibility ? and responsibility itself relates to those enjoying privilege as well as to those who will be affected by the privilege of others.
In the Christian vocabulary Scripture leaves us in no doubt about the relationship of privilege and responsibility. The key privilege for any Christian is knowledge of the dominion of Almighty God and His identity with the human condition through Jesus Christ. From that central point all else follows. Relationship with other Christians, relationship with non-Christians, relationship with society and the wider world and of course the Gospels leave us in no doubt relationship with those called ?the poor? of this world. In all those strands we turn to the central reality of God in Christ ? and that too can often become less than the privilege it ought to be.
If there is one main danger in this current period of Christian Church history that seems to me to require constant scrutiny it is the malaise we call familiarity. Familiarity with the greatest story ever told is the privilege of Christian experience. But familiarity can lead to a sense of self-assurance which itself builds up a lack of sensitivity to the real message of Christ, a blinding of our enthusiasm to bring Christ?s teaching into the heart of our lives and a false sense of well-being when we should be reaching out beyond the comfort zones of Church life to a world desperately searching for meaning to it all.
In times when we are familiar with terms such as post-modern and post-Christian on the world stage we have seen the emergence with renewed emphasis of religious traditions which now challenge basic Christian allegiance in many of the developing nations. Many Christian Churches in those areas talk of opposition to their faith from numerically stronger traditions in ways which were not as visible a few decades ago. In my work within the Anglican Communion I have listened to many such stories and experiences. In the United Kingdom religious and ethnic pluralism is now a feature of life in many areas. All this raises basic questions about the role of Christianity in relation to those other traditions and questions about how various religious traditions can co-exist in any community. It also compels us to re-examine what Christ meant when he talked about our ?neighbour?. Christianity is an evangelical faith and strict identity of that term poses its own questions in the world faith scene as well as nearer home. The recent highly successful conference here in Armagh organised by CMSI brought such issues before us all.
RACIALISM
However in the local context, in fact in this diocese, whatever the answers to the big questions may be, we are reminded all too frequently of the shameful face of racial intolerance and racial hatred which is far removed from the teaching of Christ. During the past year in our diocese we have seen attacks on people and homes because of their racial or ethnic origins. Responsibility for such attacks may point to a small minority, but yet again this Synod has the responsibility to condemn all such attacks. It is of no consequence that the motivation for such actions, stems from suspicion and ignorance ? they must be utterly condemned in the privileges of any so-called Christian community.
SECTARIANISM
Then again it is within the broad context of religious tradition that another and even more pronounced feature of our lives continues to confront the expression of Christianity.
Sectarianism has continued to stalk our streets and communities. Often we find an explanation for this condition by constantly referring to the past. Our memories, our experiences, our real or imagined hurt - are listed as reasons for our suspicions of others, our enmity to others or our refusal to recognise the rights of others. Sadly sectarianism is alive and well in Northern Ireland. Too often we conclude that sectarian attitudes and attacks are carried out or fostered among those who have no Church connections and therefore are beyond the influence of Church members. Factually this may well be true but is it simply a question of the committed and practising Christian absolving themselves from responsibility ? that word again ? and saying such things as ?it has always been like this?? A Christianity which allows its followers to recognise the evils of sectarianism and ?pass by on the other side? is nothing short of a denial of the Gospel of Christ. That is why the work of the Church of Ireland project The Hard Gospel must remain a clear priority for our denomination. It seeks to help us all to search out our hearts and minds, to examine all and not just some aspects of Church of Ireland life and to see what responsibility we have to halt the corrosive effects of sectarianism. I fully accept that in our local scene it is difficult to distinguish between the religious and the political manifestations of sectarianism. I recognise the historical context of many attitudes. I recognise that this generation cannot always be called on to account for the evils of the past. But any discussion of responsibility in the Christian context today demands that any Church or diocese worthy of its name confronts sectarianism with vigour and determination.
LOYALIST UNREST
Recently we have witnessed events in loyalist areas of Belfast and elsewhere which have reminded us all how close to the surface of life community violence and protest lie. Many questions about ?responsibility? arose as a result.
