The Church of Ireland Gazette

02/09/2026

🔎 We are hiring a part-time Administrative Assistant! Share this with someone who might be interested in working with us.

The role is hybrid, with flexibility to work from home, provided there is some office presence in Lisburn.

Excellent for someone looking for a role alongside family commitments or another part-time role.

You would work with the Board and the Editorial Team to ensure deliveries, payments, and subscriptions are up to date.

👉 More details here: https://coigazette.ie/vacancies/

01/09/2026

The September issue is out now! 📰

Our latest issue looks back at a significant summer for the Church of Ireland as Belfast hosted the 19th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, bringing together more than 140 representatives from 38 Provinces of the Anglican Communion.

Also in this issue:
⛪ A year in review from the Diocese of Down & Dromore
🎵 A spotlight on Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin and its new Deanery Portraits book project
💬 The Lost Art of Disagreeing Well by Conor O’Reilly
🏳️‍🌈 After the Tumult, Belonging by Scott Golden
✝️ The Editor’s piece, In Good Company, reflects on faithfulness in an unsettled world
📰 News from across the Church of Ireland and beyond
📜 Archives, ministry news, letters, and our Biblical Crossword

06/08/2026

What becomes of faith when memory begins to fade?

Drawing on his experience of accompanying his mother through Alzheimer’s disease and his ministry amongst those living with dementia, The Revd Jonathan Watson reflects on the remarkable resilience of spiritual memory.

‘When memory fades, love — human and divine — still remains.’

Across our parishes, many families are walking the long road of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, accompanying loved ones as memory, language, and independence slowly fade. Beneath the practical and emotional strain lies a profound spiritual question: what becomes of faith when reco...

28/07/2026

This year, Mothers’ Union celebrates its 150th anniversary — a milestone marking a century and a half of supporting families and sharing the Christian faith around the world.

In this special feature, All-Ireland President Kay Clarke reflects on the global celebrations, including the thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral, and introduces The President’s Challenge: 150 Psalms for 150 Years, a daily devotional journey through the Book of Psalms.

Discover the story behind the anniversary, the people involved, and how you can take part. All Ireland Mothers' Union.

📖 Read the full feature:

This year marks a remarkable milestone in the life of Mothers’ Union, as members across the globe celebrate 150 years of faith, friendship, and service. From humble beginnings in 1876, when Mary Sumner gathered a small group of women in her home, Mothers’ Union has grown into a worldwide movemen...

27/07/2026

The commissioning of Jamie Bambrick as Minister-in-Charge of Hope Church, Craigavon has raised questions about how appointments are made within the Diocese of Down & Dromore.

Whilst Church of Ireland clergy normally undergo discernment, theological training, ordination, and a formal appointment process, this appointment appears to have taken a different route — with the support of the bishop.

Our report examines the questions now being asked.

📖 Read the full story:

The commissioning of a new minister at Hope Church, Craigavon, has raised questions about ministerial formation, ecclesiastical accountability, and the application of Church of Ireland procedures within the Diocese of Down and Dromore. During the church’s 10:30am service on Sunday 21st June, leade...

22/07/2026

What is the Feast of Creation, and could it one day become part of the Church of Ireland liturgical calendar?

In this article, Dr Bridget Nichols explores the origins of the Feast of Creation, its growing place across the Anglican Communion and wider Church, and how it connects with the Season of Creation and our theology of God's created world.

Read the full article in the latest Church of Ireland Gazette and on our website.

New feast days are rarely added to the Revised Common Lectionary, the three-year lectionary used by Anglican Communion Member Churches as well as a number of other Churches. The recent announcement that readings for the Feast of Creation have been included, therefore, commands attention. The Feast w...

21/07/2026

What should leadership in the Church look like?

In this thought-provoking piece, The Revd Rebecca Guildea explores why representation matters in episcopal leadership, arguing that a House of Bishops reflecting a broader range of backgrounds, experiences, and voices is better equipped to serve the whole Church.

She asks challenging questions about diversity and what our leadership communicates about the image of God.

Read the full article and join the conversation in this month’s Church of Ireland Gazette.

You know what I like about you? You’re tall.’ So said an attendee at a funeral taken by my training rector. He had considered the rector — a man over 6 foot — and had been suitably pleased. This clergyman looked the part, nice and imposing in a cassock. He was what a minister ought

21/07/2026

As we journey through the summer months, the Church remembers faithful women and men whose lives continue to inspire Christians today. From Mary Magdalene (22nd July), the first witness to the Resurrection, to St James the Apostle (25th July), whose steadfast discipleship continues to encourage pilgrims in faith, this month offers opportunities to reflect on lives shaped by Christ.

Which saint or commemoration this month speaks most to you? Read the full article online here.

Thomas | 3rd July The Apostle Thomas is remembered above all for his initial doubt concerning the Resurrection of Christ. When the risen Lord appeared and invited him to touch his wounds, Thomas responded with the profound confession, ‘My Lord and my God’. Tradition associates him with missionar...

20/07/2026

The Charles Wood Festival of Music and Summer School Armagh was officially launched on 22nd June at the Armagh Robinson Library & No 5, unveiling a major programme with a series of lasting tributes to one of Armagh’s most celebrated musical sons as part of its landmark centenary year.

The Festival will feature the unveiling of the first-ever sculpted bust of Wood by Festival Patron Sir John Rutter.

The Charles Wood Festival of Music was officially launched on 22nd June at the Armagh Robinson Library, unveiling a major programme with a series of lasting tributes to one of Armagh’s most celebrated musical sons as part of its landmark centenary year. Marking 100 years since the death of renowne...

14/07/2026

In this powerful and personal reflection, The Reverend Maithrie White-Dundas explores the loneliness experienced by many ethnic minority Christians during the recent riots in Belfast.

Drawing on her own memories of racial violence in Sri Lanka, she asks difficult questions about belonging, hospitality, and whether the Church truly sees and supports all members of its family.

🗞️ Read the article online.

There is a terrible loneliness and abandonment in being attacked when you know you have no one you can call — no one you can appeal to for help, no phone numbers to reach for. You are not part of a warm secure community of family or friends, or a supportive church. You’re trapped inside