Presbyterian Church in Ireland

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Modern logo of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (or PCI) is a Presbyterian denomination in Ireland.

1 Membership
2 History
3 PCI today
4 Church and worship
- 4.1 Service
5 Logo and motto
6 Footnotes
7 Books
8 See also
- 8.1 Other Presbyterian Churches in Ireland
9 External links
- 9.1 Local churches

[edit] Membership

PCI has a membership of approximately 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^[1]. In the Republic of Ireland the church is the second largest protestant denomination, after the Church of Ireland. All the congregations of the church are represented up to the General Assembly (the church's government).

[edit] History

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. Presbyterians, along with Roman Catholics in Ulster and the rest of Ireland, suffered under the discriminatory Penal Laws until they were revoked in the early 19th century.

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[edit] PCI today

The current (2006-07) moderator is the Right 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;

India
China (see also: Irish Presbyterian Mission)
The Middle East
Jamaica
Africa
Indonesia
Nepal
Brazil

The headquarters of the church are at Church House in Belfast. Plans to relocate to a new development in May Street have been cancelled.

The 21 presbyteries are: Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Coleraine, Derry/Strabane, Donegal, Down, Dromore, Dublin/Munster, East Belfast, Foyle, Iveagh, Monaghan, Newry, North Belfast, Omagh, Route, South Belfast, Templepatrick, and Tyrone.

[edit] Church and worship

Abbey Presbyterian Church, Dublin

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. ('Infant Baptism' does not guarantee admission to Full Membership. Full Membership is only accepted on Profession of a personal Faith.)

[edit] 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. The order of service varies from church to church but it generally involves a hymn, followed by a prayer, followed by a childrens address and a children's hymn. This is then followed by an expository sermon by the minister and another hymn, then another prayer and a closing hymn. Most Presbyterian churches mix more traditional hymns with modern praise songs, and many churches now have praise bands with a variety of instruments, as well as the traditional organ.

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[edit] Logo and motto

Burning Bush and motto

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.

[edit] Footnotes

^ 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.