Over 200 people gathered in the Assembly Hall to get a first hand briefing on the forthcoming changes to the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’ main publication. The strategic review of its three magazines – Presbyterian Herald, ReachOut and WiderWorld – emanated from the PCI restructure initiated by the 2014 General Assembly. Following a lengthy consultation process the 2016 Assembly resolved that at the end of this year ReachOut would cease, with parts of its content being incorporated into a new and revised Herald.
Presbyterian Herald editor, Sarah Harding, is excited by what’s to come, “The revised Herald is looking forward to being able to share in greater detail the stories of mission in Ireland. In the past we had tried to make the two magazines distinct in their approach, but this often meant that many readers missed out on great articles and features if they subscribed to one magazine or the other.
“Now, united together, we can bring the great work being done on our island to an even wider readership. We also seek to engage with new readers and through the recent publications survey, we got to hear what they want from a denominational magazine and take those views on board,” she said.
Rev. Trevor Gribben, Clerk of the General Assembly and General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, explained to the gathering that amalgamating the denomination’s publications has happened on a number of occasions in the last 176 years. He also said that he was confident about the significant place that the new Herald was going to have in the life of the Church.
“Its focus on the mission and ministry of the Church, the sharing of good news, the good work that our congregations are doing the length of Ireland and the exciting developments in congregational life and witness will all feature,” he said.
“As it stimulates thinking around some of the big issues of the day from a Christian perspective, it will also encourage thinking and discussion as it brings the unchanging message of Jesus Christ and the Scriptures themselves to a changing world. Without you, the Herald agents, that work could not succeed.”
Also speaking at the event, former Moderator, Very Rev. Dr. Michael Barry said, “The work that you do often goes unnoticed, but it is an important task in our Presbyterian family. I hope that the new Herald will continue to ensure that we are seen as one family and that through it people will feel that this is ‘my Church’. The work that you do in brining the news of our Church to the Church is invaluable,” he said.
Another Agent Day has been held in Dublin with a third scheduled to take place in Londonderry next week. The final edition of ReachOut, its December/January edition, is out now. The first new-look Presbyterian Herald will roll off the presses in February, after the December/January edition.
Presbyterian Herald editor, Sarah Harding, welcoming the agents to the first Agents Day in Assembly Buildings, Belfast
Details on how you can subscibe to the Presbyterian Herald can be found here.