The primary purpose of the Synod is to enact legislation for the whole Church of Ireland. Bills, which are proposals for legislation, are considered and become Acts or Statutes if approved. Less formal proposals are submitted as motions which, if approved, become resolutions. The Synod also receives reports from various Committees and Boards, which are debated by the members. Committees of the Synod are normally elected by the Synod for a three–year term of office.

Bills

Four Bills which were enacted by General Synod 2026. Bill No 1 amends aspects of the clergy disciplinary process outlined in Chapter VIII of the Constitution of the Church of Ireland. Bill No 2 provides clarity and compassion by aligning Constitutional provision and Dignity in Church Life financial provision for when clergy find themselves in a situation where they cannot continue in ministry due to long term ill health. Bill No 3 introduces a mechanism to address situations where “an intractable breakdown of relationships” has occurred between an incumbent and members of his or her parish through no particular fault of either party. Bill No 5 amends Chapter XVI of the Constitution in relation to safeguarding to remove reference to specific policies so that the Constitution does not become out of date. Bill No 4 fell before Synod began.

Youth Ministry

Bishop Pat Storey (Meath and Kildare) at her last General Synod before she retires this summer, proposed the report of the Church of Ireland Youth Department of which she is president. She outlined CIYD’s new three year strategy which was launched at Synod and said it demonstrates the hope and vision carried by the staff. The central thrust of the vision, she said, is: to engage, equip and empower the Church of Ireland, its youth leaders and its young people to grow in Christ, nurture lifelong faith, and sustained transformative youth ministry across the island of Ireland.

RCB Report

Proposing the report of the Representative Church Body, Hilary Prentice highlighted its mission and strategic priorities which are summarised in the Executive Strategy for 2026–2028. This document is available to view on the Church of Ireland website.

Mrs Prentice pointed out that the delivery of the RCB’s strategy and operations was dependent on income that the RCB withdraws each year from RB General Funds. For 2025 the maximum Total Return income from General Funds was €8.4 million compared to €7.3 million in 2024. The increase in income reflects a strong performance from the investments of RB General Funds over the previous eight years, she said.

She reported that during 2025, despite global events, financial markets remained relatively positive. The Total Return income is supplemented by parish contributions. Given the solvency of the Clergy Pensions Fund, she expected that the Clergy Pensions Solvency Levy will no longer be needed from parishes. However, the contribution from parishes towards Safeguarding would have to be increased.

Explaining what the financial resources were spent on she outlined the following: the Church of Ireland Theological Institute; Pioneer Ministry; RCB service delivery which includes Safeguarding, Property and Trusts, Investment Management; Clergy Pension Fund administration; Library and archives; HR; and Climate Change.

Education

The Board of Education expressed its deep concern for the welfare of principals, teachers, staff and governors due to the state of funding in education in Northern Ireland. Proposing the report of the Board of Education (NI) the Revd Catherine Simpson highlighted a recent report which stated that 91% of teachers, including principals, were stressed, anxious and near burnout. The board is also concerned by the increasing issues of mental health affecting all in the education system from head teachers to the youngest pupils.

Seconding the report and highlighting education matters in the Republic of Ireland, Canon Harry Gilmore marked the 50th anniversary of Boards of Management in primary schools. He also noted that Dr Ken Fennelly was representing the Church of Ireland at the National Convention on Education, the first meeting of which took place recently and which operates to a broad agenda.

Speaking to the report, Archbishop Michael Jackson said that the Convention is an interesting concept. Of the 160 members, he noted that four are from a faith based background, among them Dr Ken Fennelly. He urged all with responsibility within a Church of Ireland national school to respond to the survey so that positive and confident information from our sector can be presented to the organisers of the convention.

Covenant Council

The Covenant Council, which supports the Covenant relationship between the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church in Ireland, is preparing for the next period of shared life between the two churches. Canon Dr Maurice Elliott explained that many of the early aspirations had been achieved and approaching the 25th anniversary of the signing (in 2003) of the Covenant, the council is keen to develop an update list of priorities for the next period of shared life, he stated.

