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News
Transferor Representatives' Council bring roadshow to Enniskillen
Attending the TRC roadshow in Enniskillen are Peter Hamill Bishop Ian Ellis and Andy Brown.
A number of clergy, school governors and other members of the Church of Ireland, Presbyterian and Methodist congregations in Fermanagh and part of Tyrone attended a “Churches in Schools” event in Enniskillen on Thursday, 11 April.
The event in the Cathedral Hall organised by the Transferor Representatives’ Council explored the current issues in the relationship between faith and education and churches and schools.
Mr. Andy Brown, Chairman of the TRC, who was joined by Mr Peter Hamill, Secretary at the Church of Ireland’s Board of Education, said there were strong ties between local schools and churches. He said the role of transferor representatives on school boards was to defend the Christian ethos in schools.
The idea behind the roadshows in Enniskillen as well as previous roadshows in Coleraine and Lisburn, was to help those nominating transferor representatives for the next reconstitution of boards in September and to ensure their suitability.
He said there were many issues affecting society now compared with even 10 years ago.
A video message was played from Mr. David Smyth, Head of the Evangelical Alliance NI who put the role of Christianity in society in context. A recent survey found that 50 per cent of the NI population described themselves as practising Christians, 21 per cent as evangelical Christians, 35 per cent prayed on a weekly basis, 23 per cent attended church weekly and 13 per cent read the Bible.
He said there were many challenges for those promoting faith in education but also many opportunities particularly to help shape culture in schools. He said they could be at the centre of faith, policy and education and to protect and promote Christian ethos in schools.
During the event, those attending heard from the principal of a local primary school.