Revd Jim Fleming is ordained presbyter (OLM)
Congratulations to Revd Jim Fleming who has been ordained presbyter (OLM) for his continuing ministry in Killicomaine Community Church, Portadown.
Bishop David ordained Jim along with Colin Birnie at an outdoor service in C.S. Lewis Square in East Belfast on Sunday 29 August. The preacher was Canon Phil Potter who was formerly the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Missioner and Team Leader of Fresh Expressions UK. Phil is now in a part–time role leading a Pioneer Ministry initiative within the Church of Ireland. His address centred on Christ’s call on our lives which is radical and challenging but also personal. Worship was led by James and Elise Turner and soloist, Jenny Hart.
Jim’s deacon year in Killicomaine
I was brought up in a ‘semi Christian’ home in East Belfast and gave my life to Jesus on the way home from a Boys’ Brigade camp in Cornwall in July 1982. I went on to serve in the BB as an Officer for 23 years and had the pleasure of managing the Belfast East Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Debt Centre for a number of years. I then trained as an Evangelist and worked with Through Faith Missions for a time before being ordained as a deacon last September.
Very shortly after being ordained last year we, at Killicomaine Community Church in Portadown, were able to start gathering again on Sunday evenings in Killicomaine Community Centre as lockdown restrictions were further relaxed. This was such a blessing as around half of those connected to our church plant were unable to join us online. We also resumed our weekly Mens’ Club and ran two ‘Freedom in Christ’ courses through the Autumn – one in person with a couple of gentlemen and the other online as a follow up to the first Down and Dromore Online Alpha Course which took place during the Spring of 2020. A Womens’ Club was also established during the Autumn, meeting weekly in the Community Centre.
During the Freedom in Christ courses significant discipleship took place and one of the gentlemen came to a saving faith in Jesus! His wife also followed him a couple of weeks later as she decided to ‘repent and believe’!
Into the start of this year, as we returned into lockdown, we went back to Sunday evenings online and started a weekly online Mens’ Bible study with guys from Freedom in Christ and a couple of others. This Bible study then became ‘face to face’ as restrictions eased again into the Spring.
Another blessing has been the opportunity to launch a Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Life Skills course during the spring.
Finally we had the pleasure of being heavily involved with the running of two further Down and Dromore Online Alpha Courses through the last year; one last Autumn and another during Spring of this year. All those involved have been amazed to witness people come to faith during these courses and watch others touched by the Holy Spirit in various forms of healing.
