Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from the Irish Times
Resourcing a Growing Church
The recent publication of the religious element of the latest Irish census brought the welcome news of a growth, over the last ten years, of membership of the Church of Ireland. Canon J.L.B. Deane’s tabular analysis of the statistics, which has been published in the Church of Ireland Gazette, provides an easily accessible, and if anything, more graphic, picture of growth.
Since 1991 the Church of Ireland population in the Republic of Ireland has risen from 89,187 to 115,611 - an increase of 29.6 per cent. This is significant in itself, but more revealing is the county breakdown which Canon Deane provides. This shows that while Dublin and Cork remain the Church of Ireland heartlands, every county, except Cavan and Monaghan, recorded an increase and in some instances the percentage increases were substantial with, for example, Clare, Galway, Mayo and Roscommon recording increases in excess of 100 per cent.
There can be little doubt that an increasing population presents challenges for the Church and especially so at a time of general economic uncertainty when increased numbers do not necessarily translate into increased income. However, at this time of year when budgets are being prepared for 2004 much thought should be given as to how this enlarged Church can be adequately resourced.
Next month the Theological College will re-open for the new academic year. There will be 28 ordinands in full time training for the stipendiary ministry and twenty four preparing for the auxiliary ministry. In a Church which places great emphasis on the ordained ministry the appropriate resourcing of the Theological College is vital as are programmes of continuing education for those who have been ordained.
Yet, as the statistics show, the most striking areas of growth are on the peripheries, far away from the facilities of the Theological College and the RCB Library. The provision of adequate resources for these enhanced church communities may require more dynamic administrative and financial models - perhaps a more flexible ordained ministry, a greater engagement with lay leadership and the injection of funding from central sources to support and develop growing communities. A former Church of Ireland bishop was much given to saying, when the allocation of resources was being discussed, that the strong must help the weak - even more important is helping the once weak as they grow stronger.
This evening (Saturday) the peripheries of the Church of Ireland will receive an airing when Canon Gary Hastings, Rector of Aughaval, Westport, will be the subject of Coinne le which will be shown, with English sub-titles, on TG4 at 8.50 pm.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning RTE will televise Morning Service with Canon Alan Abernethy and his congregation from Ballyholme, Co. Down. The Archbishop of Dublin will preach and celebrate the Eucharist in St Thomas’ Church, Mount Merrion while in St Bartholomew’s Church, Ballsbridge, the preacher at the Patronal Festival Eucharist will be the Rector of Lucan and Leixlip, the Revd Scott Peoples. In Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, the services will be sung by the Pegasus Choir while in St Patrick’s Cathedral the Close Chorale will be in residence.
In Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucestershire, the Choir of Monkstown parish church, directed by Ms Siobhan Kilkelly, will sing Evensong today (Saturday) and at the Eucharist tomorrow (Sunday). Perhaps too this will be an opportunity to introduce to a wider readership their rector’s most successful memoir. The Revd Kevin Dalton’s recollections, entitled That Could Never Be, has sold some 3,000 copies for its publishers, Columba Press, and has been widely praised for its candour and good humour.