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MissionCONTENTSHistory of R.P. Missions
HISTORY OF R P MISSIONSThe missionary activity of the Reformed Presbyterian Church developed along three particular lines. At the beginning it was confined to members of the Church living in different parts of the world (Colonial Mission). Later there arose a special sense of responsibility for work in Ireland among Roman Catholics (Irish Mission). The wider sphere of mission among the heathen in foreign countries was the last to be considered by the Church (Foreign Mission). Colonial MissionThis mission work was centred around Covenanters who had emigrated to the colonies. Moves began in the early 1820’s to send a minister to work among the Settlers in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. In 1827 Alexander Clarke was ordained in Ireland for work in New Brunswick and in 1831 William Somerville was ordained in Ireland and his ministry began in Nova Scotia. From these beginnings the Reformed Presbyterian (Covenanter) Church took root in Canada. The needs of Australia occupied the attention of the Synod in 1853. A few years later (1857) Mr Alexander Moore was ordained to the ministry and set apart as the first missionary of the Church to Australia. Over the years further workers have gone from Ireland. Eventually a Presbytery was formed and the Australia R. P. Church became independent of the mother church in 1975. The Irish MissionAbout the year 1830 the Church formed a Missionary Board whose special task was the care and superintendence of small isolate groups or "Societies" of Covenanters. One such society was settled in Dublin. The board began to supply this society with gospel ordinances in 1834. The Church did not undertake the disseminating of the Scriptures among Roman Catholics in Ireland until the year 1846. A writer in the Covenanter in 1857 refers to the Irish potato famine of 1847 as "the day of Ireland’s distress". He then adds that "it was the Protestants of every denomination that hastened to the relief of the perishing multitudes; and while they administered freely to negate and remove temporal misery, numbers accounted it a primary duty to point them to the Great Physician, and to the grand remedy provided in gratuitous salvation". In the 1850’s Mr Robert Allen, a licentiate of the Church was ordained and appointed to take up work in Dublin and a converted Roman Catholic, Mr Patrick McTighe, was engaged as a Scripture reader in and around Cong in Co Mayo. From these tentative beginnings the Irish Mission developed over the years. While mission work was formerly carried out in Newry, Dublin, Cork and Donegal the main focus at present is in a church planting ministry in Galway. Galway is the fastest growing city in Ireland with many opportunities. The Foreign MissionThe Foreign Mission work of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland effectively began in 1871 when James Martin was called by the Synod to undertake missionary work in Antioch, Syria. The American Reformed Presbyterian Church had already been carrying out mission work in Syria since 1856 so with Dr Martin’s arrival in 1872 the Covenanters from Ireland, Scotland and North America were co-operating in the one sphere of Foreign Mission. Remarkable success attended the efforts of Dr Martin in his pioneer work in Antioch. By 1890, the congregation there had 71 members of whom 37 were communicants. Rev Samuel Kennedy joined Dr Martin in 1895 and in 1902 he moved to Alexandretta to open a new mission station. Due to political unrest in Syria and other related factors the foreign mission was relocated to the Zahleh district of Lebanon in 1953. Missionaries who gave many years of sterling service in the Middle East were Rev William and Mrs Lytle, Miss Minnie Khashou (nee Bell) and Miss Henrietta Gardner. In 1963 the missionary focus of the church turned to Africa and a new sphere of labour was established in the Tigre Province of Ethiopia. For 12 years a fine work was done with emphasis on evangelism, education, medical and agricultural work. The Church contributed generously and by 1970 a team of 8 missionaries was working with the assistance of some very gifted and dedicated nationals. The collapse of the Haile Selassie reign and the subsequent revolution brought the mission work to an end and the workers returned home in 1975. CURRENT R P MISSIONSIrish MissionThe Irish Mission consists of a team made up of 2 families:
Raymond serves as the pastor of the fellowship of believers which meet in a converted garage behind the home of the Hamiltons. He uses his teaching skills to communicate the gospel in various settings in Galway. For example, the university, hotel lounges and the open air. He is a fluent Irish speaker and is currently exploring ways of communicating the gospel in Irish. Billy serves as an evangelist/church worker. He leads the outreach ministry which involves bookstall ministry in Galway and other local towns, open air evangelism and managing the Christian bookshop which the mission operates in the centre of the city. Overseas Mission (formerly Foreign Mission)The Overseas Mission is centred in the city of Nantes in Western France. The Church in Ireland sent a team of missionaries to this large French city in 1988. The team consists of:
Nantes has a population of over 500,000 in the Loire Valley in North West France. It is the administrative capital of the region of the Loire Valley and one of the most important centres of population in the West of France. A fellowship of believers has been established and Malcolm and Blair share the preaching. The method of contact with this vast population is mainly through literature. A broadsheet tract called "Reflections" is distributed twice yearly to 30,000 homes. Responses from these gives opportunity for follow-up ministry. Bible studies are held with individuals and with groups. Home MissionThis section of Reformed Presbyterian missions is helping to support the Wishaw congregation in Scotland and is actively promoting church planting in the North of Ireland. It also offers anyone in the church the possibility of serving a congreation in the church through shortterm service. OBJECTIVES OF R P MISSIONS
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