Presbyterian Church in Ireland
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Modern logo of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland |
The
Presbyterian Church in Ireland (or PCI) has a membership of 300,000 people in 550
congregations across both
Northern Ireland and the
Republic of Ireland, though the bulk of the membership is in Northern Ireland. It is the second largest church in Northern Ireland, the first being the
Roman Catholic Church[Confusion can arise from the fact that overall, the majority of the people of Northern Ireland are members of the various Protestant churches such as the Presbyterian Church, Church of Ireland, Methodist Church and several others. Therefore the Roman Catholic Church is smaller than the combined Protestant denominations in Northern Ireland.]. All the congregations of the church are represented up to the
General Assembly (the church's government).
Presbyterianism in
Ireland dates from the time of the
Plantation of Ulster in 1610. During the reign of
James I of Ireland (James VI of Scotland) a large number of
Scottish Presbysterians emigrated to Ireland. The first move away from the
Church of Scotland, of which the Presbyterians in Ireland were part, saw the creation of the Presbytery of Ulster in 1642. This later merged with the
Secession Church in 1840. In 1854 the
Synod of Munster merged into the church.
The current (2006-07)
moderator is the
Reverend Dr David Clarke, who is the minister of Terrace Row Presbyterian Church in
Coleraine.
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, a founding member of the
World Alliance of Reformed Churches, has over 560
congregations in 21
presbyteries across Ireland. The PCI is involved in education, evangelism, social service and mission in a number of areas around the world;
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India*
China*
The Middle East*
Jamaica*
Africa*
Indonesia*
Nepal*
BrazilThe headquarters of the church are at
Church House in
Belfast. Plans to relocate to a new development in May Street have been cancelled.
The motto of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is "Ardens sed Virens" - "burning but flourishing". It is usually seen alongside the Burning Bush, the church's symbol. A burning bush was included in the more modern logo (top).:
Main article :
Burning Bush According to the
Bible, in
Exodus 3:2,
Moses heard the voice of
God coming from a
burning bush that was not consumed by
fire. This occurred after he had to flee
Egypt, and was when he was called to go and demand the release of the
Israelites.
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Presbyterianchurchfront.PNG |
Apart from the seats for worshippers (not shown above), the inside of the church is dominated by four items of furniture.
*The
Pulpit is the place from which the sermon is delivered and it reflects the important place given to teaching the Word of God in the church's life.
*The
Bible Stand holds the bible in a prominent place in the church. The bible is the source of all authority in the life of the church.
*The
Communion Table occupies the central place in the church. The associated chairs are occupied by the minister and elders during the service of Holy Communion.
*The
Baptismal Font is used during baptisms, which is the rite of entry into church membership. Children are regarded as sharing the promise of salvation with adults in the church and have as much right to be baptised as adults.
Service
The
Word of God is central in the Presbyterian Church, along with Prayer and Praise. The worship is a mix of
prayers,
hymns,
psalms,
paraphrases,
Scripture readings and
sermons. In recent years, psalms and paraphrases have been used less but are still an important part of worship.
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Presbyterianism*
Union Theological College College of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland*
Religion in the United Kingdom*
Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland*
List of notable Irish PresbyteriansOther Presbyterian Churches in Ireland
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Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster*
Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland*
Reformed Presbyterian Church*
Presbyterian Church in Ireland - Church Website
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The Presbyterian Herald Online - Church Newspaper
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pciYOUTH - Youth Website of the PCI
Local churches
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First Ballymena Presbyterian Church*
New Row Presbyterian Church, Coleraine
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Donegal Presbyterian Church*
Carlisle Road Presbyterian Church*
Ebrington Presbyterian Church