The reasons for those incidents are complicated and at times obscure. Our attention has been drawn to alienation in Protestant working-class areas, deprivation and poverty, changed economic conditions and the influence of paramilitary organisations. I pay a warm tribute this morning to my episcopal colleagues, the Bishops of Connor and Down and Dromore, for their leadership and actions during the recent upheavals in their dioceses. They have instituted a structure to allow grievances to be listened to and understood. The response of government is vital. But I am concerned if the main response of government is to allocate money alone to these areas. More than finance, welcome as it is, is necessary. A new sensitivity to genuine as well as perceived grievance or alienation in Protestant working-class areas is essential. Listening as well as financial help is essential. Clergy in those areas have talked to me and I have received delegations of groupings in north and east Belfast and I am acutely aware of the depth of their feelings. The recent announcement of a government Task Force is welcome. But never let it be imagined that money alone will solve the problem. Responsibility is the key word. Responsibility by government must be exercised to help those who are so desperately trying to improve life for everyone in those areas and a major part of the exercise of that responsibility is to listen, to hear and to identify the real truth of the situation.
PARAMILITARY ACTIVITY
Responsibility cannot be directed to any one facet of this problem alone. Paramilitary activity has been the focus of much attention recently. Within many of the areas current loyalist paramilitary influence is obvious. Years ago I was privileged to encourage loyalist paramilitary leaders to reach a point where they declared their campaign of violence had ceased. Much has happened in the years since. A new generation of leaders has emerged and criminality in both Protestant and Roman Catholic areas has been identified and experienced. The recent actions of the Provisional IRA in putting beyond use weapons was significant. Time will either convince or deny the significance of that event. But in the case of loyalist paramilitaries serious thought is now essential on the question of their arms. I can understand a reluctance for any decommissioning by them to be seen as simply a response to the IRA action alone. They must examine their position because it is the right thing to do : it is a moral responsibility : and I am convinced of my responsibility to say to them that the time is now for them to decommission. As they know I stand ready to do anything I can to encourage them in this regard. No greater social question confronts society here today than how we can create a climate where energy directed to paramilitary activity in all its forms can be re-directed to the peaceful good of all people in Northern Ireland, particularly in areas where so many have suffered.
MINISTRY
Now let me turn to the nature of responsibility in other aspects of Christian experience.
The Ministry of our Church is a pivotal aspect of our everyday life.
I have recently appealed to our parishes to consider again the encouragement of vocation to Ministry. I have been much encouraged by the response. We have received an increase in the number of enquiries for training for lay ministry. We have an excellent system of training and support for lay readers and I again pay tribute to Canon Kennedy and his colleagues in that respect. I am also delighted to tell the Synod that six members of the diocese will attend the forthcoming Bishops Selection Conference for the ordained Ministry. Three of these candidates will seek training for the stipendiary Ministry and three for the non-stipendiary. This must be an encouragement for a diocese of our size.
Once more I want to refer to the ordained Ministry in our diocese in terms of the word ?responsibility?.
In recent years there has been renewed interest throughout Anglicanism in the ministry of the whole people of God. Put in simple terms this means we must recognise that baptism involves full integration in the life and outreach of the Body of Christ, the Church. Every baptised Christian has a role in their daily life and relationships. While we tend to emphasise the ordained ministry and that of lay readers baptism carries that responsibility in our teaching. But our Church is organised in such a way that ordination leading eventually to incumbency and lay training leading to Readership is the outward and visible sign of Ministry to our people.
As members of the Diocesan Board of Nomination will agree it is becoming increasingly difficult to fill vacancies in parishes, particularly in country areas. This is now a growing phenomena for our Church. For many reasons there is now a shortage of clergy prepared to be considered for such posts. Inevitably this brings about lengthy vacancies. I am deeply conscious of the demands such vacancies make on parishioners. I again pay tribute to our retired clergy and Readers who help us so willingly in such instances. A vacancy can be frustrating for the people of a parish ? but a vacancy can call out from parishioners the exercise of the privilege of membership and the exercise of responsibility for their parish. It also compels a diocese to examine the priorities contained in Ministry. Recently the Louth Commission has helped us to reorganise parishes in the southern part of Armagh diocese. I was greatly encouraged by the co-operation of the people of Louth Deanery in the work of that Commission. Undoubtedly parish ministry will be under scrutiny in the immediate and long-term future of our Church. Some will ask has the day for our traditional attitude to parochial ministry passed its sell-by date? I myself remain a firm supporter of the pastoral day and night service of clergy in a parochial structure. Bishops are conscious of such questions. But for the moment it is the responsibility of our Diocesan Synod to think and pray about such questions.