Standing Committee

The vast range of work carried out by Standing Committee during the year was outlined by Richard Codd. He singled out the establishment of the Wedding Venues Working Group and the Working Group on Clergy Tenure, and the work of Bishops’ Appeal, the Children’s and Family Ministry, the Disability Working Group, the Central Communications Board and the Safeguarding Board. Seconding the report, Canon Harry Gilmore observed that while it was too early to see a trend developing in the recording of the annual Church of Ireland census over the past three years, there has been no downward trend for attendance.

Council for Mission

The Council for Mission brought news of their successful global partnerships to General Synod. Continuing to foster relationships throughout the Anglican Communion, Sarah Taylor (Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh), proposing the report, said this year they welcomed the Revd Frank Bernardi from Tunis who spoke of his experience of sharing the Gospel in North Africa. The council, in conjunction with CMS Ireland, is sending the Revd Mike Buchanan, Curate in Rathfarnham, to Egypt in the coming weeks.

Commission on Ministry

Outlining the activities of the Commission on Ministry, the Revd Lesley Robinson (formerly of Dublin) highlighted a number of new events including two major one day Church Growth Conferences and a new pilot initiative – the Clergy Support and Wellbeing Programme (THRIVE) – which will promote an understanding of stress, dealing with conflict in ministry, building resilience and rekindling vocation. Another new initiative will support Archdeacons  in their heavy workload with diocesan duties added to their parochial duties. Speaking to the report in relation to vocations, Canon Gillian Wharton (Dublin) observed that the pathway to ordination had become very academic and may now be out of reach for some. The Revd Jane Burns (Dublin) also spoke on this issue and said, as a relatively recent ordinand who did not have an initial degree, it was important to recognise the huge support given by the staff of CITI.

Pioneer Ministry

The Church of Ireland now has 14 Pioneer Ministry Hubs – at least one in every diocese – and 14 licenced pioneers have begun their training since the start of the project. Proposing the report of the Pioneer Ministry Council, the Revd Ian Horner revealed that new pioneer communities have been established in a diverse array of contexts and there are eight applications for new projects and pioneers for 2026.

National Director of Pioneer Ministry, the Revd Robert Jones (Dublin), shared some learnings from the first three years of the project. “There is a genuine sense of renewed spiritual yearning, people are searching and Pioneer Ministry is meeting people where they are at,” he said. They had also learned that the pioneer ministries cannot work along and need parishes to walk alongside them to flourish. He said there is a sense of unity in the diversity of the ministries and that macro and micro pioneer ministries are equally important.

Liturgical Advisory Committee

The work of the Liturgical Advisory Committee on long term projects and in responding to more immediate liturgical needs of the Church was outlined by the Revd Adrian Dorian (Raphoe). He spoke of the ‘Journeys’ resource for use with children and the Take a Minute prayer cards along with projects of the music subgroup on the Canticles and singing the Psalms.

Marriage Council

The Marriage Council was highlighted by the Revd Carlton Baxter who commended the work of their marriage counsellors who are in demand. The online marriage course proved a great success and the clergy couples retreat was well subscribed, he said. Dr Catherine Smith (now of Dublin Diocese) appealed to clergy to use the resources of the Marriage Council and to refer people to their services, especially the counselling sessions (six free counselling sessions are offered per couple). She also asked them to advertise their courses and seminars.

Christian Unity and Dialogue

Proposing the report of the Commission on Christian Unity and Dialogue, Bishop Andrew Forster observed that unity may not be the most visible part of Church life but it is one of the most important in an increasingly fractured world. He said that in communities across the island there was a desire to build the Kingdom of God across denominational boundaries. Seconding the report, Archdeacon Katharine Poulton (Meath and Kildare) looked forward to the meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council in Belfast from June 27 to July 5.

You can read full reports of each of these items on the General Synod website – www.churchofireland.org/synod/2026/news

You can read the Archbishop of Armagh’s Presidential address on our website here: 

https://dublin.anglican.org/news/2026/05/07/general-synod-2026-ai-and

Archbishop John McDowell delivered his Presidential Address to the to members, meeting this year in the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle, County Down.

Against a backdrop of a world which he said had become “atomised and angry” through new forms of digital communication and networking, the Primate said that the vocation of the Church of Ireland is to witness to an alternative truth and to march to a different drum beat.

This witnessing and discipleship, he noted, is done primarily through the Church’s  parishes. He also focused on issues which he believes will test discipleship and faithfulness in the days and years to come – artificial intelligence and the rise of the Christian right.

