Bishop Harold’s Presidential Address 2015
‘Grace’ was the theme of Bishop Harold Miller’s Presidential Address to the Down and Dromore Synod which met in Bangor Parish on 25 June 2015.
Following a year of prayer and preparation, the diocese is in a Year of Mission and the bishop encouraged the Synod in a “generous, selfless giving as seen in the epitome of God’s grace – Jesus Christ himself.”
When asked at a recent meeting how the Year of Mission was going, Bishop Harold said that the opening words of A Tale of Two Cities – ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’ – had sprung quickly to mind. He continued: “It is a time when many of our churches are being focussed about Children, Community and Church (as experienced by others), but it is also a time of conflict, hurt and spiritual battles.”
In times such as these and in the face of ‘un–gracious religion’, he asserted that “the Church should be grace–filled in a palpable and real way” and suggested that Gracious Fellowship, Gracious Evangelism and Gracious Discipleship were 3 expressions of grace that the Church should aim to cultivate.
“Gracious Fellowship,” he said, “is something which embraces and welcomes the new person; which looks out for other people, presumes the best of them and sees everyone as loved by Christ. It is an attitude of mind and an intentional way of living. This one single issue of gracious fellowship, openness to the new person, would grow all our churches immediately and stem the haemorrhaging which so often happens when a new person feels excluded, alone, or simply not accepted.”
Turning to Gracious Discipleship, Bishop Harold reminded Synod that we are life–long learners in the Kingdom of God and spoke of the need for our churches to be involved in serious, prioritised, lifelong discipleship, especially if we are to nurture young Christians.
“Our churches are to be workshops for making disciples,” he said.” We all need gentle support, gentle supervision, and gentle correction; if 2014 was a Year of Prayer, 2015 is a Year of Mission, then 2016 should be a Year of Intentional Discipleship.
During the Presidential, Bishop Harold also announced the membership of a Theological Working Group, which will examine the theology of the Royal Black Preceptory and the theology of Bethel Church, Redding, California. They are: Canon Dr Christina Baxter (Chair); Dr David Shepherd; Canon Dr Heather Morris and The Very Revd John Dinnen.
The Working Group will be gathering information and studying the organisations concerned from a theological perspective, and hopes to be able to conclude its work by the autumn. (Read more here).
He closed his address with an exhortation to Synod and the diocese:
“Brothers and sisters, as St John says in his Good News or Gospel, ‘Out of his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace’. Freely we have received, freely give. Let this Synod be a place of grace, let this diocese be a place of grace, let our lives, redeemed by grace, flow with grace – the free undeserved, relentless love and mercy of God for all. If we do, the second half of this year of mission will see blessing like we have never seen before.”