Moderator speaks of ‘an ecclesiastical earthquake’ and hope at Special General Assembly
18 Feb, 2026
At a second Special General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) to meet in as many months, PCI’s Moderator, Right Reverend Dr Richard Murray, said that the Church was living through ‘an ecclesiastical earthquake’ and encouraged ministers and elders gathered in the Assembly Hall of Assembly Buildings in Belfast, to look to Psalm 46, a psalm for times of trouble and hope.
Dr Murray was speaking during a service of worship, which opened the Special General Assembly. The meeting formed part of the ongoing process of addressing a range of issues and related matters that stemmed from failings in the central administration of its safeguarding processes, which the Church announced in November of last year.
While Dr Murray said that no one was sure when Psalm 46 was written, “…it was written at a time of huge change in the history of the people of God… [who] had a sense about them of earthquakes happening…” pointing to verse 2, which says, “The earth gives way…the mountains moved into the heart of the sea.”
The Moderator continued,
“Clearly the psalmist was living through times of cataclysmic change and it’s good to remind ourselves that such times have always been faced by God’s people, to a greater or lesser extent. We in PCI are living through such a time when there’s been an ecclesiastical earthquake and when safeguarding has (quite rightly) been moved centre stage.”
Speaking of what had taken place, Dr Murray affirmed those “who have faithfully and dutifully carried out their safeguarding duties, but others have failed us and, in their wake, we are acutely aware of people who have suffered and been left desolate, and then there are forces without and forces within that oppose us and sometimes we wonder what’s coming next?”
He then posed the questions ‘What does the future hold for PCI?’ and ‘where is the Lord in the middle of it all?”’ Talking of Psalm 46, Dr Murray said that it would help the Church navigate such a time as this, pointing to verse one which says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Dr Murray continued, “We in PCI are in trouble, make no mistake about it, especially, again, and most necessarily we think of those hurt, harmed, traumatised by our failings and as David Bruce said away at the beginning “even one case is one too many…”
Ministers and a representative elder from each of the all-Ireland denomination’s 500-plus congregations were entitled to attend today’s meeting, which will receive an update on safeguarding and progress regarding the General Council task groups that were set up as a result of decisions taken at December’s Special Assembly.
The two principal pieces of business that will also follow the Moderator’s opening address, will ask Members of Assembly to consider the ceremonial and reporting aspects of PCI’s General Assembly in June and the approve resolutions concerning the appointment process of a new Clerk of the General Assembly’, and a new senior leadership structure for the Church.
PCI’s An Tionólann goes for ‘month of Sundays’
- 28 Jan, 2026
West Belfast’s newest expression of ‘church’, An Tionólann (meaning ‘The Place of Assembly/Gathering’) is set begin regular weekly Sunday services on 1 February, ‘to take things to the next level’, having begun with a single monthly service back in September 2024 – and its preacher that first Sunday comes with a recognisably historic name.
Rev David Moore, who leads An Tionólann, which is the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s (PCI) special ministry in the west of the city and is excited about the move to regular Sunday worship.
Looking forward to Sunday, Mr Moore said,
“After an absence of many years, PCI began to re-engage with West Belfast in September 2022. Since then, we have arranged a number of historical, linguistic, cultural, sporting and spiritual events, like last summer’s ‘Between the Sticks’ with Antrim GAA and Scottish Shinty teams, and have been delighted with the great response from the people of West Belfast, whom we have come to serve.
“Having started monthly services in September 2024, we now have around 40 regular attenders, so we feel that the time has come to take things to the next level and establish a regular pattern of Sunday services. To kick us off, is my colleague, Rev Moore Casement will preach this Sunday. Moore has a familiar surname, and is actually a distant relation of the former diplomat and Irish patriot, Sir Roger Casement.”
Moderator’s visit in September 2025
The services are held in Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich on the Falls Road, which until 1982 was the home of Broadway Presbyterian Church, where in 1965 PCI’s Moderator, Right Reverend Dr Richard Murray was baptised.
Mr Moore said that he hopes that the initial trial run will become an established weekly service,
“We start at 4pm and follow a simple order of service which includes reading from the Bible and Blessing in Irish, with English translation, singing together as a congregation, which everyone enjoys regardless of how good a singer they are! The heart of our time together is spent listening and thinking about what God says through the Bible and what it means for our lives today. They last just under an hour.”
