Retired clergy meet at ‘The Church on the Hill’

Friday January 31st 2025

The Rev Paul McAdam and the Rev Clare Kakuru (front left and second left respectively) are pictured with members of the CofI/Methodist retired clergy associations at the recent joint meeting in Maghaberry: Back, from left, Canon Jim Campbell, the Rev Ken Lindsay, the Rev Billy Davison and Bishop Patrick Rooke. (Photo: The Rev Clifford Skillen)

Members of the Retired Clergy Association (NI) and the Retired Methodist Ministers’ Fellowship recently opened their respective 2025 programmes with a joint meeting.

This was held in ‘The Church on the Hill,’ a Church of Ireland/Methodist Covenant Church serving the village of Maghaberry, close to Moira.

The new RCA (NI) chairman, the Rt Rev Patrick Rooke, welcomed all present in the spirit of the Covenant between the two Churches and, appropriately, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

His remarks were echoed by the president of the Retired Methodist Ministers’ Fellowship, the Rev Billy Davison (a former President of the Methodist Church in Ireland), who stressed how much the Methodist clergy value the fellowship with their Church of Ireland colleagues.

Following light refreshments, the Rev Clare Kakuru, the Church of Ireland minister-in-charge at Maghaberry, briefly outlined the development of the church, beginning in 2006 and culminating in 2013 in a joint Church of Ireland/Methodist congregation which since then, she said, had been ‘united together in worship and leadership teams and formed a thriving church and community.’ She then led members in a short act of worship.

The guest speaker was the Rev Paul McAdam, rector of Aghalee, whose topic was ‘Sharing Faith and Heritage in Aghalee Parish.’

In an illustrated talk, Paul described the nature and work of the Aghalee Parish Heritage Project with which he had been very closely involved from its inception in 2018 to 2023, when Aghalee’s historic Holy Trinity Parish Church was reopened and rededicated by the Bishop of Down and Dromore, the Rt Rev David McClay.

Whilst a considerable part of the project (which had support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund) comprised the restoration of the church, Paul emphasised that this was not the only strand of the project. In addition, work was undertaken to research and record the heritage of the parish, including the hamlet of Soldierstown and its military history and the Broadwater and Lagan Navigation.

Although some of the project still remains ongoing, over the years other aspects included open days, exhibitions and heritage talks by visiting speakers; the erection of information panels around the area; the publication of leaflets and a book, Soldiers, Sailors, Saints & Spinners, detailing the history of the whole project; and the construction of a digital heritage archive to share the parish’s history online.

All this culminated in a Heritage Festival Weekend and costume pageant in October 2023 which involved the local community and showcased the project through floral, photographic and other cultural displays.

Bishop Rooke thanked Paul for his ‘most detailed, enlightening and enthusiastic presentation,’ adding that he had greatly informed members as to the history of the church and area and that those present now knew there was much more to the locality than ‘just the Moira roundabout.’

Presentations were made by each group’s treasurer and secretary, the Ven John Scott and the Rev Ken Lindsay (also a former Methodist President) respectively, to Paul and Clare for their preparation and hard work in facilitating such an enjoyable and informative morning.

  • For further information about the Aghalee Parish Heritage Project, tel.028 9209 0989 or email aghaleeparish@gmail.com

Report by the Rev Clifford Skillen

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