Archbishop Clarke’s 2018 Presidential Address
The Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, delivered his Presidential Address this afternoon at the Church of Ireland General Synod, meeting in the Armagh City Hotel.
Archbishop Clarke focused on the themes of being a ‘safe’ Church – not only with regard to safeguarding children and young people but also in the Church’s ministry among adults at risk of harm, and those in need of care and protection; being a model and symbol of generosity; and being an ‘agile’ Church. On the latter theme, he said: ‘…as Christian disciples living in “liquid modernity”, what are we to do; in the words of the psalmist, “What can the righteous do?” They must, first and most importantly, recall the solid foundations on which we are to rely in any place and time – in the words of the traditional prayer for the work of the General Synod, that we may “evermore hold fast and abide in the Apostolic and true Catholic faith”. But we must also be ready to think carefully and critically about everything around us, and indeed about ourselves.’
Archbishop Clarke went on to highlight and endorse the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ prayer initiative, which is a call to a global wave of prayer over the ten days from Ascension Day (10th May) to Pentecost, and he indicated that the initiative will also be commended by Archbishop Eamon Martin later on Thursday when he speaks to members of the Synod.The Archbishop also commended the publication of a new Commentary on the Constitution of the Church of Ireland which will be launched at the General Synod.
A full transcript of Archbishop Clarke’s Synod Presidential Address is provided at this link.