Page 20 - The Church of Ireland Apologetic for Mission?

b.
salvation, and to share in Christ’s work of reconciliation”.16
Service of Ordination or Consecrating of a Bishop
The Service for those being ordained as bishop includes the following charges:
Bishops are called to lead in serving and caring for the people of God and to work with them in the oversight of the Church. As chief pastors
they share with their fellow bishops a special responsibility to maintain and further the unity of the Church, to uphold its discipline, to guard its faith and to promote its mission throughout the world.17
Will you then be a faithful witness to Christ to those among whom you live, and lead your people to obey our Saviour’s command to make disciples of all nations?18
Give to this your servant grace
and power which you gave to your apostles, to lead those committed to his / her charge in proclaiming the gospel of salvation.19
Hold up the weak, heal the sick, bind up the broken, bring again the outcasts, seek the lost.20
It is clear that the duties a bishop is being consecrated for include building up the body of Christ. That the charges include being a leader in mission is unmistakable.
Mission Statement from the House of Bishops
In 2007 the House of Bishops issued a Mission Statement for the Church of Ireland. It has three main emphases: ‘Growth – Unity – Service’. It states,21
p570 2004 Book of Common Prayer
p 575 Ordination Service 2 (Book of Common Prayer 20014) p 578 Ibid
p 581 Ibid
p548
http://meathandkildare.org/resources/
The Church of Ireland, as an authentic part of the universal church of
God, is called to develop growing communities of faith, in and through which the Kingdom of God is made known, and in which the whole people serve together as followers of Jesus Christ for the good of the world to the Glory of God.
In the power of the Spirit, our mission requires us to order our contemporary worship and life in a manner that nurtures growth, promotes unity and liberates us for service in the world that is God’s.
The Church is called to be an agent
of God’s purpose to bring all things together in Christ; to be the sign, instrument and first-fruits of that oneness in Christ that is God’s gift and God’s will.
In living God’s kingdom and serving the Mission Statement makes a commitment to:
• Engage compassionately with the world and society in all its rich variety of need and opportunity
• Be both disciple and discipling; perpetual learners in the school of Christ as we ourselves strive to teach and serve others
• Daily and energetically embody and proclaim the values of the kingdom for whose coming we long.
Contained in this statement is a clear commitment to:
• Growth
• Making the Kingdom of God known • Service for the good of the world
c.
20
16 17 18 19 20 21