Right Rev Dr Charles McMullen, the Presbyterian Moderator visits Jordan for a 10 day visit to the Middle Eastern country.
The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), arrives in Jordan on 11th August 2018. This will begin the visit where he will meet with church leaders, mission partner organisations and those working with them.
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has a close association with the region going back many years. More recently in January 2017 Dr Mike Bassous, General Secretary of the Bible Society of Lebanon, spoke at a PCI conference in Belfast, while Dr Noble McNeely visited Egypt as Moderator in the November for a 500th anniversary celebration of the Reformation. Earlier this year the immediate past president of Presbyterian Women, Elma Leeburn, visited Lebanon, as did Dr Ivan Patterson on his overseas tour in 2011.
During his visit Dr McMullen and his wife Barbara will be hosted by those connected with the PCI. Speaking before he left Northern Ireland, the Moderator said that it was an exciting opportunity to go and see a country that he hadn’t visited in a part of the world that he had heard so much about.
“This is very much an opportunity to build new relationships and strengthen existing ones with longstanding partners in the region. I also want to offer pastoral support and encouragement to those working there, not least those who have connections with Ireland.
We have a growing association with the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary and I am looking forward to meeting board members, students and graduates there. I am also looking forward to meeting Dr Imad Shehadeh who attended my installation as Moderator last month,” Dr McMullen said.
The Jordanian capital, Amman, will be the base for the trip as the Presbyterian Moderator visits Jordan.
During their stay the McMullens will be based in the capital Amman and will travel to a number of refugee projects run by local churches and the Bible Society of Jordan. The refugee population of the country is estimated to be 2 million, with 200-300 refugees living in a Christian town about 30 minutes from the border with Israel, which the Moderator will visit. He will also preach in an Arab evangelical congregation and an international English-speaking church in the capital.
“The Middle East is the very cradle of Christianity. In conferences we have held in Belfast and visitors from the region who have spoken at our General Assembly over the years, we have heard of the challenges our brothers and sisters in Christ face, how God is building his kingdom and the hope that is sustaining the Church in the Middle East. I am really looking forward to hearing about it and witnessing this first hand,” Dr McMullen said.
Rev Uel Marrs, Secretary of PCI’s Council for Global Mission, which has organised the visit said,
“The annual overseas visit by the Moderator is an important part of his year and for the Church as a whole. The primary purpose is to contribute to the developing and strengthening of relationships with partner churches and organisations, and to encourage those serving there, seeing their work for God’s kingdom first hand.
The remainder of his year in office will provide opportunities for the Moderator to talk about the work God is doing in that part of the world and encourage congregations to consider different ways of getting involved.”
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