The Church of the Nazarene’s presence on the island of Ireland dates to the 1930s in Northern Ireland and 1950s in the Republic of Ireland. The island has 12 Nazarene churches—11 in Northern Ireland and one in the Republic of Ireland.

Launching on St. Patrick’s Day, The Ireland Partnership is seeking to create an avenue for the wider Church of the Nazarene to support Ireland in ministry, directing people to approved Nazarene projects on the island. It will focus on church planting, theological education, building projects, and leadership development initiatives, while facilitating short-term missions opportunities.

Greystones Church of the Nazarene in the Republic of Ireland is one of those projects, as the church hopes to become a resource for the district and enhance its facilities to better serve the community and its growing congregation.

According to Tim Bowen-Evans, The Ireland Partnership coordinator and pastor on staff at Greystones, the vision began with the desire to connect Nazarene churches in Ireland with the Irish diaspora worldwide.

“We were thinking of all these different ways that we can engage people who are interested in Ireland,” Bowen-Evans said. “It is at its best when it’s all of Ireland. So, The Ireland Partnership is a joint effort with our churches in Northern Ireland.”

The desire for a partnership that helps serve the whole of Ireland was apparent during a recent All-island worship night. Roughly 130 people from the churches in Northern Ireland boarded two rented buses to make the three and a half hour drive down to Greystones Church of the Nazarene in the south.

“The appetite in the congregation to be together was beautiful,” said Ruth Turner, British Isles North District superintendent. “Out of that has come this desire to really journey through things together.”

During the All-island worship night, Greystones unveiled their vision for the next steps of growth for the church, and how, through The Ireland Partnership, they can bring greater awareness and support to help all Nazarene churches in Ireland serve their communities.

“We’re excited about the work that’s happening there,” Turner said. “We’re excited about the potential. But to be able to partner in that and be joint partners is really hopeful for me.”

The invitation to get involved with The Ireland Partnership doesn’t just stop only on the island.

“One of the special things about the Church of the Nazarene, globally, is how interconnected we are,” said Bowen-Evans. “We’re part of a global church family, and people love to make connections, to support ministry in different places.”

The Irish diaspora is estimated to be over 70 million people worldwide. Bowen-Evans recalls meeting many people of Irish heritage at regional and global gatherings over the years, and visitors to the island have showed up at Greystones just to see the Church of the Nazarene here.

“Their Irishness matters to them,” Bowen-Evans said. “But we’ve never really had a way before for people who actually have that inclination to support ministry here to say, ‘Here’s a way you can do that.'”

To learn more about The Ireland Partnership, click here.