St. Patrick’s story is compelling. He used innovative methods to take the message of Christ to the people of Ireland and leave behind vibrant church communities about 400 years after Christ’s death and resurrection.
Yet the spiritual landscape of Ireland has changed since St. Patrick’s time. A recent news video highlights the startling decline in the Irish Church in recent decades. It is worth a few minutes to watch.
The Catholic Church was once a power structure in Ireland, but the majority of people there have given up on their faith.
The evangelical church is not filling the spiritual void in Ireland either. As an example, the Irish town of Limerick has a population of 300,000, and only about 200 people there attend evangelical churches of any denomination. That means less than one percent of the population of that town is part of any kind of evangelical church! That is a staggering statistic!
Orchard Group is partnering with Dermot O’Mahony and his family to see a vibrant new church planted in Limerick. Dermot is a native of Limerick, Ireland who spent some time in the United States and has now returned home. Already he is meeting with about 70 people in Limerick to engage in spiritual dialogue. Dermot is praying that the core group for the new church emerges from those people.
St. Patrick’s Day reminds us of a time when the church thrived in Ireland. That time has passed. I'm excited that through people like Dermot the spirit of St. Patrick lives on.
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