“In a world which is dominated in almost all its doings by the often sinister ambitions and networks of a very small number of very rich men who are infinitely more powerful than any Celtic chieftain or medieval magnate or elected Chief Minister, we have both the structures and the resources to march to a different beat and to create different societies,” he stated.  

He continued: “The parish is the place that is big enough to require everyone to pull their weight and small enough for that mutual giving and receiving which is at the heart of communion; to be places that stand out in the world and which can change the landscape and the horizon.”

AI

The Archbishop said that social media was supposed to have democratized the world but instead it has concentrated power in the hands of a few “grotesquely rich men”.

Their current emphasis on the development of AI is being heralded as a great leap forward in the liberation of humankind. But the truth is, he said, that such liberation only binds us further.

“I say this is ‘the truth’ on purpose: for we should be confident in the very existence of ‘truth’ and ‘fact’ – neither of these things can be artificially generated. Artificial Intelligence may relay information to us based on incredible calculations of probability and suitability, but we should not allow efficiency and convenience to become the primary values against which we measure whether this information is worth the resources expended to generate it. The costs are human and social as well as environmental, of course.”

AI integration is dangerous, not because it is manipulated by the powerful, he suggested, but because it is increasingly accepted by us as the logical choice.

He pointed out that Christianity is understood as an individual’s relationship with God, lived out in community. This, he stated, was wholly personal. He said that opportunities and challenges in the future would be to stick to the difficult path of deep and costly human relationships sustained by a closeness to God in prayer and moral discernment.

Migration

Archbishop McDowell said that our attitude to migration in Ireland, both north and south, is one of the great touchstones and tests of our Christian authenticity.

“It is possible to take a wide range of views on immigration policy which may be broadly consistent with belief in Christ and in the particular form of human equality which is articulated in the New Testament,” he said. “But it seems to me that there is a fairly simple imperative when it comes to the ‘stranger that is in your midst’, and that is to welcome him or her and to care for him or her,” he stated.

He decried statistics from the PSNI in Northern Ireland which in 2024–25 pointed to the worst recorded levels of racist violence since monitoring began in 2004. Meanwhile, in the Republic of Ireland Garda hate crime data showed a sustained multi year increase of racially motivated incidents.

“That increases in migration should be seized on by the extreme right who are bereft of any other ideas is not surprising, although it is less edifying when mainstream parties equivocate in the face of the horrendous violence which migrants suffer. However, from the Churches’ point of view, the more worrying development is the rise of the so–called Christian Right. These groups emphasise what they claim to be the undermining of ‘Christian civilisation’ or ‘Judeao–Christian’ values and the discrimination which they say Christians are subjected to. And they use the Cross – the very epitome of powerlessness, and what a very advanced ‘civilisation’ inflicted on Jesus – as some kind of symbol of their dominance and superiority,” Archbishop McDowell stated.

He asked which aspect of discipleship in Jesus Christ is being exercised by “baying outside a hostel while terrified children are inside. How is parading around the streets draped in a national flag representing the mind of the God of all the nations?”

You can read the full text of the Archbishop’s address here.

For the first time since 2019, General Synod will return to meeting in person for three days with business continuing tomorrow, Friday May 8, and Saturday May 9.

The venue this year is the Slieve Donard Hotel which was opened in 1898 by the Belfast and County Down Railway to bring tourists to the growing resort town nestling below the Mourne Mountains.

The ‘new castle’ was built in 1588 just south of the River Shimna, replacing a previous fortification, and was replaced around 1830 by a hotel – the Annesley Arms. The building subsequently became the town’s public library and now houses its leisure centre and tourist information centre.

The General Synod Service of Holy Communion will be held in the hotel at 12 noon today. The preacher will be The Most Revd Pat Storey, Bishop of Meath and Kildare.

The business of Synod will get underway at 2pm this afternoon. The provisional timetable is available at https://www.churchofireland.org/synod/2026/timetable/day-1

Synod starts with the Presidential Address by the Primate, Archbishop John McDowell. A total of five Bills will be considered by members of General Synod this year and will go through their initial stages today.

