The synods of the eight districts into which the Irish Methodist Church is divided for administrative purposes meet twice a year. For the autumn meetings, each Synod selects a topic for discussion that it sees as particularly important to its work at the time. This year, three chose to think about pastoral care.
In the Down district, attention was given to the changing cultural values in the community and the problems these present to the family, the elderly and the solitary.
The Dublin synod saw pastoral care as a mutual thing between ministers and people, starting from the question: "Who pastors the ministers and their families?"
However, one imaginative presentation to this synod dealt with the pastoral care of strangers, seeing these not only as people from other places, but also as people estranged by Alzheimer's disease or dementia, and those who do not fit into modern society.
The Belfast synod related pastoral care to church development, and was addressed by Prof Bill Adley of the Church Growth movement. Again pastoral care was seen as something given by the whole community of the church, and not just by particular officers.
The midlands and southern district has experienced a notable increase in congregations, many of the newcomers being asylum-seekers. The discussion centred on the adaptation of the forms of worship to give expression to their different approaches. Again the subject was closely related to pastoral care.
In the Enniskillen and Sligo synod, the theme for the meeting was "Fellowship and Discipleship". The members of the synod addressed ways of developing more effective leadership in the churches of the district.
The north west district synod, which has churches in counties Donegal, Derry and Tyrone, was concerned about the mission of the church in rural areas, where the agricultural way of life is under considerable economic and cultural pressure.
The debate was led by the Rev Desmond Bain of the Home Mission department, and the Rev David Rock, recently appointed secretary of the department of youth and childrens' work.
Youth was to have been the major focus of the Portadown synod. However, the meeting was on September 11th and when it was convened, the members expressed their concern for the victims of the terrorist attacks in the US and adjourned.
The synod of the north east district turned its attention to the church's ministry of healing, its thoughts led by two ministers in the area who have much experience in this field, the Rev Jack Robinson and Rev Bill Scott.
On September 29th, the president of the church, the Rev Harold Good, opened and dedicated a new church and community centre at Newtownards. The new church is a reconstruction of the Regent Street church and the community centre occupies the site of the former church hall. In constructing the church, the architect sensitively incorporated those features of the original building which had been listed for preservation.
Tomorrow, the Rev Good will be the special preacher in the church of Ballynahinch. On October 21st, he will be in Co Fermanagh, preaching at Springfield and Churchill churches.
Tomorrow morning, the service from the television studio broadcast by RT╔ 1 will be led by the Rev Dr Kenneth Wilson and members of the congregation of Bray.
The School of Ecumenics and the Debt and Development Coalition Ireland are jointly organising a public meeting and a conference on world debt. Both will take place at the Teachers' Club, Parnell Square, Dublin. The meeting is on October 23rd at 7.30 p.m. and the conference the following day from 9.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.