SAMS partner; Service centres on addiction; Moira Institution; MEDIA REVIEW
SAMS partner
Monica Almeida from Brazil has begiuna one year FUSION placement in the parish of Magheralin.
The SAMS FUSION programme places young adults from South America, into a church setting in the UK and Ireland. This initiative seeks to challenge and equip potential South American leaders to grow and develop their ministries. Within the diocese of Down and Dromore several FUSION placements have taken place.
Monica Almeida was born the city of Belo Horizonte, in the southeast of Brazil. She is the middle of three children and her parents and siblings are still living in Belo Horizonte.
Monica’s faith journey reminds us of the importance of children’s ministry, as at the age of 7 she handed over her life to God during a Sunday school class. Her desire is to serve God and to see people everywhere come to know his great love and compassion.
After finishing high school Monica went to Bible College for one year with a sense that God was stirring up a call to mission. However things didn’t develop as she expected and she went on to university and studied International Relations.
After graduating Monica travelled to Dublin to improve her English where she joined Immanuel Church and was part of the team for two years. After a brief visit home to spend time with family, Monica has returned to our wee island, this time as part of the SAMS FUSION programme to serve within the church in Magheralin and Dollingstown.
Service centres on addiction
Interdenominational Divine Healing Ministries Director Brother David Jardine will be leading a special service on Monday, 22nd October 2012 at 8.00 p.m. in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, for those suffering through addiction. The guest speaker is Jackie Burke (a former drug addict and alcoholic) who will speak about God’s healing power from addiction. Worship for the evening will be led by Drumbo Catholic Church Music Group. There will be an opportunity to receive personal prayer and anointing with oil at this service, not just for addiction but for any condition or situation.
Moira Institution
Cheers and loud applause greeted the institution of the Revd Joanne Megarrell as rector of Moira Parish where she has served as curate assistant since June 2003.
The preacher at the service on 4 October 2012, the Revd Canon Liz McElhinney, spoke of how Joanne had ‘grown in the hearts’ of the parishioners over the 9 years of her curacy. Canon Liz, who was for a time Joanne’s curate in her home parish of Magheralin, also spoke of Joanne’s many gifts and the positive impact she has had on the community of Moira. Those sentiments were echoed in the remarks made by the ministers of the local Presbyterian, Pentecostal and Methodist congregations who each took the opportunity to welcome Joanne in her new role as rector.
Joanne is the daughter of Albert and Irene Megarrell who now live in Waringstown and were able to attend the service. She has two sisters and a brother. Joanne, together with, the Revd Lorraine Capper, were the first two sisters to be ordained in the Church of Ireland. After attending Lurgan College, Joanne progressed to Queen’s University, Belfast and after graduating with a B.A. (Hons) in German and Biblical Studies and subsequent PGCE, she became a teacher of German and English in Limavady.
Joanne grew up under the ministry of the late Dean Roland Hutchinson and the Revd Dr Chris Easton. She became a parish reader in Magheralin before going to the Church of Ireland Theological College, Dublin, to train for the ordained ministry. She was ordained deacon in Dromore Cathedral on 22 June 2003 to serve as curate assistant at Moira Parish. Joanne succeeds Archdeacon Roderic West who became rector of Seapatrick Parish, Banbridge, in April 2012.
MEDIA REVIEW
Teachers’ pay among the worst hit by cutbacks
Examiner – The pay of Irish teachers has been among the worst hit by cuts to education systems across 34 countries, the European Commission has reported.
While a 20% increase in teachers’ income over the previous decade was one of the highest across Europe, the report — to coincide with World Teachers’ Day — highlights the impact on entrants to the profession.
Teachers who have started work since the beginning of 2011 started on 13% less than others, while those appointed since last February faced a further 20% drop on foot of suspended qualification and other allowances.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/teachers-pay-among-the-worst-hit-by-cutbacks-210006.html
‘Children’s referendum will change nothing’
Examiner – The children’s rights referendum will “bring no change” when the State has just 10 places for troubled teenagers in need of secure and special therapeutic care, a judge has claimed.
Judge Ann Ryan, at the Dublin Children’s Court, said the shortage of places for children needing special therapeutic care was “a shame, a sin, and a disgrace”.
Her comments came during a case involving a girl, 17, who is in the throes of a drug addiction and keeps absconding from care. The girl has been living in a residential care unit and had been ordered as a condition of bail to obey a curfew there.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/childrens-referendum-will-change-nothing-209924.html
Mormon Church hit by 30pc cash slump
Irish Independent – The Irish Mormon Church has blamed increased unemployment and emigration for a drop of almost 30pc in donations by its members last year. Mormon Church rules state members should donate 10pc of their income to the church through a ‘tithe’.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/mormon-church-hit-by-30pc-cash-slump-3249423.html