"IF THE" Church of Ireland does' not come to grips with the call of its young adults, it does not have a promising future, Dr Eames said in his presidential address.
While many young people had not lost interest in spiritual matters, they had too often lost interest in the God they perceived from pulpits and sanctuaries.
"For years we have held boards, committees and synods at times young people cannot possibly attend. Have we the will to change those structures to encourage those same young people to play a full part?"
The church had a duty, he said, to question its structures in relation to young people.
Ecumenism, he stressed, should never be allowed to become a sort of "new denomination" and the true ecumenist was one who knew and accepted the ethos of his or her own church, and from that position of strength reached out to fellow Christians.
The real statement for ecumenism was. "This is my belief what can I learn from you and what can you learn from me?"
"It concerns me when I come across attitudes which speak of what I call unquestioning accommodation of doctrines the idea that to be a Christian in Ireland means that there is no real difference in what any of us believe about the distinctive contribution or ethos of our own tradition," he said.
On the abuse of children, he said the church was required to be more "worldly wise" in its forms of caring. This was a difficult change in attitude for many. There was an understandable concern for the welfare of the young and many groups had felt it necessary to review their approach to this work.
"This is not a process which the Church of Ireland can avoid. We have been conducting a truly in depth review of the guidance which we would wish to offer to every parish ...