Over 1,000 ministers and lay representatives attended this week's General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland in Church House, headquarters of the church in Belfast. A General Assembly is the supreme court of the church.
The Moderator of the Assembly, who holds office for one year, having already been chosen by a majority of 22 presbyteries, is installed at the opening. The Moderator for the period June 1998June 1999 is the Right Rev Dr John Dixon, who succeeds the now Very Rev Samuel Hutchinson, the Clerk of the Assembly. Dr Dixon was brought up in the congregation of Ballyhobridge in the South and has been the minister of First Antrim in the North for the past 18 years.
In recent times moderators have chosen a theme for their year of office. Dr Dixon's is "Redeemed by grace to relate with grace". It is his conviction that the church's distinctive contribution to society is to offer grace. "We must challenge the ungrace of so much around. There are those who speak of grace but who do not show grace today."
The Assembly discussed and debated some 30 reports and voted on over 200 resolutions during 10 sessions of which all but one were open to the public.
There was great interest in the Church and Government Report at a time when events in Ireland are dominated by political change. The report addressed such issues as living in a changing society: moving from an adversarial society to a co-operative one, and submissions made concerning parades and the RUC.
A main focus on the future was the Project Life 2, a church-wide programme of outreach.
The future of Union Theological College, formerly the Presbyterian Theological College, Belfast, where since the mid-19th century ministers of the church have been trained, was discussed in conjunction with a report of the General Board on a review of training for the ministry.
Some are not completely happy about the present method of electing moderators and this was also discussed.
A new initiative by the ADE (Alcohol and Drug Addiction Education) Committee on the training of volunteer educators to promote the anti-drug message in churches, youth groups and schools was also debated.
Tonight is Youth Night and will have the theme "I want to know what love is".
Pastor Robert Dunlop and his wife Olive are leading an interdenominational pilgrimage to the Hold Land from November 2nd10th. The tour will include visits to the main Jewish and Christian sites in Israel-Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, Nazareth, Jericho, Mount Carmel, Masada, Galilee and Capernaum.
The pilgrimage will begin at Dublin Airport and fly from there to Tel Aviv. Travel in Israel will be by luxury coach, by boat on the Sea of Galilee with an experienced Israeli guide throughout.
A full colour brochure with details of the itinerary, costs, hotels and booking arrangements is available from Pastor Dunlop, the Manse, Brannockstown, Naas, Co Kildare. Tel: (045) 483629.
Interested persons are asked to note that the Rev Dr James Packer, well-known Anglican scholar and theologian, professor at Regent College, Vancouver, and author of many books will visit Dublin this summer. He will address the annual Consultation of the Irish Lausaunne Council for World Evangelisation, and also speak at a meeting in the Kill o' the Grange Parish Centre, Dublin, on Friday, July 31st at 2.30 pm and 8 pm respectively. His subject will be "The Evangelical-Roman Catholic Dialogue".