Transcription
!September 9CNIWorshippers at a megachurch near Lagos. SomeNigerian megachurches can hold more than 20,000worshippers and employ thousands of people.See report below - World's largest churches aregetting biggerFormer Westminster MP keynotespeaker at Down and Connor Faithand Life Conventionchurchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 1
September 9For the third time the Down and Connor Faithand Life Convention will take place in Our Ladyand St. Patrick’s College, Knock, Belfast onSaturday September 24.The convention is a gathering of young and oldinterested in exploring and debating thesignificance of faith for the realities of everydaylife and living.Former Westminster MP Sarah Teather is thisyear’s keynote speaker. She is now director ofthe Director of Jesuit Refugee Service in the UK.At age 29 she was the youngest MP inWestminster and served as Minister of State forChildren and Families in the CoalitionGovernment between 2010 and 2012. Then, inthe context of doing a silent 30 day RetreatSarah decided to leave Parliament with theconviction that working with refugees through theJesuit Refugee Service is how she wanted toserve God and societySarah will share her experience of being aperson of faith trying to respond to the Gospelimperative to create what Pope Francis refers toas an ‘oasis or a culture of care’.churchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 2
September 9After lunch over 20 workshops will explorethemes such as faith and film, the realities ofliving as a Muslim in Belfast, ecology, faith andour divided society, what it is like to be a youngCatholic in today’s world, exploring the spiritualityof Patrick Kavanagh’s poetry, the intriguing life ofFr. John Sullivan SJ the pastoral response todrugs and alcohol and how a culture of welcomecan be created for migrants and people seekingrefuge.Workshops will be led by contributors including:Breda O’ Brien columnist with The Irish Timesand The Irish Catholic; Rev. Ruth Patterson OBE,a Presbyterian Minister and director of thecharity, Restoration Ministries; Ben Conroy,former researcher with the Iona Institute; SheikhAnwar Mady, leader of the Islamic community,Wellington Park Belfast; Dr. John Kyle GP andlocal councillor; Sr. Una Agnew SSL AssociateProfessor Emerita of the Faculty of Theology atMilltown‐Institute. The Down and Connor annual Faithand Life Convention on Saturday September 24in Our Lady and St. Patrick’s College, Knock,Belfast BT5 7DL. To book tickets nd@gmail.comPage 3
September 9Positive report on C of I and TCDdegree linkA recent external review of the Master inTheology programme delivered by the Church ofIreland Theological Institute (CITI) and TrinityCollege Dublin has found it to be ‘a successfulpartnership’ which is delivering on the aims andobjectives of the MTh, with the reviewers offering‘strong approval and commendation of what isbeing achieved each year’. In particular, Dr ClareAmos (World Council of Churches) and ProfessorDavid Fergusson (University of Edinburgh)commended ‘high academic quality attested bydissertation and degree results’; clear provisionof ‘integrated learning and formation’; evidentpastoral support and the development of a ‘broadrange of subject–specific and transferable skills’.The review found that the facilities – including theLibrary, IT, accommodation and catering – are ofa high standard, with a strongly committedsupport staff. Moreover, the commitment, inputand quality of the academic staff was found to be‘of the highest standard’. Student participation,achievement and satisfaction rates are ‘high’,‘particularly by comparison with the previous BThchurchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 4
September 9degree’, with students becoming ‘equipped bothacademically and professionally to a higherstandard than was the case prior to 2008’. Theevolution of the MTh since 2008 to include‘creative use of the ministry portfolio to allow forassessment of practical elements of the course’as well as ‘fresh approaches to teachingmethods’ were applauded.Strikingly, the review praised the combination ofprofessional training and academic educationoffered by CITI and Trinity as a model which‘compares favourably with best practice in thesector’, noting that ‘this partnership of church andacademy appears to be one of the moresuccessful by comparison with other forms ofministerial training in the UK and Europe’.The reviewers also made a number ofconstructive recommendations. These included arestructuring which could allow part–timestudents to complete the course in four yearsrather than six, and provision of further teachingin Biblical Studies as well as an additional coursein Doctrine. The full text of the report is availableonline at www.tcd.ie/teaching-learning/quality/reviewers reports 5.phpchurchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 5
