Michael Kenning was ordained by Rt Rev Dr Ferran Glenfield at St John’s Church, Longford, alongside Gail McNeill and Edward Lindsay on 15th of June. We invited him to share his thoughts with the people of the diocese after this special occasion.

Being ordained as a deacon on Sunday 15th at St John’s Longford was not only an immense privilege, but a very special and deeply moving high point in my life. The occasion was filled with great personal significance as I saw promises that God had spoken over me many years earlier being fulfilled.

During the ordination service, I was aware of an enormous sense of thankfulness for all that God has accomplished in my life this point. I am grateful for so many things. For the strong sense of calling to ordained ministry that he has given me. For the love, grace and forgiveness that he has extended to me over so many years, since I came to Christ as a teenager. And I am grateful for the sense of peace that he has given me, knowing that he who calls, also equips, and therefore he will supply all I need for the important task of parish ministry in the years ahead.

There was also a wonderful sense of being part of the family of God during the ordination service. It is a great joy to be joining this diocese, which clearly has such a strong sense of love, mutual support, encouragement and unity, centred around the truths of the Gospel. During the weekend it was great to get to know Gail Mc Neill and Edward Lindsay and to receive so many encouraging words from colleagues in my new diocese.

It was also wonderful to see so many friends attend my ordination from my previous intern parish of Ross Union in West Cork, my former home parish in Carrigrohane, Cork, my new parish in Cootehill and also from the Church of Ireland Theological College in Dublin. I even had a friend unexpectedly travel all the way from Hampshire in England. The love that I received from everyone on the day of my ordination was truly humbling.

I begin my new ministry in Cootehill Group of Parishes with a great sense of God’s calling to this specific place. Some friends recently stated in a card they sent me, ‘Remember God has you exactly where he wants you’ and I believe this with all of my heart and know it to be true. I am looking forward to getting to know and love the people in the Cootehill Group and to serving as their Curate, while also seeking to faithfully model the life-transforming message of the gospel to the surrounding community. The Bible verse that has been speaking to me in this season is from Psalm 37:5, ‘Commit your way to the Lord: trust in him and he will act’. I know that as we commit our lives to God in the Cootehill Group and trust in him for all our needs, the Lord will act and do new things amongst us.

 

What a day of celebration we had yesterday! The dedication of our beautifully refurbished Derrylin Hall could not have fallen on a more perfect Sunday – Pentecost, the birthday of the Church itself. It felt wonderfully fitting that as we celebrated the rebirth of our beloved hall, we were also marking the day when the Holy Spirit breathed new life into the early Christian community.

Canon Ruth West, who has been such a blessing to our parish during this period of vacancy, led our special service with her usual warmth, humour and grace. We were delighted to be joined by Bishop Ferran Glenfield, whose presence made the occasion even more special. But the real stars of the day were our Sunday School children, who brought such joy and energy to the proceedings.

The youngsters were wonderful, contributing songs, readings, poetry, and prayers that captured the spirit of renewal we’re experiencing. Seeing so many children actively learning God’s word and participating so enthusiastically in our worship is a beautiful sign of the parish’s renewal – not just in bricks and mortar, but in spirit and community. Sunday School leader Sara Jordan and Bishop Ferran presented each child with books of devotion as their well-deserved end-of-year prizes, and their beaming faces were a picture to behold.

During his sermon, Bishop Ferran beautifully wove together the themes of Pentecost and our hall’s renewal. He spoke movingly about how our parish community, with special recognition for Helen Finlay’s tireless efforts, had invested so much time and care in restoring the fabric of our church building – just as God invested in the world by sending Jesus and the Holy Spirit to build His church.

The Bishop’s words about the “language of love” particularly resonated. Just as the disciples were able to speak to people from all nations in their own languages through the power of the Spirit, Bishop Ferran reminded us that God’s universal language is love itself. He challenged us to consider how we speak to one another – not just our words, but our tones and attitudes – ensuring they always convey divine love. “Come Holy Spirit” became our prayer for the day and for the future.

After the service, our newly refurbished hall truly came into its own. The space was packed with parishioners and visitors, all enjoying delicious sandwiches and tempting desserts alongside the essential cup of tea! The fellowship was wonderful to witness – conversations flowed as freely as the tea, laughter echoed off the fresh walls, and there was a real sense of community and thanksgiving.

It was one of those days that remind you why church buildings matter so much. They are not just structures of stone and timber, but spaces where community flourishes, where faith is nurtured, and where love finds its expression in the simplest acts of sharing food and fellowship. Our hall is ready for whatever God has in store for us next – and judging by yesterday’s celebration, that future looks very bright indeed!