An audio broadcast of the proceedings at General Synod is available here: https://www.churchofireland.org/synod/2026/audio-broadcast

Throughout Synod there will be news updates and photographs available on the Synod website: https://www.churchofireland.org/synod/2026/news/

Having approved the nominations of the Curates, Archbishop Michael Jackson encouraged people to pray for them as they prepare for ordination.

“Across the United Dioceses we are delighted at the prospect of welcoming two curates assistant,” he said. “Esther and Cennis are coming to parishes which are in the process of developing their range of ministry and community involvement at home and abroad. We pray for them both as they prepare for their ordination and for the grace of God in their life and work.”

Esther is currently serving her intern year in St Mark’s, Dundela, Belfast, and will join the Rathmichael church family later in the summer.

Announcing the appointment the Rector of Rathmichael, the Revd Sean Hanily, told the congregation that “it has been a joy to get to know Esther in the journey of discernment with her in recent weeks. I have been truly amazed at how clear and strong her calling to Rathmichael is. I am very much looking forward to having her serve alongside us as we continue to grow and reach out to more people in our fast–growing area. This is a very exciting time for us all, and I know that Esther will be made feel as welcome and at home in Rathmichael as I have.”

Esther writes: “There are times when God surprises us. At the beginning of the year, as the curacy process began, I could not have foreseen where I might serve as curate. The process of visiting and discernment has been stretching and fulfilling. It is with excitement that I embark on this next season, serving in a new parish and new diocese. I look forward to both learning from and contributing to the parish life of Rathmichael.”

Cennis is currently serving his intern year in Navan in the Diocese of Meath and Kildare and will come to the Parish of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla in the summer.

Originally from Nigeria, Cennis held the role of Parish Reader in his home parish of Trim and Athboy in Meath Diocese. He is married to Kechi and they have four daughters Divine, Chiamaka, Michelle and Ashling.

Rector of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla, the Revd Colin McConaghie said: “I am looking forward welcoming Cennis to the parish following ordination in June and I am excited by the gifts Cennis will bring along with his warm and friendly personality”.

Speaking of his appointment Cennis said: “I am delighted to be joining the parish of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla as a Curate. Having completed part of my ministerial training in this parish during my first year of the MTh programme, I already have a sense of its warmth and welcome, which has drawn me back. I am particularly encouraged by the parish’s commitment to worship, fellowship, and outreach. I am excited about the opportunity to serve and learn in such a vibrant parish setting.”

News of this nature is deeply distressing, above all for those who have experienced abuse, and also for families, friends and communities.

We encourage anyone directly affected to contact our Safeguarding Team via email at  safeguarding@rcbcoi.org

Reporting is also available through statutory agencies Tusla – Child and Family Agency (Children) or the HSE Safeguarding Portal (Vulnerable Adult).

If there is an immediate risk of harm, contact An Garda Síochána by calling 999 or 112.

Additional support available:

Safeguarding Ireland https://safeguardingireland.org/

ISPCC Childline (under 18’s) 1800 66 66 66 (24 hour) or at https://www.ispcc.ie/

Pieta House on 1800 247 247 (24 hour) or text HELP to 51444 or https://www.pieta.ie/

Samaritans 116 123 (24 hour)

Aware 1800 80 48 48 or 01 524 0360 (7 days a week 10am – 10pm)

‘Benjamin Culme, D D, Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral Dublin 1625–1657 – An Overlooked Dean’ will be launched by the current Dean, the Very Revd William Morton in the Deanery of St Patrick’s Cathedral on Tuesday May 19 2026 at 6.30pm.

Robert Kingston is Chaplain to the Mageough in Dublin having served as Rector in a number of parishes. When he became Rector of Virginia in Co Cavan he discovered that one of his predecessors, Culme, had gone on to be Dean of St Patrick’s. When he went to learn more about him he found that no biography had been written and that began many years of fascinating research.

“Culme has been more or less overlooked in the literature but I believe he held a vital appointment at a time of violent tensions in society and tensions between low church Puritans, high church Laudians like Bishop Bramhall and those who, like Culme, sought a broad church middle way,” Robert explains. “He sought an accommodating approach to peace between Christians. In some ways a situation not unlike that in our own time. I believe there is much we can learn from Culme and hope this book might spark a discussion about seeking a conciliatory and eireinic approach.”

