Diocesan News12 Oct 15

The Institution of the Revd Adam Pullen as Incumbent of Stranorlar, Meenglass and Kilteevogue

The Revd Adam Pullen was recently instituted as Incumbent of the Parishes of Stranorlar, Meenglass and Kilteevogue. The service marked the end of a two year vacancy in the parishes.

Among those present in St Mary’s Church to see the new incumbent being instituted by Bishop Ken Good were the new rector’s parents, Geoffrey and Helen, and his brother, Simon. The Revd Adam Pullen had previously served as Rector of the parish of Ballisodare in the Diocese of Achonry.

Archdeacon David McClay, who is originally from Donegal, preached at the service. In his sermon he said, ‘The church, surely, must give its life, its purpose, its passion and its energy to reaching those who don’t know what it is to have a friendship and a relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s such a responsibility – and it’s been placed on Adam tonight in these parishes – but it’s also been placed upon all of us.’

Addressing the issue of declining church attendance, Archdeacon McClay said, ‘We have a responsibility to so do church that they would want to be in here, that there would be something in here that would be so attractive, so challenging, so life–giving, so life–changing – and that, at the end of the day, is the person of Jesus and what it means to enter into a living relationship with Him.’ Truth, the Archdeacon said, was full of challenge and surprise. ‘The surprise, I think, is this: that the world out there is waiting for us to rise up and be church, be the church that He died on the cross to redeem, to be the church that He came on earth to establish.’

Archdeacon McClay said he believed passionately that the Church of Ireland had got a great future. ‘As I look out this evening, I see a full church. And if you and I, each one of us, were to go from this place more full of vision, more full of hope, more full of conviction, with a deeper love for Jesus than we maybe came here with this evening … we would begin to see God work in our streets, in our rural areas, in our families, among our friends and in so, so many ways.’

‘Tonight’s a beginning,’ the preacher suggested, ‘and a continuing of what’s gone before, but the beginning of new opportunity because yesterday’s opportunities are gone and we need to embrace tomorrow’s.’

Concluding his sermon, Archdeacon McClay urged members of the church in Kilteevogue, Meenglass and Stranorlar to ‘go for it’, to ‘rise up’ and go for ‘new adventure’, to transform society around them, with Jesus as their purpose and Jesus as their goal.

Photo above: (Left to Right) New Rector, Rev Adam Pullen; Rev Canon David Crooks (Diocesan Registrar); Bishop Ken Good; Archdeacon of Raphoe, Ven. David Huss; Archdeacon of Down, Ven. David McClay; Rev Canon Stewart Wright (Kilmacrenna East and West Rural Deanery).