September 9In response to the publication of the review, theDirector of CITI, Canon Dr Maurice Elliott, said:‘CITI is delighted to have received such asignificant and constructive endorsement of theMTh programme. Since the inception of thecourse much energy has been invested by agreat number of staff, students and those withresponsibility for governance over many years toensure that it adheres to a standard ofexcellence across its many facets. This report,comprehensively assessed and externallyvalidated, represents a strong seal of approvalon all of that endeavour. Its conclusions aredeeply encouraging for the whole Church and itsrecommendations for further improvement aregreatly welcomed.’The Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd DrMichael Jackson, commented: ‘As chairperson ofthe Council of CITI I welcome the report and theinteraction it has enabled CITI to have in a veryprofessional manner with the University ofDublin. I also welcome the fresh and critical inputof the external reviewers. They have highlightedboth the significant strides that the degree ofMaster of Theology has enabled us to make inthe training offered to clergy in the Church ofIreland and future directions and pathways wechurchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 6
September 9might undertake. Warm and appropriate mentionhas been made of the staff of CITI. The report isoverwhelmingly positive and greatly to bewelcomed.’C of E bishops urged tounequivocally welcome gayChristiansAlmost one in three clergy and lay members ofthe Church of England’s ruling body havesigned a letter to bishops urging them tounequivocally welcome lesbian and gayChristians into the church, Harriet Sherwoodwrites in The Guardian.churchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 7
September 9Bishops are meeting on Monday to discuss whatthe church should do following two years ofinternal debate about sexuality, an issue that hascaused deep divisions and threats of splits.The College of Bishops’ meeting comes daysafter Nicholas Chamberlain became the firstbishop to publicly declare he was gay and in arelationship. Meanwhile, an increasing number ofclergy are marrying same-sex partners indefiance of church rules.Conservatives within the C of E fear a de factochange of attitude by the church to people insame-sex relationships, in what they see as anunacceptable dilution of traditional teaching.Last month, 72 conservatives signed a letter tobishops warning against any proposals that couldleave the church “adrift from her apostolicinheritance” and lead to an “unwanted fracture”within the C of E and global Anglican church.This week’s pro-LGBTI open letter, whichgathered 131 signatures, is cautiously wordedbut urges bishops to “help lead us forward” with a“sense of urgency and sensitivity”.churchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 8
September y-christianssynod-members-urge-bishops-fpv6ksw0tC of E parish finances showrecord level of givingThe generosity of churchgoers from across thecountry is highlighted in the latest parish financestatistics. The figures - covering the year 2014 demonstrate a record level of giving with totalplanned giving up 6 million at 329 million andtotal direct giving up 71 million at 481 million.The figures also show that Church of Englandparishes donated 46 million to supporting othercharities working around the world, fromfoodbanks and local children's charities tointernational aid appeals.Parishes raised these important funds from acombination of regular and one-off donations aswell as investments and legacies. Total parishincome from giving, investments and otherincome sources was 989 million - an increase of 36 million on the previous year. Expenditurechurchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 9
September 9levels also rose by 28 million to 948 million in2014, leaving the 12,000 parishes a surplus of 41 million over expenditure.Dr John Preston, the Church of England'snational stewardship adviser, said:"These financial statistics reveal an underlyingfinancial health in the church which isencouraging. As a result of the commitment andgenerosity of hundreds of thousands ofchurchgoers, we have seen record levels ofgiving - with the average weekly gift from allplanned givers exceeding 11 for the first time,and the average gift from those able to givethrough Gift Aid exceeding 15 including the taxrecovered. Parishes were able to claim recordlevels of Gift Aid, with a significant part of thisincrease arising from use of the Gift Aid SmallDonations scheme. It is also pleasing to notethat legacy giving was the highest yet."Average weekly giving per tax-efficient givers hascontinued to rise year on year with membersgiving on average 12.01 in 2014. Averageweekly giving per electoral roll member rose to 8.85 in 2014, an increase of 1.60 a week andthe highest level recorded. Total planned givingchurchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 10
