In these Notes on April 15th we commended the book recently published by the Rev Ken Todd, incoming president of the Methodist Church, which offers encouragement to those involved in ministry, whether ordained or lay. Unfortunately we omitted to mention the name of the book. It is entitled Keep Going, and is published by the Columba Press at £7.99. We apologise to Mr Todd and to the publishers for the omission.
Methodists in different parts of Northern Ireland have embarked on two major building projects. One is at Lisburn, where for many years a primary school was conducted in a hall under the church. In 1908 a separate building was opened to house the school. In the 1920s the school was handed over to the local education authority and continued for another 40 years.
In 1965 the school was moved to a more modern building on another site, and the building was given back to the church. It has been demolished and the site is being redeveloped to provide a suite of halls and rooms to facilitate church and community work. The foundation stone was recently laid by the president of the church, the Rev Dr Kenneth Wilson.
The 1890s saw the development of city missions in Belfast, Dublin and Derry combining a worship ministry with social service, expressing the conviction that Christian faith must relate to all the needs of people. In Derry the work was centred in Clooney Hall on the Waterside, where an old church was demolished, and a more suitable building erected. It, too, has outlived its usefulness and has been razed.
Construction work will also begin on the third Clooney Hall. Again, it will not only provide accommodation for Methodist works, but for cross-community peace and reconciliation projects.
Throughout its history the Methodist Church has made much use of local preachers to lead worship and to preach. It will continue to do so; they make a most valuable contribution to the life of the church. From May 5th to 7th Irish Methodist local preachers will meet in conference at Avoca in Co Wicklow. On the same dates, in Edenderry Methodist Church, Portadown, there is a Festival of Flowers.
Edgehill College, where Irish Methodist ministers are trained, will hold its annual end-of-year service at the Methodist Church, Lisburn Road, in Belfast on Thursday evening, May 18th. The preacher will be church president, the Rev Dr Wilson.
Tomorrow morning the president will preach at Jennymount in Belfast. On Sunday, May 7th, he will be at New Buildings in Londonderry, and at Strabane and Aughnacloy in Tyrone. The church at Dungannon celebrates its 150th anniversary on May 13th, and the president will be the special preacher.
On Tuesday next, at Howard House in Belfast, ECONI begin a course on Transforming Bible Study, which will run for eight Tuesday evenings, concluding on June 20th. ECONI has also announced a four-day residential conference at Belfast Bible College from July 10th to 14th. It will consider themes of making peace, healing, justice and creating hope.
Contributors will include Pastor David McMillan of Windsor Baptist Church, Belfast; Lynda Gould, who is ECONI Training Officer; and Derek Poole, ECONI Programme Officer, as well as a number of guest speakers. Details from ECONI at Howard House in Brunswick Street.