 

Canon Ruth West and Bishop Ferran Glenfield with Betty Emo and Ivan Moran cutting the cake

Two new volumes in the Braemor Studies series were launched in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute last week. The latest launches feature the final year theses of the Revd Cameron Mack who is Curate Assistant in Belfast Cathedral and the Revd Andrew Neill who is Curate Assistant in Limavady.

Collision of Worlds: Counter-Formation Through Interactivity with Scripture in Deuteronomy and the Daily Office is written by Cameron Mack. Exploration and Meaning: Considering Faith Formation in Children Aged Six to Eleven is the work of Andrew Neill.

The Braemor Studies series comprises the final year theses of MTh students which have been selected for publication by the external examiner. Dr Raymond Refaussé, on behalf of Church of Ireland Publishing, noted that the series arose from the recognition that there was a lack of publications in the area of theology. This led to a collaboration with CITI and the final year students.

Launching Cameron Mack’s book, Professor David Shepherd of the Loyola Institute at Trinity College Dublin, said that the book begins by suggesting that the most relevant parts of Deuteronomy for the Church today are those which are least appealing to the modern reader. “Cameron’s argument in this book is that the purpose of Deuteronomy, or at least the first half of it … was not to bore its readers, not even to persuade its readers, but to actually form its readers. And that’s a bold claim,” he said.

He noted that the use of the language of ‘you’ and ‘we’ seeks to make the story the reader’s own story. He said Cameron saw something similar in Cranmer’s Daily Office, for example in a Canticle like the Magnificat, when we recite Mary’s words which can then become our own words.  He added that Cameron noted that Deuteronomy lived up to its Greek name (meaning ‘second law’) through the use of repetition and this too is facilitated by the Daily Office at Matins and Evensong.

Professor Shepherd commended the book, stating that it was beautifully written and explored how Scripture and liturgy encouraged us to become not just hearers of the word but doers of the word.

In response, Cameron Mack said that he was a ‘prayer-book person’ but his book was not an act of ‘prayer-book fundamentalism’. “What I was really trying to do was talk about what the Scriptures are, and to talk about what we do when we read them, and what we do when we live a life that centres around reading them in worship,” he said. “It is my hope that whoever reads this volume is helped to see how the Scriptures invite us to participate with all of ourselves in lively ways in the story that is our story.” He thanked all who supported the publication of the book.

Andrew Neill’s book was launched by Dr Peter Hamill, Secretary to the Board for Ministry with Children and Families and the General Synod Board of Education (Northern Ireland). He said the book was timely in raising awareness of children’s ministry and the vital work carried out in parishes.

Dr Hamill added that Andrew’s book was based on research carried out in Connor Diocese which showed that children began to form a strong attitude towards the Church around the age of 10 or 11; this is despite many seeing confirmation as “the great passing out parade in the Church”.

“Andrew has worked on this premise in his research. He begins by exploring theories of faith development and analysing whether they are appropriate in today’s society,” Dr Hamill said. One of his recommendations is to develop training and support for leaders in the Church.

“I wholeheartedly agree with this. We are delighted that the Church has invested permanent funding for Children’s and Families Ministry support,” he said, referencing the recent additional support given from central church funds by the Representative Church Body.  “We look forward to further collaboration with CITI and the development of training and support for leaders among children and young people.”

He commended Andrew’s book, saying it sparked interest in children’s ministry and encouraged people to explore how children and young people come to faith.

Andrew Neill thanked all who brought his book to fruition. He observed that children were curious and excitable and get involved in everything. “So the question is why are they not interested in faith? Well, I think the answer is that they are. But how we are communicating that and how we’re giving children space within our church communities to experience that and to make their faith their own, that is significant.

He continued: “Those early years are so significant in the formation of faith and so how do we let these wonderful bundles of energy and exploration thrive? Well let them be, let them do what they want to do, let them explore the churches that we’re in, let them ask the difficult questions… It’s our job to be there to support and encourage them.”  The author added that the book was practical and contains tips.

Both books are available on the Church of Ireland website – at the price of £8.50 / €10.00 – through the following links:

Collision of Worlds: Counter-Formation Through Interactivity with Scripture in Deuteronomy and the Daily Office by Cameron Mack
https://store.ireland.anglican.org/store/product/187/collision-of-worlds

Exploration and Meaning: Considering Faith Formation in Children Aged Six to Eleven by Andrew Neill
https://store.ireland.anglican.org/store/product/188/exploration-and-meaning-considering-faith-formation

With thanks to Lynn Glanville (Communications Officer for Dublin and Glendalough) for report and photographs.  A full photo album is available in our Flickr gallery at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCg7Dr