September 9rose by slightly less than inflation, while totalincome grew by more than inflation.Church growth: World's largestchurches are getting biggerMore than 1.6 million people now attendAmerica's largest churches each weekend,according to the latest research on churchgrowth.America's 100 largest churches start at anaverage weekend attendance of 9,000 people.The largest 200 begin with an averageattendance of 6,000. Six out of 10 of the largestchurches are still growing.Weekend attendance at large churches hasgrown at five times the rate compared to the year2000, according to Dr John Vaughan of ChurchGrowth Today.But they are still small compared to countriessuch as Korea and Nigeria. In Africa as a wholethere are already more than 15 churchesreporting more than 20,000 attendance.churchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 11
September 9Nine out of 10 US churches are small, moretraditional congregations. A church was definedby Vaughan as a megachurch if it has 2,000worshippers or more.When Vaughan wrote his 1985 book The World's20 Largest Churches, there were known to be 27non-Catholic churches with more than 6,000worshippers at the weekend, with more than halfof these in the US. Today, more than 200 in theUS alone have more than 6,000 worshippers.Lakewood Church in Houston led by Joel Osteenis America's largest megachurch with 52,000worshippers every weekend, 7,200 more than in2010 and five time the size it was when Osteen'sfather Pastor John Osteen, who founded it, diedin 1999.Life.Church in Edmond, Oklahoma tops the multisite table with 70,000 weekend worshippers at 21sites across seven states.The three largest churches outside the US are inKorea, Argentina and Nigeria.Vaughan says in a press release that he hasidentified the next 150 emerging megachurcheschurchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 12
September 9and he is confident there are many good pastorswho are equipped to lead them.News briefs Lisburn institution - The Rev Lynne Gibsonbecame only the third rector of St Mark’s Churchin the Parish of Ballymacash when she wasinstituted by the Bishop of Connor, the Rt RevAlan Abernethy, on Wednesday September 7.Lynne has been curate assistant at St. Mark’s,Dundela in the Diocese of Down for the past sixyears. A past pupil of Omagh Academy, shestudied German and Biblical Studies at theUniversity of St Andrew’s. She worked in the civilservice in the Social Security Agency for 18years, spending the first six and half of these inEngland before being transferred back toNorthern Ireland, where she was based inBelfast. Lynne’s home parish was St Finnian’s,Cregagh, where she was a parish reader for atime and helped with the BB. She studied at theChurch of Ireland Theological College and wasordained in 2010. Change of cathedrals - The Rev DeniseAcheson, former Dean’s Vicar at St Anne’sCathedral, Belfast, is to take up a new temporarychurchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 13
September 9position with the clergy team at LisburnCathedral. Denise, who lives in Lisburn with herhusband Terry, will begin at Christ ChurchCathedral on October 16 in a part-time capacity.Denise took extended leave from St Anne’s inOctober 2015 to care for her daughter Ruth whowas terminally ill, and resigned as Dean’s Vicarearlier this year. She remained nominally on thestaff of St Anne’s with the Bishop’s licence, butwithout duties, until she was able to take up anew position. Speaking of her new appointment,Denise said: “In some ways I am ready to goback, in other ways I am not, but if I just wait I willnever be ready.”Denise added that she waslooking forward to ‘getting back into the swing ofthings.’ “St Anne’s was an incredible experienceand was very different to what I am going to becoming back to,” she said. “Lisburn would bemore community parish based, so it is going tobe a very different experience.” Archbishop Tutu in good spirits after op The Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, DrDesmond Tutu, is recovering in hospital “in goodspirits” after surgery on Tuesday. ArchbishopTutu has battled recurring infections sincemid-2015 and was admitted two weeks ago fortreatment to control the infection. In a statement,churchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 14
September 9his Foundation said that Tuesday’s operation wasdesigned to “address the cause of recurringinfections.” His wife, Leah Tutu, said that thesurgery was successful and that Archbishop Tutuwas in good spirits.Yesterday was the 30thanniversary of Desmond Tutu’s enthronement asArchbishop of Cape Town and Primate ofSouthern Africa. The current Primate, ArchbishopThabo Makgoba, sent a message to thechurches in the province asking them to pray forArchbishop Tutu.News links to reports on faith,politics and educationNI child suicide calls - one per dayNews LetterChildline carried out almost 350 telephone suicidecounselling sessions last year with children fromNorthern ets-a-call-everyday-on-suicide-1-7566755Childline contacted by suicidal child inNorthern Ireland almost every dayBelfast mlchurchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 15
