The Church of Ireland’s General Synod, its governing body, are meeting in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, from Wednesday 4 May, to Friday 6 May 2022. The first in–person meeting of the General Synod since its meeting in Derry in May 2019.

The Irish Methodist representatives to this General Synod are our President, Rev Dr Sahr Yambasu and Lay Leader, Ms Hazel Loney. Ms Loney spoke of the close cooperation between our our two Churches and asked God's blessing on the General Synod’s sessions.

There was a moment of humour when because of an extra "O" added to her name she was greeted as Ms "Looney" but she quickly corrected the mistake.

During the session on the Covenant Council, Dr Yambasu praised the work of the Covenant Council and of the warm relationship between our two Churches. He reminded his listeners that ecumenism is not about us but about Christ. The President was thankful for our joint congregations and also for those congregations who at present simply share a building.

The Archdeacon of Belfast, Barry Forde a member of the Covenant Council and Methodist/Church of Ireland Chaplain at Queen's University spoke in appreciative terms of how he was affirmed by the Methodist Church in Ireland at local as well as national level.

Presidential Address by Archbishop John McDowell

The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the Most Revd John McDowell,  addressed the Church of Ireland’s 2022 General Synod in Belfast.

Archbishop McDowell:

• Called for civic society to “encourage and struggle for the common good in partnership with those who govern”.

• reported on the initial findings of the ethnic diversity, inclusion and racial justice research project which he had announced at the previous General Synod in September 2021, and the need to help people find a place at home in the Church in a world of migration.

• He spoke on the “distinctive contribution to reconciliation” which members of the Church make as disciples of Jesus Christ, including through engaging with other agencies and groups in society, encouraging people “who seek to bring wholeness to lives that are very damaged and usually overlooked” and having an environment in which self-examination of our influences can take place.

“We should be clear in everything that we say publicly and privately that we are contributing to the discussion and achievement of a reconciled society as Jesus’ disciples.”  

The Archbishop said that the Christian experience of reconciliation is not transactional:

“It is not a case of me bringing my change of heart to God, which he then is almost obliged to reward by forgiveness and reconciliation. It is the presence of Jesus that creates my change of heart and I am his debtor for my repentance as for everything else in those transforming experiences and encounters.”

The address concluded with an appeal to Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, to help to bring the war in Ukraine to a just end, and the Archbishop led the members of General Synod in a prayer for peace in solidarity with the government and the people of Ukraine.

ENDS

5/5/2022

Issued by:
Rev. Roy Cooper

Press Officer
T: 07710 945104
E: pressofficer@irishmethodist.org