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The short answer is Belfast City Mission and the long answer is for 175 years!
Who Cares? is the title of a new book to be launched this Friday 29 November at 7.30pm in Church House, Wellington Street, Belfast, and tells the story of 175 years of the work and witness of the Belfast City Mission.
"This is not a history book," says George Ferguson, the Mission's Executive Secretary. "We hope it tells of the impact our work has had on the people whom we serve by interweaving the history of Belfast with the activities of the Mission and the people involved."
Published by Ambassador and written by Noel Davidson, the book has drawn on the Mission's own archives which record the work done in the early years from its beginnings in 1827 while the work of the last 50 plus years has been chronicled from the first hand accounts of those who have served the mission over those years. In 30 chapters and just over two hundred pages the story is told of growth from one missionary serving 30,000 people to today's staff of 24 working in a city ten times the size.
The story line weaves its way through such events as the opening of the railway line to Lisburn, the famine and emigration of the 1840's, the conferring of city status, the rise of shipbuilding with the launch of the Oceanic and the Titanic, Home Rule and the Somme, The Blitz and in more recent times the Troubles.
And through all of this the Mission has emerged still doing what it was founded to do, 'To reach out to the poor and lonely, the sick and the struggling, and to bring a ministry of comfort and consolation, hope and happiness to the people of Belfast.'
While much of the Mission's work is still based on its 21 'halls' dotted around the city a programme of regular visitation to primary school assemblies and after school clubs began in 2001 and earlier this year a coffee shop was opened on Dublin Road.
The Mission that was begun by men with spiritual inspiration has been continued by men of spiritual determination practically demonstrating Who Cares.
Issued by Stephen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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