Christian Aid Ireland’s New CEO; Parish team leaves for Zambia; Partnerships great for children and young people; Zimbabwe trip brings ‘many wonderful experiences’; Gospel Choir Auditions; Lunchtime Recital; The church in the dock; Catholic Diocese suffering due to decline in priest numbers; New standards for child protection services unveiled; Surge in fears over sexualisation of children; Multi-denominational Educate Together to run secondary schools
Christian Aid Ireland’s New CEO
Christian Aid Ireland has announced the appointment of Ms Rosamond Bennett as the new Chief Executive Officer of Christian Aid Ireland.
Ms Bennett has more than 20 years of experience in the corporate sector and until recently was Head of Corporate Communications at the Northern Bank in Northern Ireland. Prior to this she was Head of Marketing for both Northern and National Irish Bank, with an all-Ireland responsibility.
‘I am delighted to be appointed as the new CEO of Christian Aid Ireland’, Rosamond said commenting on her appointment.
‘I feel very passionately about the aims and values of Christian Aid and I want to make sure that as many people as possible in Ireland have the opportunity to get to know more about what we do and how we can work together to help eradicate poverty. I feel very privileged to be offered this opportunity.’
Rosamond grew up in Banbridge but now lives in Islandmagee and is an elder in Whitehead Presbyterian Church. She is married to Karl, a primary school teacher and they have 3 children, Louis 12, Judy 10 and Reuben 6.
Ms Bennett succeeds Margaret Boden, who retired as Christian Aid Ireland’s Chief Executive last April following nearly 50 years of involvement with Christian Aid.
Parish team leaves for Zambia
Today, 27 July, for the first time in the history of St. Columba’s, Knock, an all–age team of 10 parishioners will travel to Zambia in partnership with CMSI. They will return home on 11 August.
St Columba’s Curate, Revd Robert Ferris explains what the team will be doing whilst there:
“This project is very much about developing the foundations of a relationship with the Diocese of Northern Zambia. Whilst in Zambia the team will be extremely busy. We will be meeting people in churches and helping out at the Educational Facility Archbishop Albert Chama is currently developing, which includes primary, secondary and adult education.
“We will be taking lessons in classrooms, visiting homes in townships around Kitwe, surveying development projects and hopefully assisting in some manual work as we see how people live in Zambia and how the community are lifting themselves out of poverty. We will be experiencing firsthand the issues of living in one of the poorest nations in the world.”
Partnerships great for children and young people
Movilla Abbey Church (Newtownards, Diocese of Down) is hosting over 100 children during their summer Bible week entitled, “On your Marks”. Focusing on building a team for success together with Jesus as our leader, the kids have been involved in craft, teaching, games and learning memory verses.
Members from both congregations have come together to offer their services as leaders, administrators, chefs and a pilot! One of the high points each day is when the kids travel to a different part of the world and hear about how children live there and taste some of their food. Our well qualified pilot flies them to the location each day and our air–steward stamps their passport. Our week closes on Sunday when medals will be awarded during our closing ceremony and the torch is extinguished, followed by a church BBQ, whatever the weather!
At the same time Movilla Abbey, along with other churches in the town, and lead by Scripture Union NI, are hosting “Movilla Mania”, a first for the school. This is a week long event in Movilla High School for their students and those of secondary school age in the area, organised as a SU summer mission.
There are two streams available each afternoon, sport or dance. In the evenings everyone comes together for a themed night, eg ‘Movilla’s Got Talent’. Phil Howe, SU secondary schools worker, says, “Its a real opportunity to be able to come to Movilla High School and work with the young people and share the Good News about Jesus and it great to be supported by so many churches in Newtownards. Also the team of leaders is draw from a variety of churches and its good to get them all working together too.”
Zimbabwe trip brings ‘many wonderful experiences’
Colin Darling, CITI student and soon to be deacon intern in Down diocese, recounts his experiences in Zimbabwe where he travelled with USPG:
“Apprehensive, uncertain, even nervous are the words I would use to describe how I felt as I travelled out to Zimbabwe in May 2012 with USPG Ireland for a placement in the Anglican parish of St Peter’s, Harare. I am currently a second year student at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, preparing to serve in ordained ministry.
I had felt called to go to Zimbabwe after learning of the difficulties which our brothers and sisters there were facing. USPG brought Bishop Chad Gandiya to visit CITI, and after hearing of his difficulties, I felt drawn to go to the people of the Anglican Church in Harare diocese, to stand alongside them in their persecution by political institutions and the police.
Over the past 2 or 3 years, a rogue cleric had appointed himself as head of a new church and with the ear of the President and the support of his political party and the police force, had forcibly evicted the congregations from all their church buildings. He had even seized church accommodation where the clergy and their families had been living and taken over schools and other premises where children were being taught and where the church conducted the business side of its affairs. The parishes now have to rent alternative places to worship from other denominations (St. Peter’s, where I was based, was temporarily sharing the local Roman Catholic church), or meet for worship in other buildings such as school halls or outside. Homes also had to be found for the clergy at further additional cost.
Though it was a desire to support Christians in difficult circumstances which motivated me to go to Zimbabwe, I quickly discovered that I had more to learn than to share and in truth I probably gained more from the experience than my hosts did…”
http://www.uspg.org.uk/article.php?article_id=1114
Gospel Choir Auditions
Singers Wanted – of all Voices and Nationalities – to become part of Ireland’s top inter–cultural gospel choir. Discovery Gospel Choir is holding auditions on Tuesday July 31 from 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm at St George & St Thomas’ Church, Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin 1. To apply, please email office@discoverygospelchoir.com or phone (085) 7201180. For information on the choir see www.discoverygospelchoir.com.
Lunchtime Recital
Charles Marshall (organ) will perform Brahms Op. 122, 11 Chorale Preludes, composed at the end of Brahms’ life and published posthumously, at a lunchtime recital in St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, on Thursday August 9 at 1.15 pm. Admission is free and further information is available by contacting (01) 6767727.
The church in the dock
Comment article in The Irish Times looks at the implications for the churches of legal judgments in the USA and UK.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/0726/1224320825806.html
Bishop: Catholic Diocese suffering due to decline in priest numbers
Bishop John Buckley has said the declining number of priests is impacting more and more on his diocese as he announced plans to prioritise hospital chaplaincies and the pastoral care of the sick, dying, and bereaved. The Bishop of Cork and Ross delivered the warning as he announced a number of clerical changes in the diocese.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/bishop-diocese-suffering-due-to-decline-in-priest-numbers-201978.html
New standards for child protection services unveiled
The Taoiseach said the 27 point plan sets out clearly what exactly is expected of HSE managers and social workers when working within child protection services.
http://www.thejournal.ie/new-standards-for-child-protection-services-unveiled-533424-Jul2012/
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/standards-for-child-protection-welcomed-201986.html
Surge in fears over sexualisation of children
The number of parents contacting a therapy and counselling service due to their young child’s sexualised behaviour has jumped by over 70% in the past year.
Figures to be published today by the Children At Risk in Ireland (CARI) organisation highlight growing fears over the exposure of children to pornographic material, leading some to “act out” in sexualised behaviour.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/surge-in-fears-over-sexualisation-of-children-202008.html
Multi-denominational Educate Together to run secondary schools
Educate Together will be the first new entrant to second level education since the 1930s.
http://www.thejournal.ie/multi-denominational-educate-together-to-run-secondary-schools-533329-Jul2012/