Signs of Christian unity encourage missionaries in Ireland

Ireland is a country known for its religious divisions. But on Good Friday in 1998, a peace agreement was reached.

For the first time, there was a power-sharing Assembly made up of representatives of all political persuasions who agreed to cooperate.

While that seemed to lessen the overt violence, there was still great division, even amongst those who stood on the same religious/political side. The region was still sensitive to terms associated with years of strife, and that made some discussions very tricky, especially for those who arrived to share the hope of Christ.

For many missionaries, isolation led to discouragement, and some missionaries quietly called the country the �?graveyard of missionaries.'

However, a missionary with Greater Europe Mission recently attended a special two-day conference aimed at bringing together the Irish church leaders from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Called "Breaking New Ground," it was meant to establish good relationships between the community and the New Irish local churches.

Combined workshops, lectures, and discussions led to a sense of history in the making. Conversations were begun on the power of diversity in churches and neighborhoods to demonstrate the power of the Gospel to change lives and communities.

The GEM team has prayed for years that the Gospel would be unavoidable in every segment of Irish life.

At the conference's end, GEM's Durand Robinson said, "I believe that God has heard that prayer and broken the mono-cultural rigidity of Ireland so resistant to change by bringing brothers and sisters from around the world to join in the harvest."

Pray that the body of Christ in Ireland would begin to demonstrate the power of the Gospel in order to change lives and communities.

By MNN

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[01/03/2008]

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