Pioneer Ministry moves forward with Gathering and training sessions
The Pioneer Ministry leadership hosted training and a larger gathering on Friday and Saturday 21- 22 November in the Bloomfield House Hotel, Mullingar. They brought together participants from across the Church of Ireland for a time of learning, vision-casting, and collaboration.
Across both days, there was a sense of growth and shared learning as Pioneer Ministry continues to deepen and take root in communities across the island.
Friday served as a purposeful day of coaching, training, and community-building for all eleven Diocesan Pioneer Ministry Advocates. The day began with welcome and worship, followed by teaching on how Pioneer Ministry can grow in each diocese through investment, integration, and innovation. Advocates received updates on then Pioneer Projects across the Island and in turn shared their diocesan insights, highlighting opportunities and challenges.
Conversations about the upcoming Pioneer 2026 Review and preparations for General Synod helped frame the future plans, while collaborative planning ensured everyone was supported to help lead Pioneer Ministry in their own unique settings. The day ended with prayer, fellowship, and food to strengthen unity as the Pioneer Advocate and Hub community continues to develop.
Saturday was the main Gathering and it started with a warm welcome as some of the Church of Ireland’s new Pioneer Ministers greeted attendees arriving from every diocese, embodying the shared, island-wide nature of Pioneer Ministry. After Archdeacon Elizabeth Cairns (Armagh’s Pioneer Ministry Advocate) introduced the day, Bishop Pat Storey offered words of gratitude, particularly for the Representative Church Body’s generous support, and spoke with hope about the life and potential of Pioneer Ministry in each diocese represented.
The Revd Rob Jones, National Director for Pioneer Ministry, then spoke and introduced the central theme of the gathering – overflow – through worship and a ‘cascading glasses’ demonstration, symbolising how leadership, resources, and imagination must flow from and to the grassroots, so that every parish can feel able to participate in Pioneer Ministry.
The keynote speaker, the Revd Dr Michael Moynagh, delivered two significant talks. His first, Pioneering in Parish Life – A Mixed Ecology for the Church of Ireland, encouraged participants to reflect on what pioneering means personally, for their parish, and for their diocese, as they embody a culture of letting go and generously giving away what God has empowered us to share as followers of Christ.
His second talk, How Parishes Can Practically Begin to Pioneer, offered helpful practical first steps and honest reflections on what works and what doesn’t. He once again highlighted a mixed ecology of community and Christian witness, where everyday parish activities, such as parent-toddler groups or fitness classes, can naturally become pathways to new faith-seeking communities, and he challenged attendees to think of offering faith as a gift to their wider community.
A lovely lunch was then enjoyed by all, which was followed by Archdeacon Barry Forde presenting how Pioneer Ministry fits within Church of Ireland structures, emphasising that Pioneer initiatives must cultivate new missional, formational, and contextual ecclesial communities.
Six of the fourteen Pioneer Ministers funded by the Representative Church Body then shared about their projects, alongside video stories from other initiatives, illustrating the impact of pioneering on local communities across the dioceses. There was also a panel featuring six of the eleven Diocesan Pioneer Advocates, who encouraged attendees to discern where God is already at work and shared exciting and honest pioneering updates from their dioceses. Group discussions that followed were rich with imagination and hope.
The Gathering concluded with a reflective closing and worship led by Canon Phil Potter, commissioning participants to flourish locally in their pioneering work. Every attendee received a copy of Mike Moynagh’s book Godsend.intro which is a practical resource for those wanting to explore and begin implementing Pioneer Ministry in their parish.
Across both days, it was increasingly evident that Pioneer Ministry is becoming more deeply rooted within the Church of Ireland. With representation from every diocese, new Licensed Pioneer Ministers and projects, a committed Pioneer Advocate in each diocese, and a growing network of 14 hubs, Pioneer Ministry is facilitating unity and gaining clarity, structure, and momentum. Participants left encouraged and energised, looking forward with more confidence as Pioneer Ministry continues to grow and spread across the Church of Ireland.
For more information, please visit www.pioneerministry.org and look out for recordings of the talks from Saturday’s gathering, which will be shared through social media and in the next Pioneer Ministry newsletter (readers are welcome to sign up for the newsletter at www.pioneerministry.org/connect).