RELIGION AND CULTURE

Abstract

vivacious Pastor Anthony Joseph of the West African Church of Hope and Glory. The Pastor's style of public address was unusu ally impressive, and built up to an appeal for greater support from the main Christian Churches for the type of small Church he rep resents. The only opportunity for group discussion in the whole meeting followed these presentations. After morning worship the next day there were five more pre sentations. The first was on the part of the Romanian Orthodox Parish, completing the Russian presentation of the evening before (and also the Greek Orthodox presentation at the Greenhills Ecumenical Meeting of the previous January). Next, Rev. Alan Martin presented the fruits of his research into the integration of immigrants into Irish Church congregations: meeting the cultural expectations of incomers to Ireland is a major challenge, so that fully integrated worship is difficult. What works best at present in Irish towns is the use of churches and other buildings at different times by different ethnic groups. A contrary instance was pre sented by Rev Noel Fallows of the Clontarf Methodist Church, whose church and congregation has, as he described it, been revi talised by being virtually taken over by a group of Christians from Rwanda. Church involvement in social justice returned to the agenda with a powerful and indeed rather harrowing account of the work being done by the Spiritans (Holy Ghost Missionaries) for the vic tims of persecution and, in many cases, torture, who are quite numerous in Ireland. The final presentation of the day was by Fr Michael Daly of Stamullen, who described his ministry to those housed at the former Mosney Holiday Camp in his parish, and their integration into the local parish for worship. The concluding event of the meeting was a presentation to Dr David Stevens, since 1992 Executive Secretary of the IICM, the organiser of 'Ballymascanlon', who is taking up a new appoint ment with the Corrymeela Community. The Emmaus meeting showed clearly the intensity and realism of inter-church activity in Ireland during his period in office.