The Moderator, Rev Dr Trevor Morrow, has chosen Jesus For The 21st Century as his theme for his term of office.
At a time of change for everyone in Ireland, the Christian Church must be prepared to meet the contemporary challenges of society, rather than being entombed in a historic time warp. Her very buildings need to demonstrate her up-to-date relevance.
The congregation of Adelaide Road-Donore in Dublin is engaged in an exciting and imaginative project to redevelop its existing Victorian building, at present in a poor state of repair, and to reconstruct a structure which will facilitate growth and meet the challenges of the modern era. This entails the retention and refurbishment of the imposing Palladian cade, facade, and the provision of attractive multi-use space for worship and social and evangelistic Outreach to the city.
Full planning permission was received for this in 1996 and 1999. The church committee authorised the signing of the contract on 31st October 2000 and Dublin Corporation confirmed work could proceed from January 3rd.
The new building will retain important items from the old structure such as the organ, memorial windows and iron railings and will provide much-needed space for existing community ministries (Dolebusters unemployment and training resource centre; Playgroup parent and toddlers), and also facilitate new forms of caring. Buildings are made to serve the needs of people, not people designed to serve the needs of buildings.
Donations towards this redevelopment project would be much appreciated. These may be sent to the treasurer, John Thompson, 8, Barton Road East, Dublin 14. During reconstruction, the congregation meets in the YMCA, Aungier Street, on Sundays at 11 a.m. People from all backgrounds are warmly welcomed.
A commissioning service for the new financial secretary of the Presbyterian Church was held in Church House, Belfast, recently.
Those taking part were the Moderator, Right Rev Dr Trevor Morrow, the Clerk of the General Assembly, the Very Rev Dr Samuel Hutchinson and the Rev Kenneth Best a former Methodist president, and the new financial secretary, Mr Clive Knox. Mr Knox was born in Larne, Co Antrim, and educated at Larne Grammar School and the University of Ulster. He is the first Methodist to hold the position of financial secretary. He succeeds Mr Hilton Henry, an accountant who for 10 years served as financial head of Northern Ireland's largest Protestant denomination.
While responsibility for the financial affairs of the church rests with the church's Board of Finance and Administration, the financial secretary oversees the day-to-day financial administration of a church which has a payroll of some 800 ministers and missionaries, and an annual income and expenditure of over £40 million and pension fund investments of £40 million.
A booklet entitled Andrew Weir of Manchuria (1873-1933) has been published by the Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland. The author is the Rev Ivor Smith, minister of Claggan Presbyterian Church (near Cookstown) where Andrew Weir was brought up, ordained and commissioned just a week before he left Belfast in 1899 for mission work in China.
Mr Smith had access to the journals of Andrew Weir and has been able to characterise his subject with many of the qualities which caused him to be admired and loved both in Claggan and Changchun, China.
The late Very Rev Dr Jack Weir, a former moderator, was Andrew Weir's son and also served in China until he had to leave at a time of great upheaval. He returned to Ireland to serve in Letterkenny and eventually became convener of Home Mission, deputy clerk and clerk of the General Assembly. The booklet is available from Family Books, Church House, Fisherwick Place, Belfast.