Presbyterian Church Moderator pays visit to the Iveagh district

The Right Reverend Dr David Bruce and the Reverend Colin Harris, minister of Scarva Street Presbyterian Church, Banbridge

The visits were part of 20 separate engagements that made up his weeklong tour of one of PCI’s 19 regional presbyteries.

While in the town Dr Bruce visited Banbridge Academy and was welcomed to the school by the principal Robin McLoughlin.

He also fielded questions on a variety of topics from 30 religious studies and politics ‘A’ and ‘AS’ level students. During the week he met leaders of Northern Ireland’s farmers, local Banbridge business leaders and preached in Scarva Street Presbyterian Church.

The Moderator, the Right Reverend Dr David Bruce, meets with Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) and Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster (YFCU) representatives during his recent visit to the Iveagh District

It was also a poignant return, as he and his family worshipped in the church until he was six-years-old.

It was also the church where Dr Bruce was baptised over half a century ago.

“Presbytery tours are a wonderful opportunity for a Moderator to get ‘out and about’, seeing first-hand the work that congregations are doing in the community. I was greatly encouraged by what I saw,” Dr Bruce said.

“The tours are very much pastoral visits and after such difficult times I very much want to encourage the local church, and especially our ministers, who have been on the frontline, acknowledging the work that they and their congregations are doing.

The Moderator, the Right Reverend Dr David Bruce, with representatives from Banbridge Academy

“As a church, we seek to be active in meeting with a range of public representatives and different groups to listen, discuss their concerns, hear and understand the issues that they face. So it was good to spend time with some local business leaders in the town as well as representatives of our famers. It was also a great opportunity to visit a range of schools across the Presbytery.”

The Presbytery itself covers an area from Newcastle in the east, then runs north-westwards through the Mourne foothills and the Bann Valley, taking in the towns of Rathfriland and Banbridge. It then stretches as far as Gilford, Donacloney and Tandragee on its western border.

Dr Bruce continued: “I was very much impressed by what I saw at Banbridge Academy, and all the schools that we visited during the week.

“The impact of Covid-19 on everyone involved in education; governors, principals, teachers and support staff, has been considerable and I would like to add my tribute to everyone who has stepped up, risen to the challenge and gone the extra mile in these exceptionally difficult circumstances.

“I include in this, the parents who juggled working from home and home schooling, and the students, who had to try and learn through these abnormal times.”