“Over the course of the month we are looking at some of the “I AM” sayings of Jesus found in John’s gospel, as He tells us who he is in his own words. For example, ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life’ and ‘I am the way the truth and the life’, all of which reveal a different facet of who Jesus is.
“Everyone is welcome and if this initial month of Sunday services goes well, we will be following our Lord on his journey to the Cross in the later chapters of John’s gospel during Lent, which will take us up to Easter. This Sunday it will be great to hear Moore preach and kick off our month weekly services.”
The Rev Moore Casement, the speaker this Sunday, runs the Belfast-based Cornhill Training Course, a non-denominational course which trains men and women of all ages how to understand the Bible for themselves and teach and preach it to others. He also teaches preaching to PCI’s ministry students at the city’s Union Theological College.
Also looking forward to taking part in the service at An Tionólann, Mr Casement said that, when it comes to his surname,
“In some places it has more resonance than others. My connection to Roger Casement, is, I think, that we share my four times great grandfather, which makes us very distant cousins. “I really want to give thanks to God, however, for what David and his team are doing in building this community of believers, here in West Belfast. I really appreciate the invite and I’m looking forward to joining them.
“This Sunday I will be preaching on John chapter eight, when Jesus said, “‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” It is an awesome and profound statement, and if you want to know more, please join us.”
Since their first Sunday service 16 months ago, around 40 people come together to worship.
Thinking about Sunday, Rev David Moore concluded by saying,
“As we seek to reconnect and engage with this part of the city, we are excited about our trial of weekly worship services in Cultúrlann, a place that could not have been more welcoming to us from the start. If you are someone who is searching for answers to life’s big questions, or are just curious about what the Bible has to say, you would be more than welcome to join us, and stay for a cup of tea or coffee afterwards.”
Short-listed minsters for Moderator announced
- 23 Jan, 2026
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland announced today that the names of four ministers that will go before next month’s meeting of presbyteries for nomination as Moderator.
PCI’s 19 regional bodies will meet separately across Ireland on 3 February to select one of the ministers to become ‘Moderator-Designate’, who will in turn be nominated to June’s General Assembly to serve as Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland for 2026-2027.
Nominees for Moderator
Together, those short-listed have a combined ministerial experience since their ordinations of more than 110 years, having served in over 10 congregations between them across six counties during the past four decades, both north and south of the border. This year’s ministers who will be considered are as follows:
Brief biographies of this year’s nominees
This year’s short-listed ministers who will be considered by presbyteries are:
Rev Dr Jonathan Curry – Minister of First Magherafelt Presbyterian Church
Jonathan was installed as minister of First Magherafelt Presbyterian Church in 2004, having been ordained as minister of Second Keady and Drumhillery Presbyterian Churches six years earlier. From 2015-2017 Jonathan was convener of PCI’s Leadership Committee and convener of its Nominations Committee 2016-2021. Since 2021 he has served as Clerk of the Presbytery of Tyrone. Jonathan was born in 1966. He is a member of the Presbytery of Tyrone.
Rev Ker Graham – Minister of Clarkesbridge & First Newtownhamilton Presbyterian Church, Garmany’s Grove and McKelvey’s Grove Presbyterian Churches
Ker was installed as minister of Clarkesbridge & First Newtownhamilton Presbyterian Church, Garmany’s Grove and McKelvey’s Grove Presbyterian Churches in 2008, having been minister of Castlereagh Presbyterian Church from 2002-2005, when he resigned his charge. Born in 1962, he was ordained as minister of First Castlederg & Killeter Presbyterian Church in 1998. Since 2022 Ker has been convener of the Linkage Commission. He is a member of the Presbytery of Newry.
Rev Richard Kerr – Minister of Templepatrick Presbyterian Church
Richard was ordained minister of Templepatrick Presbyterian in 2005, where he continues to serve. Born in 1965, Richard was convener of PCI’s Global Concerns Committee from 2015-2020 and has been convener of the Global Development Committee from 2021. He is a member of the Presbytery of Templepatrick.