September 9Banbridge Non-Subscribing PresbyterianChurch mark 300 yearsBanbridge LeaderBack in 1850, the church had a congregation of 960individual members. . The Non-Subscribing PresbyterianChurch of Ireland is a small but ark-300-years-1-7566013Two new curates appointed in Enniskillen andKeshFermanagh HeraldThe 37-year-old first visited Enniskillen two years agoalong 19 other fellow students from the Church ofIreland Theological Institute to take part in a sappointed-in-enniskillen-and-kesh/Ex-pope Benedict admits he struggled totake decisionsIrish ruggled-totake-decisions-1.2784506Christian Today/IndFurther coverage of the Archbishop of Canterbury's callon the Government to speed up reuniting children livingin the Calais 'Jungle' with family in the UK. ArchbishopJustin warned of continual delays in bringing across'really quite young children'. He told the House of Lordson Tuesday, 'Where children have families in this countrychurchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 16
September 9would ministers not agree there is no reason why theyshouldn't be brought across within the ee-migrantentering-uk-a7229386.htmlLancs GuardReports on the start of the four-day Crossroads Missionin Blackburn Diocese, led by the Archbishop of York (seeabove). Archbishop Sentamu will lead 24 bishops inhundreds of events and services across the diocese. TheMission starts this afternoon with a commissioningservice at Blackburn Cathedral, before the bishops andtheir teams spread out across the county for a host ofdeanery outreach events in the evening. The Bishop ofLancaster is 8111418Times/GuardReports that more than 130 members of the C of E'sGeneral Synod have written to bishops urging them tomake an "unequivocal" declaration in support of gayChristians at the College of Bishop's meeting next week.It explains, "We are keen that the College of Bishops isunequivocal in its acknowledgement that all, includingthose who identify as LGBTI, are essential to the healthand future of our church and mission to the wider world."One of the letter's organisers, Jayne Ozanne, is ianschurchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 17
September 9Business and Human Rights CentreReports that 130 investors have signed a letter calling onthe leaders of the G20 countries to take steps to meetParis UN climate agreement. The signatories include theChurch Commissioners and the C of E Pension e/141860BBC/Times/GuardReports that lawyers for the relatives of 96 people whodied at Hillsborough have drafted a new law to compelpublic officials to tell the truth at inquiries. The victims'families campaigned for 27 years for the truth. TheHillsborough Law, which includes penalties and fines,would address a "culture of denial", campaigners said.The draft legislation will be considered by Bishop James'Review, which was commissioned by the then HomeSecretary Theresa May following the jurors' conclusionson 26 April, to consider what lessons could be learnedfrom the als-act-withcandourEven StandAs part of its Progress 1000 list, London's most influentialpeople 2016, the paper produces a list of Faith Leaderswhich includes the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishopof London and the Revd Lucy Winkett.churchnewsireland@gmail.comPage 18
September eaders-a3338136.htmlITVReports that a team from Winchester Cathedral arepreparing for a Bible Marathon taking place from 7th to10th September. Over 75 hours the team will read theBible aloud, non-stop and cover-to-cover. Roly Riem,Acting Dean of Winchester Cathedral is ers/MetroFurther coverage of St Michael's church, Camden'sapplication to its local council for a licence to host venue-6114015/BlogsBeloved Spear - The Most Evil Woman Who Ever evilwoman-who-ever-lived.html?m 1To Your Credit - The Church Is Stepping Up To FaceRising Demand For Debt ch-steps-upTheologyBee - How to bless your church ireland@gmail.comPage 19
September 9Archbishop Cranmer - Calais Unaccompanied RefugeeChildren: Welby Grills And Government t-blathers/Bishop Nick Baines - Science and cienceand-faith/GET CNI HEADLINES EACH DAYFacebook and TwitterClick on logo at CNI Home pagewww.churchnewsireland.org Please share CNI with your gmail.comPage 20
Lakewood Church in Houston led by Joel Osteen is America's largest megachurch with 52,000 worshippers every weekend, 7,200 more than in 2010 and five time the size it was when Osteen's father Pastor John Osteen, who founded it, died in 1999. Life.Church in Edmond, Oklahoma tops the multi-site table with 70,000 weekend worshippers at 21
