After the March 2020 Easter edition, the Herald paused publication due to the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown. After an absence of eight months, the Church’s denominational magazine returned in January in a temporary format – but will return to its normal publication schedule of eight monthly copies and two double editions from February 2022.
In a promotional video for the current edition of the magazine, Presbyterian Herald Editor, Sarah Harding, thanked readers for their support over recent months. “We were really thankful to connect with our readers again with these four free editions, and it’s also been great to welcome many new readers to the magazine. We are delighted to be returning to our usual 10 issues from February and our regular format, so I would love you to sign up for 2022,” she said.
The cover story for this edition of the Presbyterian Herald is the 2021 General Assembly that took place over three days last month. The 68-page edition also includes regular features ‘News in the round’, ‘As I see it’ and news from the home and overseas mission fields in the ‘Mission Connect’ supplement – including prayer points.
This year’s World Development Appeal also features, along with a very different kind of story around a very different kind of mission – social witness and the retirement of Lindsay Conway OBE. For nearly 20 years Lindsay has been the Secretary to the Council for Social Witness in a career spanning five decades in social work. The Herald also bids farewell to longstanding contributor Betsy Cameron, after 12 years of writing her column.
Following on from an impassioned speech at the General Assembly, Dr Andy Brown, chair of PCI’s State Education Committee, writes about the importance of the Church’s role in education. Children are also the focus of a great story from Ballywillan Presbyterian, and how it raised £100,000 for orphans in Swaziland.
In the Herald’s regular feature, ‘As I see it’, former Moderator, Dr Trevor Morrow, reflects on the centenary of the partition of Ireland and the creation of Northern Ireland in relation to the Church’s mission on the island. That mission continues in North Belfast with a look at the work of the International Meeting Point and its work in the community. There is also a report on PW’s first online Annual Meeting.
This edition is available also available to view free of charge as a PDF copy here. It is also as a digital copy which can be accessed at issuu.com.
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