16.08.2023
Archbishop and CITI Director Address Chota Nagpur Clergy Conference
Archbishop Michael Jackson is currently visiting the Diocese of Chota Nagpur in India with Canon Dr Maurice Elliott, Director of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, the Revd Steve Brunn, Dean of Residence and Church of Ireland Chaplain at Trinity College, Dublin and Dr Kerry Houston. The visit is organised under the auspices of the Dublin University Mission to Chota Nagpur (DUMCN). Here the Archbishop reports on the fourth day of their visit.
Throughout our time in Ranchi, the Director of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute Dr Elliott and the Archbishop gave the lectures at the Chota Nagpur Diocesan Clergy Conference.
Over 80 clergy gathered and the conference was held in the diocesan centre.
Dr Elliott spoke on preaching and leadership. The Archbishop spoke on living a Scriptural life. The Archbishop celebrated Holy Communion and preached at the beginning of Wednesday’s session in St Paul’s Cathedral. The day’s talks began with a Bible Reflection led by the Right Reverend Basil Basky, Bishop of Chota Nagpur.
The Archbishop explained that a Scriptural life encourages us to engage with people and situations around us on the basis of The Scriptures; it also enables us to let our own life and the life of others impact on our developing insights and understandings of The Scriptures which are part of a closed Canon but also are an open book. He spoke of time and place as being key reference points in how The Scriptures were written and in how we live a specifically Scriptural life.
Beginning with the towel of St John 13 where Jesus counter–culturally washed the feet of the disciples ahead of his passion, the Archbishop described how significant passages in the life of Jesus are marked by specific types of clothing.
His invitation to the assembled clergy was to work with leadership and service together in their ministry and to see prayer as the integrating connective force between them.
The opportunity to engage directly with all the clergy of the diocese in this way was ‘a first’ for DUMCN and was greatly appreciated by the whole party visiting Ranchi and Hazaribagh representing the Mission.
