Great gospel need in the Republic of Ireland

While the Roman Catholic Church is not nearly as influential as it once was, the effect of its teaching is still evident cuturally.

There is a great gospel need within the Republic of Ireland. It is sobering to note that the land of saints and scholars, that sent out Christian missionaries to all of Europe, is now one of the least evangelised nations in Europe.

That makes me desperately upset. How did it ever get so bad? The only answer is to prayerfully seek the continual reformation of the Church and a turning back of people to him. Only God can do this.

There are still many wonderful gospel initiatives in the Republic of Ireland and within the last 30 years a number of new independent gospel-driven churches have emerged. Many of these have turned their evangelism efforts to interfaith outreach. Up until recently, the word ‘interfaith’ meant the dynamic between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland (Anglican). Nowadays, within a multicultural, multi-ethnic society, the dynamic has changed and many new opportunities have presented themselves. For example, not too far from my hometown of Roscommon, a number of Syrian refugees have been received in a former hotel. Eventually they will be housed in different communities but meanwhile some modest contacts have been made.

We invited a number of them to our church hall and had a wonderful fellowship meal together. Most of these refugees are from a Muslim background. It was wonderful to build upon these relationships with them and we presented each one with an Arabic gospel. May God work powerfully through his word in di cult and sensitive circumstances.

Despite the fast-changing culture, I would say that the west of Ireland is still very traditional. Many of those that call themselves ‘Church of Ireland’ have been impacted by the bigger ‘firm’ theology of the Roman Catholic Church around them. As a result, many have a ‘Catholic’ understanding of the sacraments and the role of clergy. While the Roman Catholic Church is not nearly as influential as it once was, the effect of its teaching is still evident culturally. None of that is to say that relations with Roman Catholics aren’t better than they were: they clearly are.

But, in this the 500th anniversary year since the Reformation, it is important to remember how much of a failure it was in most parts of Ireland. Political objectives often took the place of any genuine desire to reach the Irish people for Christ. The lie told over the years was that being Irish and being Roman Catholic were synonymous. Culturally and patriotically many people in Ireland (who seldom go to a place of worship) will insist that they are Roman Catholic.

Such understanding still in influences people’s thoughts and their grasp of what the good news of the gospel might mean for them. Our evangelism to them must therefore sensitively take this into account. There has also been an increasing secularisation in the Republic. People are making an effort to oppose recent religious dominance and so refuse to accept institutional authority. The Republic of Ireland has gone from what would have been described as a religious nation to at the very least an agnostic or nominal one. Colossal social changes, such as the acceptance of civil same-sex marriage and the watering down of the abortion guidelines, have helped build a new, secular age.

It takes a long time for a newcomer to be accepted within Irish society. Most people are friendly but at a deeper level the Republic of Ireland is very parochial. Many new Christian churches and communities consist of more foreign nationals than native Irish. Within my own diocese, it encourages me to see clergy from many different countries serving together in the cause of the gospel. And yet churches should be countercultural in this regard. Being one of the traditional churches, the Church of Ireland has more access to the local population than most. A gospel people with access to both the ‘native’ and ‘new Irish’ populations is important in these times. We can reach the many, while still holding out the one, true gospel to all.

The Apostle Peter’s words are very apt, I think. He says in the first chapter of his first epistle,

‘therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming… just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “‘Be holy, because I am holy”’.

Alastair Donaldson is a Crosslinks Trustee and Curate of Roscommon Church of Ireland.

This article first appeared in the Crosslinks magazine of January 2018 and is used with permission.