Four Candidates Ordained for Local Ministry in KEA Diocese
Last Tuesday evening, 29th September, Revd. Albert Dawson, Revd. Steve Frost, Revd. Ed Smyth and Revd. Capt. Malcom Young were ordained as deacons for local ministry. A small congregation gathered in the Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin and St John the Baptist, Sligo for a service led by Rt. Revd. Ferran Glenfield, the Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh. Other friends and family were able to participate in the service via livestream (http://studiorove.ie/ordination/.)
Albert, Steve, Ed and Malcom are the first candidates in our Diocese to be ordained for local ministry. Ordained Local Ministry is a new form of ministry in the Church of Ireland, developed to meet pastoral and ministerial need in the local church. It is an unpaid ministry based in a local parish or groups of parishes alongside stipendary and lay ministries. Albert Dawson will continue to serve in the Cloonclare Group of Parishes, Steve Frost in the South Leitrim Group, Ed Smyth in the Roscommon Group and Malcom Young in the Drumcliffe Group of Parishes.
The address at the ordination was given by Bishop Ferran Glenfield. Speaking from Genesis 28 vs 10-22, Bishop Ferran said that, in a world that is repeatedly pleased to do without God we should never discount the God of grace who deals with us, not on the basis of what we deserve, but what we need. He challenged us not to dismiss the promises of a faithful, dependable God and never to confuse religion with the relationship that we can have with God through Jesus Christ, who is the fulfilment of God’s promises. Finally, he challenged the congregation never to doubt the purposes of God to create a people for himself to participate in His redemptive work in our world