Benjamin Culme was reared in an upwardly mobile farming family in Devon in the late 1500s. Having graduated from Oxford in the early 1600s he followed two of his brothers to Ireland where they had benefitted from the Elizabethan plantation of Ulster.

Robert Kingston was Rector of Virginia in Co Cavan from 1984 where the local view, backed by some contemporary sources, was that Culme had been the first Reformed minister. However, his name does not appear in Canon Leslie’s lists of the clergy of Kilmore Diocese and so the search began to find the truth. As an amateur in this area the author was led down all sorts of interesting byways in Cavan, Meath, Dublin, Kilkenny, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin and finally Wiltshire which highlighted many of the issues of the time in church and state matters which affected Culme personally.

“This is a personal rather than an academic account but hopefully doing justice to the available information we have about him and as interesting in the reading as it was in the writing,” Robert commented.

The new book is published by Hinds Publishing and will be available at the launch and on Hinds’ website www.hinds.ie.

Dublin and Glendalough’s Vocation Day will take place on Saturday June 27 2026 in Crinken Church in Bray from 10am to 1pm. Lunch will be provided. Organised by Dublin and Glendalough’s Directors of Ordinands, Canon Suzanne Harris and Canon Tom O’Brien, the day is designed to support those who feel a wish to serve God but are not sure where to start. For more information and to book a place please email Tom at rector@crinken.ie or Suzanne at Suziesharris@gmail.com. All are welcome.

The word “vocation” comes from the Latin “vocare”, meaning “to call”. We often think of vocation as a call from the blue that sets apart the rest of our life from what has gone before. However, in this gently–guided time of prayer, silence, and mindful activity, Lydia will explore the ways in which vocation is part of what we do each day. 

All Christians are called to follow God and to follow His teachings and Word. Many of us are a point of welcome and contact for others – from a job in a local shop, cafe, school or business, to volunteering with a Tidy Towns clean–up, donating blood, or stewarding at a St Patrick’s Day parade. Lived with intention, this is a ministry of outreach and connection in our local communities, and becomes our vocation when we follow it in God’s name.

If you feel a wish to serve God but have no idea how, or feel inadequate or worried about personal, financial, time or family constraints, then this time of listening and exploration is for you. Come as you are, with your doubts and your questions, and rest in God’s love for you. Discerning God’s call to us takes time, prayer, reflection, patience and attentiveness to his words. Any call of God is ultimately relational, and begins with Him and flows from Him. When God calls us, He speaks our name with love, and He invites us to respond to Him in perfect freedom.

You may feel a call to ordained or lay ministry and want to set aside time to listen to God’s voice, turn towards His face and rest in His promises. We’re looking forward to welcoming you there.

Lydia has been Ministry Leader with the Church’s Ministry of Healing: Ireland since 2022. She holds a Masters in Intercultural Theology and Interreligious Studies and a Higher Diploma in Education. She is a qualified Forest School Leader, which focuses on engaging people in nature and all the benefits that brings. Lydia has trained with Kintsugi Hope, a charity based in the UK striving to make a difference to people’s mental wellbeing, as well as in deep listening and in grief awareness. She has facilitated part of the Mothers’ Union Changing the Story initiative, which aims to equip the Church to change the story of domestic abuse and gender–based violence in Ireland, and in which CMH:I is a partner.

Aughrim in County Wicklow was badly affected. Local rivers burst their banks and floodwater flowed into streets and did thousands of euros worth of damage to properties, electrical appliances and furniture.

Naturally, people were distraught at this natural disaster.

The call went out for help and the Church of Ireland Representative Church Body awarded €2,800 to provide some relief to victims.

In this video, Canon Suzanne Harris from Aughrim talks about what unfolded, but first, David Ritchie, RCB Chief Officer, gives Ray Hayden some background to the Flood Relief Grant.

Dani O’Brien of Crinken Church in Dublin spoke about their new coffee pod, Connected Coffee, which they operate with volunteers and TUS workers in the church grounds which is located in the midst of a rapidly growing residential area. She said that simple acts of kindness can open hearts to Christ and their ministry is never just about the coffee. She advised participants that love starts with God, small acts matter, and to fill every day with small acts of grace.

