CMS Ireland News

Rev Adrian Dorrian re-elected as CMSI Chair

2018-04-24T00:00:00Z

At CMSI’s Annual General Meeting on Saturday 21st April, Rev Adrian Dorrian was re-elected as Chair of the Board of Trustees. The meeting saw a number of other changes to the make-up of the board.

Adrian had completed his first three-year term as chairperson (and president of the society) and in his address on Saturday, he reflected on some of the highlights from the past three years time. These included:

- CMSI’s increased sense of presence and engagement across the whole of Ireland
- The range of ages and parishes participating in teams and individual placements with our global partners
- The development of Ignite as CMSI’s main annual conference
- His own visits to partners in Kenya and Zambia
- The clear sense of CMSI prioritising relationships – making connections across the global Church

Adrian also paid tribute and offered his thanks to CMSI’s members for their faithful, ongoing support through their prayers, their finances and their time.

The AGM also saw some of the trustees retiring and others re-elected for a new term. One new trustee was also elected for his first term on the board: Professor Frank Dobbs (Agherton Parish, Connor).

Frank is a GP in the Causeway Coast area. He has served as a CMSI parish rep for many years and is a diocesan reader in Connor. Frank is part of the CMSI prayer group that meets in Coleraine and is a regular attendee at CMSI events in Ireland. He’s also visited South Sudan on a number of occasions, providing training and support to doctors working in Yei Diocese.

At the AGM on Saturday, Adrian extended his thanks to those who have retired or stepped down as trustees: Rev Dr Paddy McGlinchey, Rev Matthew Hagan, Dr David Shepherd and Trevor Buchanan. Trevor, who was stepping down after seven years on the board, highlighted the deep relationships that CMSI has built up with the global Church – something that has enabled him to carry out medical work in South Sudan.

The AGM was part of CMSI’s Annual Members’ Day, Shine, which takes place every April in Swords, Co. Dublin.

CMSI Partner installed as Archbishop of South Sudan

2018-04-23T00:00:00Z

Yesterday (Sunday 22nd April) saw the installation of CMSI’s good friend Justin Badi Arama as Archbishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. The six-hour service took place in All Saints’ Cathedral, Juba and was attended by thousands of people, including representatives of CMSI and the Church of Ireland.

Archbishop Justin is well known to CMSI supporters here in Ireland, having been hosted by the society on several occasions during a long and fruitful partnership with Maridi Diocese. His most recent visit, for which he was accompanied by his wife, Joyce, was in Autumn 2017, when he spoke at CMSI’s Ignite conference and the Changing Times event at Stormont, as well as visiting link churches.

In yesterday’s service, Archbishop Justin announced his plans for a 10-year focus on the Lord’s Prayer, as well as highlighting some of the objectives he hopes to fulfil in his new role, including that of greater Church unity.

CMSI Partnership Coordinator Linda Abwa attended the service in Juba, where she was joined by a number of other guests from the Church of Ireland, including Bishop Harold Miller and his wife, Liz. CMSI has helped to facilitate a three-way link between the Diocese of Down and Dromore, Maridi Diocese and Albany Diocese (USA). Bishop Love from Albany was also present yesterday.

Speaking about yesterday’s installation, CMSI’s Mission Director Jenny Smyth said:

We are absolutely delighted that Archbishop Justin has been elected to this pivotal role. Over the years many deep and lasting friendships have developed through his ministry with people and parishes across Ireland. These links have inspired and challenged; they’ve deepened faith and enlarged vision. We owe a debt of gratitude to Archbishop Justin and assure him of our committed prayerful support for this new chapter of ministry. May God richly bless him and Mama Joyce as they continue to be channels of light and hope.

Further links

Anglican Communion interview with Archbishop Justin on the eve of his installation

Anglican News report from yesterday’s service

Easter Greetings

2018-03-28T00:00:00Z

Easter greetings from CMS Ireland!

As we journey from Palm Sunday through Holy Week to Easter Day, our global partners are also following the same road, many in really challenging circumstances. Easter is a time of increased tension in Egypt, news from DR Congo is heartbreaking with reports of increased rebel attacks on villages, Burundi and South Sudan are still enduring conflict and flooding has replaced famine in parts of Kenya.

It is good to share a journey together, however challenging, encouraging one another to persist through the tough times, to lend a steadying hand, to remind each other of the purpose and the final destination.

We look forward to Easter, to the joy of the resurrection and the sure hope we have because death is defeated, to a new heaven and earth. As we celebrate Easter let us remember our partners and determine to travel the road together, united in purpose, united in our desire to see God’s redeeming love transforming us, our families and our communities, wherever we might be.

Halleluiah – He is Risen!

AGM 2018 and Annual Accounts

2018-03-26T00:00:00Z

CMS Ireland will hold its Annual General Meeting at 2pm on Saturday 21st April 2018, in the Emmaus Centre, Swords (Co. Dublin). All CMSI members are welcome.

