19.02.2014
Bishop Pat Storey, Mrs Ethne Harkness and Bishop Alan Abernethy Lead the Contributors’ List for SEARCH’s Spring 2014 Issue
The spring issue of SEARCH – A Church of Ireland Journal comes out on February 24 and offers a mixed bag of subjects. Looking forward to May’s General Synod, Ethne Harkness, chair of the Commission on Episcopal Needs, offers some reflections on the proper role of bishops; while looking back to the autumn, the Bishop of Connor writes of his time at the World Council of Churches 10th Assembly in Busan. But undoubtedly the headline event of the autumn was the election of the Revd Patricia Storey as Bishop of Meath and Kildare. “Call me Pat,” was her simple response as to how she was to be addressed, even if she had to accede to being called “Madam Bishop” on formal occasions. It’s a sign of her no–nonsense attitude that she has released an article she wrote about her vocation five years ago, until now unpublished, so that SEARCH readers can share some of her journey into Christian ministry and leadership in the Church of Ireland.
Another important matter for the May Synod, and also for June’s Methodist Conference, will be the vote to confirm that the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church will from now on accept each other’s ministers. The Revd Barry Forde, the secretary of the Church of Ireland – Methodist Church in Ireland Covenant Council, offers a digest of the Council’s proceedings and its resolution of the issues, also sharing his personal experience of ministry in tandem with his Methodist colleague.
Further items include a report from Adrian Stringer and Dr Abby Day of a recent conference in Canterbury addressing issues that threaten to divide the Anglican Communion. This is complemented by a look at the source of divisions within Islam – a faith with probably as many “denominations” as Christianity and with two major traditions. Nearer home, Malcolm Macourt contributes a consideration of the “religious” element of Irish Censuses of Population of 2011, which show a decline of self–identifying Anglicans in the North and a corresponding rise, occasionally a dramatic one, in the South. Or do they? On a more general level, Noel Coghlan takes a questioning look at 21st century attitudes in Ireland, asking “Whatever happened to Civic Morality?”
This issue’s Book Reviews are the last to be provided by the editor of the past 8 years, Dr David Hutchinson Edgar. He is to be succeeded as reviews editor by the Revd Stephen Farrell.
Website: www.searchjournal.ireland.anglican.org