Rev Mairisíne Stanfield – Minister of City Church Bangor
Mairisíne became minister of First Presbyterian Church, Bangor in 2013. (The congregation changed its name to City Church, Bangor in 2025). Born in 1965, she was ordained in 1990 as assistant minister of Regent Street Presbyterian Church, Newtownards, becoming minister of First Presbyterian Church, Ballynahinch, in 1993. She is a member of the Presbytery of Ards.
Acting Clerk of Assembly
The process of choosing a new Moderator, who will be the 180th person to hold PCI’s highest office, starts in the late autumn when presbyteries begin to suggest the names of ministers who they would like to see considered.
Overseen by the Acting Clerk of the General Assembly, Rev Dr David Allen, in the run up to Christmas he informs those on this initial ‘long-list’ that they have been suggested, and to confirm to him that they would be willing to have their names go forward. Those that do are then voted on by presbyteries when they meet on the first Tuesday in February.
While that process has not changed, the position that PCI finds itself since the last election of February 2025 has changed. The public announcement by the Church in November of the discovery central administrative safeguarding failures led to the unprecedented standing down of the Moderator. As a result, Dr Richard Murray, the immediate past Moderator returned to office and called a Special General Assembly for 18 December to discuss specific proposals to address the safeguarding failures and other related matters.
Speaking about the moderatorship, Dr Allen said,
“When we came together in December, I said to Members of Assembly that we can’t unthinkingly behave as if it is business as usual. We recognised that the role of Moderator would have a different emphasis, which the report before us described as ‘primarily a “pastoral” moderatorship’.
“As I said at the time, every Moderator plays a pastoral role, encouraging, praying for and being with the Church, being with members, elders, and ministers, preaching on Sunday’s and visiting presbyteries. In our current circumstances that aspect of the role will increase and become more significant. It needs to be different and along with that, invitations to some public events will be respectfully declined.”
On the election itself, the Acting Clerk said that all ministers and the representative elder from each congregation within the presbytery’s bounds will vote for their preferred candidate. The presbytery’s single vote is then given to the person who receives the majority of votes cast at the meeting. The minister with the support of most presbyteries at the end of the evening, will become the Moderator-Designate.
“At our General Assembly this coming June, the Moderator-Designate will be formerly nominated for election as Moderator. Should there be a tied vote when presbyteries meet, which last happened in 2014, they will remain in session and vote again. This time, only those who tied in the first round will be considered in the second.
“This is a prayerful, open, democratic, and a very Presbyterian process. This year especially, I would ask my brothers and sisters in Christ across our Church, especially members of presbytery who will be voting, to pray earnestly for the Lord’s guidance and for the person chosen to be our Moderator in the times that we find ourselves. I look forward to working with them, whoever is called to serve and lead us.”
The name of the Moderator-Designate should be known around 9pm on Tuesday, 3 February and will posted on PCI’s websiteand social media platforms
In the Presbyterian system of church government, each presbytery consists of ministers and elders who are drawn from local congregations, and other ministries in a particular area. As a court of the church, each presbytery is responsible for overseeing those congregations in its local area, while undertaking other important tasks, which include the ordination and installation of ministers (also known as teaching elders), the ordination of elders, and the annual selection of the minister who will become PCI’s Moderator.
There are currently 19 presbyteries: Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, East Belfast, North Belfast, South Belfast, Carrickfergus, Coleraine & Limavady, Derry & Donegal, Down, Dromore, Dublin & Munster, Iveagh, Monaghan, Newry, Omagh, Route, Templepatrick, Tyrone. Monaghan and Dublin & Munster are located in the Republic of Ireland, while Derry & Donegal is cross border, with congregations located in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. With congregations primarily in Northern Ireland, the Presbytery of Newry has two congregations across the border in County Monaghan.
PCI ‘Safeguarding Roadshow’ hits the road
- 20 Jan, 2026
As the first tranche of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s (PCI) ‘Safeguarding Roadshows’ has hit the road. The all-Ireland denomination’s safeguarding lead has said that she hopes ‘as many as possible take the opportunity to take part, as it is an important opportunity to hear how safeguarding is changing in PCI.”
Special General Assembly
The Roadshows were announced by PCI’s safeguarding Lead, Jayne Bellingham, at last month’s Special General Assembly. Designed for those who have responsibility for safeguarding in PCI’s 500-plus congregations, the initial series of nine information evenings at venues across the island of Ireland, began last week in Bangor.
