Two or three other conferences are here at the centre. It was nice to bump into Gary Benfold briefly and then later Jim Webber from Lonlas, both here in an FIEC capacity.
Our second session featured Stephen Murphy from Dundalk. Stephen Rees chaired. That gave us a nice opportunity to sing 'Be thou my vision'.
Stephen spoke about the work of the gospel in Eire today. He first gave the history of Baptist work (more here) beginning with the planting of churches in Dublin, Cork, Waterford, etc by Cromwellian troops. In the 18th Century Fuller, Pearce and other English Baptists sent missionaries to Ireland to work among the very poor. In the 19th Century some progress was made also in the north although in the 1840s many of these very poor Christians died or emigrated.
By the 1960s the remaining Baptist churches were all very small. Today, however, a church like Cork is not only thriving but has planted three other churches and wants to plant more. How has this happened? Two unrelated things happened in the sixties that had their impact. Vatican II meant a change in people's attitudes. At the same time the advent of TV showed a world outside where things were different and Catholicism did not predominate.
In 1979 the Pope came to Dublin and 1 million of the three and a half million population gathered for mass. This was the high watermark for Catholicism. Since then various scandals have had their effect and church going is much less than it was. Against this background things have changed. The Charismatic movement within Catholicism has had an impact in leading people to see the importance of experience and reading the Bible. Similarly ecumenism (again not something we would see as wholly positive) has had a significant impact.
Another significant but mixed blessing has been an influx of American fundamentalists (not always the most culturally sensitive folk).
All this has led eventually to an indigenous Irish evangelicalism, some of whom are Reformed Baptists. In Dundalk this happened around seven years ago. Others are still working through these things.
Of course, there is still much opposition. The continuing institutionalised power of the Catholic church is one obvious example.
The description was fascinating and here we have given only a summary. What opportunities there are. Questions followed touching on the weakness of the Catholic church, opportunities with radio broadcasting (free!), Kilkenny, Waterford, Clonmel, Aontas, etc.
Our second session featured Stephen Murphy from Dundalk. Stephen Rees chaired. That gave us a nice opportunity to sing 'Be thou my vision'.
Stephen spoke about the work of the gospel in Eire today. He first gave the history of Baptist work (more here) beginning with the planting of churches in Dublin, Cork, Waterford, etc by Cromwellian troops. In the 18th Century Fuller, Pearce and other English Baptists sent missionaries to Ireland to work among the very poor. In the 19th Century some progress was made also in the north although in the 1840s many of these very poor Christians died or emigrated.
By the 1960s the remaining Baptist churches were all very small. Today, however, a church like Cork is not only thriving but has planted three other churches and wants to plant more. How has this happened? Two unrelated things happened in the sixties that had their impact. Vatican II meant a change in people's attitudes. At the same time the advent of TV showed a world outside where things were different and Catholicism did not predominate.
In 1979 the Pope came to Dublin and 1 million of the three and a half million population gathered for mass. This was the high watermark for Catholicism. Since then various scandals have had their effect and church going is much less than it was. Against this background things have changed. The Charismatic movement within Catholicism has had an impact in leading people to see the importance of experience and reading the Bible. Similarly ecumenism (again not something we would see as wholly positive) has had a significant impact.
Another significant but mixed blessing has been an influx of American fundamentalists (not always the most culturally sensitive folk).
All this has led eventually to an indigenous Irish evangelicalism, some of whom are Reformed Baptists. In Dundalk this happened around seven years ago. Others are still working through these things.
Of course, there is still much opposition. The continuing institutionalised power of the Catholic church is one obvious example.
The description was fascinating and here we have given only a summary. What opportunities there are. Questions followed touching on the weakness of the Catholic church, opportunities with radio broadcasting (free!), Kilkenny, Waterford, Clonmel, Aontas, etc.
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