The AGM forms part of Shine – our Annual Members’ Day – which also includes an annual review in the morning and a shared lunch.

The AGM provides an opportunity to look back over the past year in the life of CMSI, as well as looking to the year ahead. There will be reports from the Chair of the Board of Trustees and the Mission Director. There will also be a Finance Report for CMSI’s financial year 2016-2017 and an opportunity to ask questions related to the annual accounts, or indeed any aspect of the work of the society.

As required by CMSI’s company documents, the audited accounts for the Society are now available for inspection ahead of the AGM. Read or download a copy of CMSI’s Annual Accounts for 2016-2017.

Paper copies of the accounts are also available. To request a copy by post, please contact the CMSI office or complete a contact form.

The minutes of the 2017 AGM are also available, by request from the CMSI Offices.

To find out more about membership of CMSI – or to sign-up as a member – please visit the membership page of the CMSI website.

Prayer and fasting for South Sudan and DRC

2018-02-21T00:00:00Z

Following updates from our global partners, CMSI is echoing a call to pray and fast for South Sudan and DR Congo during Lent.

The mass movement of people within and outside these two countries is not stopping. Over many years, sustained violence and insecurity in both countries resulted in huge numbers of people leaving their homes in search of safety and refuge. Following a recent, tentative peace agreement in South Sudan some people have begun to return home, but this brings its own problems.

In Olo Diocese of South Sudan, Bishop Tandema has asked for support to help his people who have come back home from exile to destroyed villages. Bishop Hilary warns us that soon the situation might be similar for Yei Diocese as, even in the uncertain peace since Christmas, people have started to return home.

In Bukavu Diocese, DRC, Bishop Bahati has received link parish support to provide food aid for internally displaced people coming from the increasingly infamous Kasai region. In North Kivu, more children arrive at the children’s home, displaced and separated from their families.

Archbishop Masimango has called for us to pray and fast for DRC during Lent:

“With Christ, let us learn that active nonviolence is a force that can transform society when it denounces time and time again the situations of injustice and exclusion that violence feeds. May our families be places where we learn to resolve conflicts in a nonviolent way…”

Every Friday of Lent, I invite you to fast so that God will expel from our hearts and men’s hearts any desire for violence and make them welcoming to his forgiveness.

A wider call from Church leaders around the globe has gone out to set aside Friday 23rd February to pray and fast for both South Sudan and DRC. The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, said:

“Conflicts continue to blight the lives of millions of people. In support of our brothers and sisters in areas of conflict, and particularly in solidarity with those in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, I join with Pope Francis in calling the Churches of the Anglican Communion and all people of good will to prayer and fasting for peace on Friday 23 February.”

Please consider setting aside this Friday 23rd Feb to pray and fast for these two nations and our Global Partners who are hard at work there.

Archbishop Masimango suggests the following prayer:

God who watches over our world, look at the country where you gave us to live. Grant to all its inhabitants to seek the common good, to those who govern us to do it wisely, so that there is among us more justice, and in the whole world more happiness and peace.

Archbishop of Armagh to visit Zambia

2018-02-16T00:00:00Z

On Monday 19th February, CMSI’s Patron, Archbishop Richard Clarke, will join the society’s Mission Director, Jenny Smyth and the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Rev Adrian Dorrian, on a partner visit to the Diocese of Northern Zambia.

As part of the programme, the archbishop will preach at a Confirmation Service in St James’ parish, Buchi and will participate in the confirmations alongside Archbishop Albert Chama. Archbishop Richard and Adrian will also contribute to teaching sessions at St John’s Seminary in Kitwe, where CMSI Mission Partners Keith and Lyn Scott are based.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Archbishop Richard identified his hopes for his time in Zambia:

“I am looking forward to deepening the growing relationship between CMS Ireland and our partners in Zambia. As part of our ongoing journey of faith together, we can learn and support each other through prayer, faith and devotion. We have much to offer to each other, and I believe that this visit will enable our shared fellowship to move to a deeper and better understanding of each other’s needs and strengths.

“Mission is not simply something that happens in far-away places, but should be the cornerstone of our relationship with God, and I look forward to being challenged and encouraged by the faith and determination of our partners to reach out to their own people, and to ask what we can do better to facilitate that mission. Having known Archbishop Chama as a fellow Anglican Primate for some years, it will be a personal delight to enjoy his hospitality.”

CMSI seeks to nurture deeper connections between different parts of the global Church, to encourage mutual sharing and support. Central to this approach is a commitment to facilitate visits from Church leaders in Ireland to CMSI’s Global Partners in Africa and Nepal. These visits often include opportunities to participate in teaching and training with theology students or clergy.

In 2017, visits were made to CMSI’s Global Partners by nine different clergy from the Church of Ireland. In addition, CMSI hosted visits to Ireland by Church leaders from DR Congo, Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda and Zambia.