Taking place in venues in Counties Antrim, Cavan, Derry/Londonderry, Donegal, Fermanagh and Tyrone, the roadshow’s final stop in this series will be in Lucan, County Dublin at the end of February. The initiative is part of the preparation for major safeguarding changes that are to be implemented shortly with regards to the protection of children and adults.
Speaking about the roadshows, Mrs Bellingham said that she had been very encouraged by the first one last week.
“We had a great turn out, nearly 100 people in Bangor, and I want to thank everyone from so many different congregations in the surrounding area, and farther afield, for coming. It was an invaluable time of information sharing, roundtable discussion, Q&As, feedback, and prayer. It was also a great demonstration of the commitment to safeguarding in our local churches.
“As the world becomes more complex, safeguarding becomes more complex, and as we move into this new year we enter a time of looking forward, and we want to ensure that day-to-day safeguarding in PCI can be the best it can be. It is important that we do this together, and our roadshows are part of that process of moving forward, so we get the heart of safeguarding right.”
Mrs Bellingham explained that since the spring of 2024 the denomination has been working with others on developing a new suite of safeguarding policies and procedures that take in the legislative changes in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
“The new policies were agreed by the 2025 General Assembly in June, with a suite of detailed updated procedures in the final stages of approval, they will come into force in next month.
“In preparation for the launch of these new procedures, I want to encourage our safeguarding leads to come along to whatever information evening is convenient to them, so that they can hear first-hand what is being planned. The Q&A sessions will be really important, as will the feedback from them.
Mrs Bellingham continued,
“This is the first of a number of safeguarding initiatives that are taking place this year. We will be holding online seminars following the release of the new safeguarding procedures to help and support people through them, there will be increased training sessions, videos produced and other resources made available, including a safeguarding conference later on this year. We are also considering further series of roadshows on other aspects of safeguarding practice, all of which is part of elevating the position of safeguarding within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
“We know that our designated persons in our churches in Northern Ireland, and our designated liaison persons in our congregations in the Republic of Ireland, are central to the success of safeguarding across our denomination. All are volunteers in their own local churches, working quietly and tirelessly to ensure the safeguarding of children and adults, and I can’t thank them enough for what they do. I sincerely hope that as many as possible take the opportunity to come and engage with the roadshow, as it is an important opportunity to see how safeguarding is changing in PCI. We would also value your prayers.”
Latest edition of ‘The Review’ focuses on Special Assembly
- 08 Jan, 2026
Following the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s (PCI) Special General Assembly last month, the all-Ireland denomination has produced its third edition of The Review – a digital snapshot of the special meeting, which took place in the week before Christmas.
The Special General Assembly was called by PCI’s Moderator, Right Reverend Dr Richard Murray, to discuss specific proposals to address the central safeguarding failures announced publicly by the Church in November, and other related matters.
The eight-page online magazine, which is available on issuu.com, and includes news and photos from the meeting. Held in Assembly Buildings in central Belfast and attended by 700 ministers and elders, journalists and over 100 members of the public, The Review’s embedded links also take readers to the report and resolutions that were discussed on the day.
Speaking about the latest edition, Mark Neale, PCI’s Head of Communications, hoped readers would find it informative.
“Our first edition was produced within three weeks of the close of the 2024 General Assembly. While it lasted for three days and more business was transacted, this time around, with the Christmas break fast approaching, we managed to write, design, and publish within three working days of the close of the Special Assembly. Given that, I would like to thank everyone on the team who made this possible. So far it has been viewed over 1000 times, which is really encouraging.
“This edition of The Review provides a brief summary of the business and the key decisions taken at the special assembly. As an organisation which seeks to communicate in an open and transparent way, the front-page headline ‘A repentant Assembly’ sets the scene, and the tone for what took place, as we report on Dr Murray’s opening address in which he apologised, as Moderator, on behalf of PCI to those who have been hurt or harmed as a result of the Church’s central safeguarding failings.”
While the next meeting of the General Assembly has been scheduled for 9-11 June 2026, it was agreed that some of the business discussed at Special General Assembly should be reported back for final agreement to a second Special General Assembly. This will be called by the Moderator prior to the June meeting and is likely to be held on 17 February.
Where to read The Review
You can read The Review here on issuu.com or download a copy from this website here.
The one with the signs 