Members of the Diocesan Synod,
Last Diocesan SynodAs I welcome you all to this meeting of our Synod I am of course deeply conscious it will be for the last time. On Sunday 31 December I will retire as Archbishop - a position and privilege I have held since 1986. I have a host of emotions, memories and thoughts this morning. Twenty years of diocesan, parochial and community life; the sharing of happiness in parishes and homes and equally sharing the sorrows and tragedies. Faces, voices, events - they are all in my mind at this moment - but behind them all the wonderful privilege of seeing a diocese respond to the love of God ...
In my General Synod Address last May in announcing my intention to retire I paid tribute to all those with whom I had worked on a Church-wide basis. Today I turn to this diocese. Through the custom of the Church of Ireland the Primate is also the diocesan bishop of Armagh. This dual role allows him to wed his all-Ireland and international work with the day to day life of a diocese. I have never understood how those Provinces of the Anglican Communion where their Primate is removed from diocesan responsibilities on election and placed in a purely executive role, can expect their leader to fully appreciate what is happening on the ground in a diocese. Frequently in the past 20 years I have been reminded of this. To move in a matter of days from involvement in a national or international occasion to sitting in a Rectory or home of a parishioner has allowed me to experience the full width of Church life. For that I am grateful. While the responsibility of two roles can be daunting at times I hope and pray our Church will hold on to its present custom.
So it is to the clergy and people of Armagh diocese that I address my first words of gratitude. You have continually opened your hearts, your parishes and your homes to Christine and myself. This diocesan family is simply that : a family. From Drogheda to Woodschapel we have been so grateful for your welcome, warmth and support. Visits to your Churches, meetings with groups and individuals, sharing and co-operating with clergy, preparations of those seeking ordination or service as lay readers, confirmations of both young people and adults, institutions of new rectors, the numerous administrative duties, visits to parishes not only on a Sunday round but during the week, hospital visits and the sharing of sorrows - just some of those points of contact. The friendships we have made go far beyond individual instances - and we both hope will go far beyond 31 December next.
The Church
As I reflect today on the past 20 years as Primate but also on all those years since I was ordained back in 1963 I have one thought above all others. I thank God for the opportunities He has given me to serve Him, to serve the Church and to be in contact with a host of people in His name. 43 years of such experiences may be but a very small segment of the eternal purpose of Almighty God but I am simply overwhelmed by the memories of such privilege. Today I cannot imagine a greater privilege than to be ordained and to try to speak of the call of Christ by word and action. There have been times of joy and satisfaction : there have been times of failure and frustration. But I can say in all honesty I have never doubted the divine purpose of God for this world nor the strength offered to people of all ages and backgrounds through the grace of a living, loving God of mercy.
Changes
Over those 43 years there has been vast changes in the life of the Church and change in how the Church is perceived by the community to which it ministers. No where is such change more obvious than here in Ireland. The history of the Church presents us with the permanent and the transitory. The permanent is the command of Christ to go out into the world and preach the Gospel. The transitory is the ever-changing social, political, economic and interpretations of life within which the Body of Christ worships and witnesses to that eternal message.
