The Irish Council of Churches and Irish Inter–Church Meeting are delighted to announce the appointment of Rev Karen Campbell to the position of Good Relations Officer. This a joint initiative of the ICC and the Irish Episcopal Conference, with funding support from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and Benefact Trust.

Rev Campbell was ordained as a Minister of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland in 2007, and served as Minister in congregations in Islandmagee and Kilbride. In 2018 she moved to the United States with her family to co–pastor the Church of the Servant in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Karen is currently finishing her doctoral thesis on the virtue of intellectual humility in multicultural worshipping communities.

Throughout her ministry, having lived and worked on three continents, she has pursued reconciliation in spaces where there have been cultural, political and social divides to bridge. She believes it is important to articulate a theology of shalom that ensures peace is a priority, and not simply a secondary issue.

In this role she will lead inter–church engagement in peace–building and reconciliation, through implementation of the Unfinished Work of Peace strategy that underpins this aspect of ICC and IICM’s work.

Looking forward to this opportunity, Rev Campbell said “I am grateful to ICC and IICM for this opportunity.  Since the gospel centres on resurrection, I am looking forward to engaging with key issues that will encourage full resurrection flourishing on this island.  I will eagerly find connection points with migrant–led churches and see how they are invigorating expressions of faith that will disciple and encourage us, and connect with local inter–church groups to support them in their work building reconciliation and peace in their communities.

.  As someone who loves to preach and communicate the fullness of the good news, I welcome opportunities to preach and help lead worship in a variety of contexts.”

Welcoming Rev Campbell’s appointment, General Secretary Dr Damian Jackson said “This role represents a significant commitment by the churches in Ireland to building their capacity, at local and national level, to serve the cause of reconciliation and peace today. There are many polarising and fracturing dynamics in our society, each of which brings a need for peacemaking and reconciliation, and this broad sense of the concept of reconciliation underpins a vision of a society in which all can fully participate and be included.”