88Th Annual Report the Irish Council of Churches

88th ANNUAL REPORT ICC 2010 THE IRISH COUNCIL OF CHURCHES CONNECT, COMMUNICATE, COLLABORATE & PROMOTE ANNUAL REPORT 2010 CONTENTS President’s —Observations Most Rev. Richard Clarke ��04 Honorary Treasurer — Report Year 2010 Robert Cochran ��06 —Report ExecutiveMervyn McCullaghOfficer ��07 2010: Transition and change Karen Kelly ��11 — Report EcumenicalPhilip McKinley Officer ��12 IntegrationAdrian Cristea Officer ��15 —Report and Reflections Board of Overseas Affairs —Report Rev Colin Cambell ��18 Church in Society —Forum Eileen Gallagher ��20 Theology —Forum Gillian Kingston & Rev Prof Brendan Leahy ��22 Women’s Link —Report Joyce Bond ��23 AICCMR — Report Sr. Joan Roddy ��24 Christian Aid —Report Margaret Boden ��26 Dr David Stevens — Appreciation Rt Rev Trevor Williams ��28 01 ANNUAL REPORT 2010 ICC CONSTITUENT COMMUNIONS 2010 Year Joined ICC Antiochian Orthodox Church 2005 www.belfast.antiochian.org.uk Church of Ireland 1923 www.ireland.anglican.org Greek Orthodox Church in Britain & Ireland 1997 LifeLink Network of Churches 1998 Dissolved August 2010 Lutheran Church in Ireland 1972 www.lutheran-ireland.org Methodist Church in Ireland 1923 www.irishmethodist.org Moravian Church, Irish District 1923 www.moravian.org.uk Presbyterian Church in Ireland 1923 www.presbyterianireland.org Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church 1923 www.nspresbyterian.org Religious Society of Friends 1923 www.quakers-in-ireland.ie Rock of Ages Cherubim & Seraphim 2001 Romanian Orthodox Church 2004 Russian Orthodox Church in Ireland 2003 www.stpeterstpaul.net Salvation Army (Ireland Division) 1965 www.salvationarmy.org 03 The Irish Council of Churches PRESIDENT’S To say that we are as a country of the Irish Council of Churches in a period of transition is an at this time is to find that voice —Observations understatement of grotesque and to use it effectively. proportions. Whatever the future WRITER Since our last Annual General may hold for Ireland - north and Most Rev. Richard Clarke Meeting, the ICC has seen a south - we can know with utter number of important changes. certainty that it will be radically Following the decision to re- and painfully different. fashion the role of the senior We face social, political and staff member of the ICC as economic dislocation, trauma primarily strategic and less rep- and readjustment on a truly resentational, it has been good massive scale, as communi- to welcome Mervyn McCullagh ties and as individuals. How a as Executive Officer. Mervyn has distinctively Christian voice can very quickly settled to his tasks be heard in such a dissonant set- with great insight and consider- ting, whether from the different able verve and, in company with Christian traditions or from such his colleagues Karen Kelly, Philip collaborating bodies as the Irish McKinley and Adrian Cristea, Council of Churches or the Irish gives the ICC an energetic fresh- Inter-Church Meeting, will be ness of style and approach. On crucial not only for believers, but behalf of the Executive Commit- also for non-believers. But that tee and indeed the whole Coun- Christian voice must be neither cil of Churches, I thank Mervyn, clichéd nor facile. Part of the role Karen, Philip and Adrian for Page 04 ANNUAL REPORT 2010 The Christian voice must be neither clichéd “nor facile. Part of the role of the Irish Council of Churches is to find that voice and to use it effectively. ” their dedication and aplomb in for- The first is to connect - as best we warding the work of the ICC. can - all the different constituent traditions of the ICC (and the Irish I take this opportunity also to thank Inter-Church Meeting) with one Rob Fairmichael who, amidst the re- another and to ensure that none feel organisation of the ICC, left our staff. alienated or subordinate. Again I thank him for his many years of diligent and meticulous work for The second is to further by all means both the ICC in general, and also possible the Christ-given task of with its boards and sub-committees. bringing towards a greater unity our different Christian traditions; To all those who give of their time, skills and energy to the work of the The third is to show to the many ICC, I express grateful and sincere people beyond the walls of our thanks. But in particular, my imme- separateness from one another that diate predecessor as ICC President, Christ is not divided and that his Rev Tony Davidson, has been a love for the world is not fragmented, tremendous encourager and guide to but impartial, total and for all me, and I hope he knows how much humankind. The task continues but, I value his support and friendship. in everything we do, we must surely measure all our endeavours against At last year’s Annual General those yardsticks. Meeting, I spoke of how I see the ecumenical project as having three inter-dependent strands. 05 The Irish Council of Churches HONORARY Staff changes implementation of the Chari- As reported last year, several staff ties Act. The new layout of the TREASURER changes were taking place in Accounts being presented to — Report early 2010. Karen Kelly returned the AGM this year reflects these to resume the Administrator issues. Year 2010 position, while in mid-year WRITER Mervyn Mc Cullagh was ap- Financial Situation Robert Cochran pointed to the Executive Officer Also during the year, some long- post. In addition, Rob Fairmi- term tenants in Elmwood Av- chael left during the year. So we enue moved on. This presented end the year with two staff based us with an ideal opportunity to in Belfast, and two in Dublin undertake some necessary re- (Philip McKinley and Adrian decoration work in the building, Cristea). However, despite these and there is now a good facility significant changes, the system available for renting to suitable has bedded down very well and tenants. Acquiring suitable ten- is operating smoothly. It seems ants will be one important way to me that we should seek to in which we can help reduce the maintain this level of staffing costs of running the organisa- into the future if at all possible. tion. All of the changes outlined Financial Structures above will have a beneficial effect The rationalisation of the previ- over the longer term in help- ous multitude of bank accounts ing to curtail costs, even if that has been completed, and that, has only had a limited effect to along with the newer accounting date. So we end the 2010 year system and the increased use of still with a deficit, even though on-line banking, is making life a the yearly amount is reducing in lot simpler. The change-over to value, and thus we are still eating our new auditors also took place into our reserves. Nevertheless during the year, and the accounts the 2010 end-year deficit in the being presented to the AGM order of £7500 (not including have been produced by them. expenditure from provision for The internal structuring of the repairs and maintainence as in accounts has also progressed previous years) is still a consider- during the year, with a clearer able improvement (almost 50% demarcation of the items relating less) than the 2009 deficit of over to the running of the offices and £14000. the staff costs, and how these Nevertheless, it is imperative costs are then split between that the financial stability of ICC ICC and IICC. And associated (and IICC) is secured for the with that, those costs which are foreseeable future. While the directly related to the core activi- gap to be bridged is not huge, ties of ICC and of IICC are also nevertheless this will be difficult, now more transparent. given the current economic While this re-structuring is climate, but if we have a clear necessary and useful in itself, vision of the role and importance it is also an important pre- of ecumenism in Ireland, we can requisite for moving to a more make that happen. streamlined legal structure, and in preparation for the imminent Page 06 ANNUAL REPORT 2010 If the printing press was the How churches keep up to date technology that spurred the with these paradigm shifts in transfer of information which social attitudes while at the same fuelled the Reformation and time maintaining universal core the Counter Reformation, the values of Christ’s salvation, truth, transient nature of new commu- ultimate judgement and revela- nication media such as Twitter, tion will perhaps be the greatest Facebook and Text messaging challenge of the next decade. could be considered the most Christianity has always been significant force for change in able to adapt and change. The the post-modern era. very notion that we can translate The changing landscape of our Bible

Load more