SECULARISM
Let me turn now to one final aspect of the word ?responsibility?.
We live in a community where secular attitudes and secularism seem to dominate so much of the experience of life. Human history leaves us in no doubt as to the changes in social attitudes and social standards of life. What is usually referred to as ?the good life? is no longer dependent on many of the traditional precepts of the Christian life-style. For generations Church attendance, Sunday observance, religious observance in general and developments in community life were controlled for the majority of people by traditional Christian principles. Today Church attendances are often confined to the truly committed, young people are subjected to the demands of education and many attractions beyond traditional parochial life and society faces issues of morality which are not always addressed by purely Christian approaches alone. In other words, that old phrase ?times are changing? confronts the Church in new and urgent ways. The risk, indeed the danger, for the Church is that it changes only to accommodate the changing pattern of life beyond its doors. Of course we must adapt our ways of doing things to reach out to a secularised society ? but is there not a danger we will so adapt that our real message to the community becomes diluted and even eroded? There is nothing new in this dilemma. But I feel our responsibility is becoming more and more an opportunity to emphasise the vital importance of the individual. The Gospel leaves us in no doubt. People matter before God. People are important to God. People born in the image of God are vital, not just because of their role in a community, but because of themselves as people. Society today for many reasons has reduced the value of the individual person. Statistics and trends are what seem to dominate social research. Surely the Gospel we say we believe in, the Gospel emphasis on the ?person? needs to be recognised again in our message to the world?
If we can re-emphasise this aspect of the Faith we hold I feel certain that not only will the work of the Church of Jesus Christ find its place in society with a new relevance, it will also help focus all our work as a Church, a diocese and a parish on what really matters : the personal nature of Christ?s call to humanity.
I ask : Could there be any greater illustration of Church responsibility at this time? People matter as people to a loving God. The Gospel of forgiveness, renewal and salvation reaches out to us all as the individuals we are so that we can become the person God wants us to be.
COVENANT WITH THE METHODIST CHURCH.
It is now some years since the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church in Ireland entered into a Covenant Agreement. Work continues in the implementation of this Covenant at local and central levels. We have now reached agreement on broad principles and the question of inter-changeability of Ministeries is being examined in depth. I have appointed as Diocesan Facilitator for the Covenant in this diocese the Reverend Robert Boyd. I want to encourage all our clergy and their parishes to reach out to their Methodist neighbours in practical ways as well as seeking to share as much as possible in worship and local life. I want to see joint witness where local community issues are concerned between the relevant local Church of Ireland parish and the Methodist congregation. Joint periods of worship should not be confined to the Octave of Unity alone. I will respond gladly to any requests for joint worship in parishes once local agreement is present.
DEATHS
Since we last met the diocesan family has seen the passing of some well known and respected members. Among them we remember before God the following in particular:
On 22 October last year Canon Frank Noel died : a man who had served this diocese with such affection and faithfulness. He was formerly Prebendary of Loughgall and after his retirement in 1988 he was such a reliable help with his other retired colleagues where assistance was needed in vacancy duty. Of latter years when health permitted it he worshipped with his beloved wife on a regular basis at the Cathedral.
Canon Percy Kenny, Canon of All Saints Cathedral in Owerri, Nigeria and formerly among other things rector of Derryloran and Clooncare (Kilmore) passed away in May of this year. Until shortly before his death he had been so active and appreciated in the parish of St Mark?s, Portadown. Along with his brother and former secretary of this Synod, Canon Reggie Kenny, he loved our diocese and gave himself so freely to us.
Then on 28 August last the Reverend Maurice Harvey died after a short illness. I had known Maurice since his ordination in 1970 in the diocese of Down and Dromore and he had been Bishop?s Curate of Acton in this diocese. In retirement he served on the staff of St Mark?s, Armagh : a cheerful and devoted servant of God.
Mrs Joan Holmes became known throughout Armagh diocese as a Diocesan Reader and was much valued wherever she offered her services. She passed away last April.
To all the members of their families and loved ones I offer the sincere sympathy of this Synod.
TODAY?S RESPONSIBILITY
So we turn to our responsibilities here in Synod Hall as a Synod today, With thankfulness to God for our many privileges let us begin our work with a keen sense of the responsibilities others have entrusted to us.
May God bless you all ?