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A local Presbyterian minister will welcome visitors from the Czech Republic next week as they seek to establish closer links with Christians in Ireland. Rev John Kirkpatrick, minister of Portrush Presbyterian Church, has invited an eight member delegation of the Church of the Brethren to stay for a period of ten days from Saturday, 7th August, 1999.
The delegation are expected to meet with local Presbyterians who have already visited the Czech Republic over recent years as part of an initiative of the Overseas Board of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. In return, one pastor was given the chance to spend four months training at Union Theological College, Belfast during last year.
The delegates itinerary will include trips to Donegal and Dublin where they will look at Presbyterian work and witness south of the border.
The Czech team is travelling from Ostrava which is on the eastern side of the Republic, near the Polish border. Amongst their number is a local pastor, a church general secretary and conveniently, an English teacher. Ostrava Church of the Brethren numbers between two and three hundred worshippers every Sunday along with ten 'preaching stations' which the church has planted in other parts of the city.
Church of the Brethren originate from American missionary workers who were part of a Czech revival movement in the last century. In terms of church practice and worship, the denomination is very similar to orthodox Presbyterian churches in western Europe and the United States. Rev John Kirkpatrick comments on their visit:
"This is an excellent opportunity for local church members to find out more about Christian living in a very different country. Czech believers have endured different problems as they have sought to work in a post communist society - we would do well to learn from their experiences."
Issued by Martin McNeely, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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