Anglican Communion general secretary celebrates new ministry project in Irish dioceses

[Anglican Communion News Service] Anglican Communion Secretary General Bishop Anthony Poggo, attended a service of commissioning in the Diocese of Kildare to celebrate the heritage of pioneer ministry in the Church of Ireland and announce a new outreach mission project.

A new diocesan pioneer ministry project, “The Community of the Celtic Cross,” is being established in the dioceses of Meath and Kildare and is to be led by the Rev. Philip McKinley as diocesan pioneer minister.

The initiative was made possible through the support of the Church of Ireland Pioneer Fund and was warmly welcomed by local clergy and the diocesan council.

McKinley’s commissioning service took place in St. Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare, on Sept. 29. The Most Rev. Patricia Louise Storey, bishop of Meath and Kildare, presided.

McKinley said of his new commission, “I am grateful to the parishes of Kildare and Athlone for their openness and willingness to venture into something new within the life of Christ’s church.”

Since 2023, McKinley has served as lead pioneer evangelist at St. Brigid’s Cathedral alongside his curacy in the Dunboyne and Rathmolyon Group. This new pioneering project will be based in two localities: St. Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare; and Athlone, County Westmeath, which includes the renowned 6th-century Clonmacnoise monastic city.

According to the website for Pioneer Ministry, “Over the last 50 years, attendance and membership of the Church of Ireland has declined… This has resulted in a narrowing of the fringe of people with whom traditional church can connect. There are now more people in our communities who have no engagement with the church and no understanding of the Christian message. New approaches to ministry – Pioneer Ministries – are needed to cross cultural barriers to enable the Gospel to be shared with people who are well beyond the fringe.”

After the service Poggo said, “Pioneer ministry is a good news story. The Great Commission was the last thing that Christ did before ascending into heaven. He charged us with a specific mission. The commission was not just to go, but to go and make disciples, not just to make converts, but to make disciples.

“The legacy of this diocese, as the historic home of Archdeacon William Giff, is one close to my heart and faith. Rev. William Giff and his wife Agnes were the first Church Missionary Society missionaries formally posted in Kajo-Keji, my home diocese, in 1929, and are credited with formally bringing the Gospel to Kajo-Keji. What Rev. Giff did during his time was an inspirational model for Pioneer Ministry. They successfully reached people in their time who had little or no connection to church or Christianity in South Sudan.

“I commend the new pioneer ministry of Meath and Kildare dioceses and pray for the power of the Spirit to guide their footsteps as they seek to reach those who feel disconnected from the body of Christ – the church.”

Storey stated in an announcement from the Dioceses of Meath and Kildare, “This project is rooted in hope – hope in the message of Christ to reach a new generation, and in the faith of those who have gone before us. It invites us to step forward in trust, seeking new ways to share God’s love.’

The statement went on to say, “This ministry will seek to share the good news of Jesus Christ in new ways. It will build alongside existing parish life while reaching out to those who may not yet have found a place in church.”