Pioneer Ministry Launch

A new chapter in the Church of Ireland’s mission to reach people with little or no connection to church opened on the 5th February, when Pioneer Ministry was formally launched in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. As part of this special service of Choral Evensong, the Pioneer Ministry’s leadership team was commissioned by the Archbishops of Armagh and Dublin before a full congregation.

Pioneer Ministry will encourage, support and release volunteer and paid pioneers and new ministries to share the good news of Jesus Christ in new places and in different ways.  With the endorsement of the House of Bishops and generous funding secured from the Representative Body, the initiative is being led by a National Director, the Revd Rob Jones, assisted by Archdeacon Barry Forde and Ingrid Brennan.

From left to right:

Venerable Barry Forde (Pioneer Ministry Operations Lead), The Most Reverend John McDowell (Archbishop of Armagh), The Most Reverend Andy John (Archbishop of Wales), The Most Reverend Michael Jackson (Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalogh), Ingrid Brennan (Pioneer Ministry PA and Administrator), Revd Rob Jones (Pioneer Ministry National Director)

The guest preacher was the Archbishop of Wales, the Most Revd Andy John, who opened his sermon by highlighting the need for good foundations.  “It seems to be that today offers an opportunity for us to further strengthen the life of God’s Church on these islands,” he remarked.

As the service commenced, a representative of each of the Church’s 11 dioceses lit a candle of hope which will be presented to every diocesan bishop over the coming months.

Speaking afterwards at a reception for the congregation, Bishop David McClay, who chairs the Pioneer Ministry Council, thanked Dean William Morton and his Cathedral colleagues for their warm welcome at the service, and the leaders who had brought the initiative to this point.  In particular, he thanked Bishop Patrick Rooke, Bishop Alan Abernethy, Trevor Douglas and Canon Phil Potter who “took the lead in really laying a foundation”. Addressing the new team, he added: “I could say ‘it’s over to you’ but actually what I want to say is that ‘it’s over to all of us’.”  Bishop David concluded with his hope that the people who will benefit the most from Pioneer Ministry “will be those beyond our church buildings who will experience something of the grace and kindness and love and goodness of God.”

Archbishop John McDowell welcomed the Church doing this together: “It will only work if we recognise that fruitfulness in one part of the body is fruitfulness in every part of the body.”  Archbishop Michael Jackson saw pioneering as the next chapter to be written after the Church marked the 150th anniversary of its Disestablishment with the theme of ‘being free to shape our own future’.  He commented: “Now we really have the opportunity … to work in that sense of bringing together adventure and tradition in what now will become a further strapline of the Church of Ireland, which is pioneering.”

The Revd Rob Jones concluded by thanking all those who helped to put the service together and expressed how honoured and excited he was to be moving into the role of Pioneer Ministry National Director.  He added: “The next important task is to get the vision out there and especially commence the job of supporting dioceses and communicate how they can get involved. Each context is very different, so we will be learning from each other in a spirit of unity and collaboration.”