We’re looking forward to the visit, next week, of Bishop Seth Ndayirukiye of Matana Diocese, Burundi. There is chance to meet Bishop Seth and hear his latest news from Burundi at St Hilda’s Cafe Church (Kilmakee Parish, Dunmurry) on Sunday 25th February, at 7pm.

Bishop Justin Elected As Primate

2018-01-22T00:00:00Z

CMSI is delighted to learn that our good friend and partner, Bishop Justin Badi of Maridi Diocese, South Sudan, has been elected as Primate and Archbishop of the Church of South Sudan.

Bishop Justin is well known to many the CMSI family, through his frequent visits to Ireland, his participation in many of our events and the various partnership links that CMSI has facilitated between the Church of Ireland and South Sudan.

Along with his wife, Mama Joyce, Bishop Justin recently contributed to CMSI’s Ignite conference and he was the main speaker at our Crossing Bridges event in Stormont. He also spent time with Maridi link parishes and with the Diocese of Down and Dromore, who have a long-term partnership with Maridi and Albany Diocese, USA.

Speaking about Bishop Justin’s appointment, CMSI’s Partnership Coordinator for South Sudan, Linda Abwa said:

We give thanks to God along with our Global Partners in South Sudan for the successful election of Bishop Justin Badi Arama as their new archbishop. Bishop Justin has been a leader in local and global mission and has both inspired and encouraged many of South Sudan’s CMSI link parishes over many years. His message has always been global mission by a global church; in his recent visit to Ireland with CMSI he urged us to stand together with the Church in South Sudan and also to seek new ways to reach out to our own communities in Ireland.

It is our prayer that God would strengthen him in wisdom, discernment and courage, for the sake of the ECSS, the nation of South Sudan and to the glory of God.

2018 Children's Resource launched

2018-01-17T00:00:00Z

On Monday, CMSI launched Crossing Bridges, its Children’s Resource for 2018, which focuses on Egypt and introduces the work of the Diocese of Egypt.

The Children’s Resource is produced for Sunday schools and youth groups across Ireland with the aim of helping children and young people engage with global mission.

This year’s Bible stories come from the life of Joseph and the four sessions explore how God:
- Watches over His people
- Uses His people to help others
- Provides for His people
- Restores relationships and brings people together

To find out more – and to order your Children’s Resource materials online – visit our Children’s Resource Pages.

Dungannon Impact Cancelled

2018-01-17T00:00:00Z

Due to poor weather, this evening’s IMPACT event in St Anne’s, Dungannon (Drumglass) has been cancelled. The current road conditions in the surrounding areas – coupled with the forecast for today – would make it very difficult for folk to get to the event.

If we reschedule the Dungannon event for a later date, we’ll post details here and will contact our members and supporters in the area. Here’s the list of our other January Impact events:

Impact, Ballymena  – Sun 21st Jan, 3pm
Impact, Lisburn – Sun 21st Jan, 3pm
Impact, Dublin  – Mon 22nd Jan, 8pm
Impact, Coleraine –  Tue 23rd Jan, 7:30pm
Impact, Banbridge  – Thur 25th Jan, 7:30pm
Impact, Enniskillen – Sun 28th Jan, 3pm
Impact, Bangor  – Tue 30th Jan, 7:30pm

For those who had hoped to attend this evening to collect Children’s Resource materials, we’d encourage you to visit the Children’s Resource page of the website, which includes details of this year’s pack and an online order form. You can also contact the Belfast office to place an order.

Impact Roadshows 2018

2017-12-19T00:00:00Z

Early 2018 sees CMSI take to the road again for its roadshow series, IMPACT. These gatherings will provide an opportunity for CMSI staff to meet with friends and supporters of the society, to share a short presentation and to chat together over a cuppa and some very fine treats!

The programme will feature some stories from our Global Partners and an update on the wider work of the society. There will also be an introduction to the new CMSI Children’s Resource, Crossing Bridges and a chance to pick up the material for your Sunday school.

The presentation will last for one hour – with plenty of time afterwards for refreshments and conversation.

We’d love to see you at your nearest event:

Impact, Belfast – Mon 15th Jan, 7:30pm
Impact, Dungannon  – Wed 17th Jan, 7:30pm
Impact, Ballymena  – Sun 21st Jan, 3pm
Impact, Lisburn – Sun 21st Jan, 3pm
Impact, Dublin  – Mon 22nd Jan, 8pm
Impact, Coleraine –  Tue 23rd Jan, 7:30pm
Impact, Banbridge  – Thur 25th Jan, 7:30pm
Impact, Enniskillen – Sun 28th Jan, 3pm
Impact, Bangor  – Tue 30th Jan, 7:30pm

Impact, Cork  – Sunday 11th Mar, 3pm: Venue to be confirmed.