“That the Irish might enjoy Ireland so long as the moon endures, so that Jesus Christ might possess the Irish. If they were in the dark, and loved to have it so, it might something close a door upon the heart of our compassion; but they cry out of their darkness, and are ready to follow everyone whosoever, to have a candle.” John Owen
The People of Ireland
For the past 15 years, Ireland has been in an unprecedented state of flux, and it’s still unclear where things are heading. The power of the Catholic Church is waning and, in its place, there has appeared a vigorous liberalism where people are actively throwing off all that the Catholic Church promoted – both good and bad. There is great darkness, but also a great opportunity for the Gospel to shine forth as never before – as in John Owen’s time, the people of Ireland are crying out for a light to follow.
This will be a lifetime’s work and we need to be committed to it
The Church in Waterford
My wife Suzanne and I, and our family, first came to Waterford in the South East of Ireland 9 years ago. Waterford is the oldest city in Ireland, but also the smallest. Waterford Baptist Church is one of the oldest congregations in the country, but the work is still small. Larger cities, like Dublin and Cork, have seen genuine blessing in recent years with several churches planted, but Waterford has seen relatively little fruit.
Our Philosophy of ministry: a lesson from Patrick
When Patrick first arrived in Ireland in the 5th century, the native population was entirely tribal. Unlike the early work of the Apostles in the Book of Acts, where the great cities of the ancient world served as centres of evangelism, Patrick began his work by establishing monasteries, his own centres from which the Gospel could be preached. In the same way, we feel that every local church needs to become such a stronghold from which the Gospel can reach out. Local churches need to:
1 Be Gospel-centred:
churches need to be not just to be doctrinally sound, but completely centred on and committed to Christ and his Gospel.
2 Make disciples:
churches need to be filled not merely with converts, but with true followers of Christ, disciples who are saved and have matured to the point where they can become pillars of the church and serve and train others.
3 Embrace long-term ministry:
knowing the reality of the situation in Ireland, we know that this will be a lifetime’s work and we need to be committed to it.
4 Plant other churches:
the multiplication of disciples will lead to the multiplication of churches.
Encouraging contacts
Consecutive teaching through the Bible continues to be the centre of church life. The Sunday School work is a tremendous encouragement to all of us. Suzanne and Madeline are the leaders, and they give the children solid Bible teaching. The Sunday School is full of fun and the children are involved in special services during the year. This has been a great means for evangelism as we are reaching into the lives of parents and families who might otherwise be unwilling to attend.
The closer we become to the people we meet in Waterford, the more we realise the brokenness and suffering of the people of this city and country. We find a growing need and growing ministry in practical and spiritual support for families, single mothers, children and fathers. Over the past year, we’ve dealt with several very difficult domestic situations, and, it seems, there is a growing need for counselling and support. I am hoping that I can get further training in this area to better serve the people of Waterford, and that it can be passed on to others.
Our Family
Our own family are all doing well. Erin (22) is completing her MA in English Literature, and Tara (20) has just finished her first year studying Animation. Both girls would love to use their gifts to serve the Lord in the future. Ben (17), Liam (14), and Michael (10) are all well.
Our House
After 18 years of renting, we were finally blessed with our own home. We were able to buy some land just outside Waterford with a partially derelict house on it. The house is a long bungalow with a flat roof, but the central area was severely damaged in a fire some years ago. So far, we have been able to live in the left-hand section of the house while we plan and work on the remainder of the building. We have been so grateful to have received help from friends from UFM who have provided free labour and have cleared much of the site. We are looking forward to starting on the main structure during the summer: putting on a roof and rebuilding the central section. There are many friends who are willing to offer labour, but we need to be able to buy materials as we go. We are really looking to the Lord for this. Please pray with us that we will soon have the finance to be able to complete the work and enjoy the additional facilities we really need. Please pray as John Owen did that Ireland will not follow just anyone who seems to be holding a candle – but that ‘Jesus Christ might possess Ireland.’
– David Neald