Church Army partners with Church of Ireland Pioneer Ministry

Church Army are delighted to announce that we are officially partnering with the Church of Ireland in its new Pioneer Ministry initiative. Sunday 5^th February saw the launch of Pioneer Ministry in the Church of Ireland at the National Cathedral – St Patrick’s, Dublin – as the Church of Ireland Pioneer Ministry Leadership Team were commissioned by the Archbishops of Armagh and Dublin.

Pioneer Ministry is a movement of the Church of Ireland to reach those with little or no connection to church, and will encourage, support and release volunteer and paid pioneers and new ministries to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Church Army will be working with the Pioneer Ministry Team in helping to train volunteer pioneers and also with the Church of Ireland Theological Institute to select, train and deploy those selected for paid pioneer ministry, to reach people in new places and in different ways.

At the launch service on Sunday 5^th February candles of hope were lit by representatives of each of the Church’s 11 dioceses, including Church Army Evangelists Alan Williamson, Marian Edwards, and Evangelist-in-Training Jo Miller. The guest preacher was the Archbishop of Wales, the Most Revd Andy John, and prayers were led by the Revd Rebecca Hamilton, Canon Phil Potter, Sarah Louise Hockey (Church Army Evangelist), Canon Dr Maurice Elliott (Director of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute), Lucy Reid (Leader of 24/7 Prayer Ireland), David Ritchie (Chief Officer of the Representative Church Body), Dom Perrem (Director of Alpha Ireland), and Romila Ghosh (UCD Young Adults).