Archdeacon Katharine Poulton, who was Bishop’s Curate of St George and St Thomas’s in Dublin from 2000 to 2010, recalled the small congregation in the city centre church when she was appointed. However, the “faithful remnant” opened the doors of the church and people came in and they were welcomed. The Discovery Gospel Choir was formed and became a beacon of light and a visit by Archbishop Desmond Tutu put the church on the map. A lot of people who were working through the asylum system integrated themselves by becoming involved in the parish. She observed that the congregation was not sustained as people found their feet and moved on but today there is another faithful remnant of highly motivated Christians seeking to build the church once more.

Cherith Hanily of Rathmichael Parish in Dublin talked about the highly successful trails that she has coordinated. The aim of running the trails is to introduce Jesus to the community and build trust and engagement with families. They are fun activities with a Christian message and include the distribution of Christian literature. They serve to introduce people to their local church, build school connections, and act as a gateway for visitors to become involved in the church community, she explained.

Dean Diane Matchett spoke about her ministry in Tuam and said that growth is not always about the numbers but about belief. She said it was important to try but also to be prepared to fail and to let go of things. “We should be invested wherever God wants us to be,” she commented. She spoke of the ancient stone circles of Cong, one of which is located in the garden of the Deanery and which is visited by people from all over the world. She said these stones have presented the opportunity for amazing conversations about faith.

The Revd William Jeffrey of the Diocese of Clogher highlighted his rural ministry in the parish of Lisbellaw with Coolbuck and urged people to “get out of the pews and into the community”. He has become involved in many local organisations to build integration between the local church and schools, sports clubs and organisations. “Growth in the relationship with the community is an ongoing task. Church and community working together so we have a community that loves and values the ministry of the church,” he said.

The Revd Karen Salmon spoke about church growth in Magherally and Annaclone where she is involved in planting a new church community through country gospel music. She has adopted an invitational approach and highlighted the importance of prayer in Jesus’s name to support every aspect of ministry. She says there has been growth in numbers and giving through this outreach and encouraged participants to use soft entry points as an essential way of building the church.

Natalie Trainor, a pioneer in training with the Church of Ireland’s Pioneer Ministry movement, spoke about the Grove Church in Newry. “We didn’t start with the building, we began with Scripture,” she said adding: “It is not about fast growth, it is about rooted growth, a community rooted in God’s truth, growing together in grace and reaching out in love.”

Ross Barrett is a pioneer leading Cook, Serve, Pray, Repeat in the Lismore Union of Parishes in County Waterford. A chef by training, Ross had worked in Cambodia and Kenya before joining the pioneer team in the Church of Ireland. He outlined his ministry which sees him stepping out of the pews and into the streets and housing estates where hope runs thin, setting up his cooking pot, serving hot meals and bringing community together. “People are hungry in this country. We bring our holy hot pot and show up where people are… They ask why we are doing this and we say ‘because there is a God who hasn’t forgotten about you’,” he explained.

Seminars

Throughout the afternoon conference participants joined a selection of seminars. Captain George Newell, Tanya Olhausen and John Quinn of Alpha led on Growth Through Evangelism. Dr Keith Gardiner and the Revd Jan Stevenson spoke about Growth Through Stewardship. Glynis Matchett, Lydia Monds and Paula Wright shared about Growth Through Prayer. A session on Worship and Church Music was led by Archdeacon Peter Thompson, James Turner and Jude Frame. The Revd Ian Horner and Jeremy Steward spoke about Leading in Your Context. A session on Community Engagement was led by Hilary McClay and the Revd Philip McKinley. The Revd Emma Gibson and the Revd Graham Hare led a session called The Bible. Read, Mark, Learn. Buildings: not a burden but a resource for mission and church growth was led by Dean Paul Draper, Stephen and Jane Leighton and Ian Walshe. Archdeacon Jim Cheshire and the Revd Scott Evans led a session on Communication: In the Church and Community.

You can read more about the conference, including Canon Alistair Graham’s keynote address here. 

This fresh interest in the Christian faith has come as a surprise to many, Canon Graham admitted. People had become resigned to the decline of the church as they knew it and the waning of its influence. However, young adults in particular, value the church’s role in creating community and enabling people to encounter God.

Over two inspiring and encouraging Saturdays (April 18 in the Stormont Hotel in Belfast and April 25 in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dublin), more than 200 people gathered to hear stories of hope of how parishes throughout the Church of Ireland are responding to the call to share God’s word in different ways. Through stories of coffee and cooking to sport and ancient stones, one thread was highlighted – the importance of connecting with people where they are and of being the church outside the walls.

Both gatherings were hosted by Bishop David McClay, chair of the Commission on Ministry. He declared that decline is not inevitable. After an afternoon of engaging seminars, participants were commissioned to go out and continue to respond to God’s call.

In a special moment, singer, songwriter and Eurovision winner, Dana, movingly brought each day to a close with her hymn to St Patrick ‘Light the Fire’. She said it had been a privilege to share in both wonderful days and she had been touched by the opening prayers when participants sang out God’s praise. She said the Holy Spirit is moving in powerful ways and said the only way forward is together.

Canon Graham’s address, entitled ‘Growing God’s Church – Rooted in His Word, Responding to His Call’, began by highlighting the starting point for Christians. “As Christians we know our God reigns and Jesus is king. As disciples of Jesus we help in the building of Jesus’s kingdom by lavishly spreading the Good News and living our lives in the way God intended His world to be – a place of beauty and delight,” he said.

As with earlier generations, the secular and human world faces challenges and presents opportunities for spreading the Gospel. Geopolitical changes are causing turmoil and the international order has been wounded and ignored. Globalisation is under pressure with the rise of national protectionism and isolationism and international institutions are acting in uncertainty. Many parts of the globe are experiencing war and violent conflict, social media pervades many aspects of life, violence against women is a major problem, and climate change is impacting many. There are changes to ‘emerging adulthood’ with 18 to 29 year olds taking longer to find permanent jobs and personal relationships, and struggling to answer the question ‘who am I?’ Migration has come into focus. Social capital needs to be strengthened.

Against this stark backdrop, Canon Graham cited opinion that a new breed of secular thinkers is considering the value of Christianity and its social and community wellbeing benefits. “Those considering and enquiring about faith are both asking big questions around the meaning of life and Christian truth and seeking a community where they feel they truly belong. This fresh interest in the Christian faith has come as a surprise to many. They had become resigned to the fact that the Church as they knew it was declining and its influence waning,” he commented.

A number of recent reports in Ireland and elsewhere have shown that a cohort of young adults are actively seeking a life of faith, and attending church, in the search for meaning in their lives and membership of a community. Canon Graham highlighted the Praxis Report in 2024 which found that 99% of those interviewed saw the importance of creating community and 96% saw the importance of strengthening faith and enabling people to encounter God as essential activities in the Church. Almost 66% aged between 22 and 26 years had a good experience of church, 58% read their Bible daily and 63% prayed every day.

He also pointed to the increase in sales of bibles as a global trend of renewed engagement with Scripture driven by social uncertainty and personal spiritual exploration. There has also been an increase in people participating in Alpha courses. Youth workers in the Church of Ireland are encouraged by what they are seeing, he said, with over 6,000 young people being part in parish youth ministry and 3,200 young people and their leaders attended Summer Madness. Ireland remains one of the most religious countries in Europe, the Turning Tide report shows, revealing that 51% of Irish adults pray weekly and 27% of young adults praying weekly. The Church of Ireland National Director of Vocations noted recently that there is an increase in the numbers called to ministry. Every diocese in the Church of Ireland has initiatives creatively connecting with people, he added.

In responding to the call, Canon Graham said that God takes the long view and so should we. God has clearly annunciated His will in Scripture. “Spending energy appeasing and persuading earthly institutions and structures and ologies and isms doesn’t work. Through the Cross, Jesus disarmed these powers. The only thing that works and matters is accepting God’s will from heaven,” he explained.

We are called to be faith–bearers, he stated, and as such we are called to prioritise God and Jesus, prioritise the place of the Bible, ensure our churches are centres of grace where welcome and biblical hospitality are evident, be true worshippers, and embrace the Great Commission and make disciples of all nations.

“So, with new signs of hope all around to encourage us, rooted in God’s word and responding to God’s call, let us together grow His church.  In the words of the hymn by Graham Kenedrick, let us work to see again the beauty of God’s love replacing the brokenness of humanity and the hope of Christ replacing the world’s despair,” he concluded.

You can read Canon Graham’s address in full here.

You can read the stories of hope from around the Church here.