St Columba's Church, Church Hill, Gartan

15/09/2026

13/09/2026

Our congratulations to Archdeacon Robert Boyd on his new appointment.

Remember to hold both Archdeacons Robert in your prayers - the incoming and the outgoing!

Bishop Andrew has appointed the Rector of Glendermott and Newbuildings, Rev Canon Robert Boyd MBE, as the new Archdeacon of Derry. The appointment takes effect immediately, meaning the new Archdeacon will have to quickly get used to his new title – Venerable Robert Boyd.

Bishop Andrew says Robert has all the qualities a bishop seeks in an archdeacon. 'I have known Robert for more years than either of us would care to remember,' Bishop Andrew says. 'In all that time, he has been a faithful and valued friend. For a number of years we served in neighbouring parishes in the Diocese of Armagh. He is extremely affable, as his parishioners will attest, but his geniality belies an inner steel. He is a gifted and resilient leader, a superb administrator, a wise counsellor, a man of utter integrity, and a wonderful pastor. He has a remarkable ability to bring people with him – gentle leadership, I would call it – but, above all, he is a very Godly man.

'I look forward to working with Robert as he joins our senior leadership team, alongside the Archdeacon of Raphoe, The Ven. David Huss.'

Archdeacon Boyd becomes the second Rector of Glendermott to be appointed Archdeacon of the Diocese of Derry, following in the footsteps of The Ven. William Colquhoun who retired in 1914. Archdeacon Boyd says he feels humbled and honoured by Bishop Andrew's appointment, and has asked for people's prayers as he embarks on this new phase in his ministry.

'After the initial shock, I feel very humbled and honoured to be appointed Archdeacon of Derry by Bishop Andrew,' he says. 'I wish to pay tribute to my predecessor, The Venerable Robert Miller, who has served with such distinction.

'I pray that in the years ahead, and with God's help, I may be of assistance to the Bishop and my colleagues throughout the Diocese as we seek to build a team which proclaims the Good News of the Gospel to our Diocesan family and the wider community.

'I thank my wife, May, my family, and the parishes in which I have served, for their support of my ministry over the last 36 years. I ask for continued prayers as I embark on this new role.'

Archdeacon Boyd succeeds Ven. Robert Miller who will be taking up a new role, in November, as Chaplain of the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace. There will be a brief crossover period during which the outgoing Archdeacon will guide and support his successor.

Bishop Andrew has paid tribute to Archdeacon Miller for his service in a role he had held since 2012. 'Nobody knows better than me – or appreciates more than me – the outstanding service Robert has given to the Diocese, and to me as Bishop, during his time as Archdeacon.

'I knew Robert long before my arrival in Derry and Raphoe, seven years ago, but since then he has been a rock. He has been unstinting in his friendship, generous with his advice, and courageous with his leadership. I thank him for his support and that friendship, and wish him a successful and fruitful ministry as Chaplain of the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace.'

12/09/2026

Pray for Rev Mel as she settles in to her new ministry in Fahan, and for her family as they make the transition too.

08/09/2026

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01/09/2026

What an exciting appointment for the CoI Centre and for the Church of Ireland as a whole.

Dr Wilkinson is the author of the new Protestant RE syllabus ‘Follow Me’ which is already proving a great success across schools in Ireland.

Indeed she worked closely with Ms Murray from Gartan National School on the material relating to St Columba.

Pray for Jacqui as she undertakes her new responsibilities.

D&G news: New Director Appointed to Church of Ireland Centre at DCU: Dr Jacqui Wilkinson has been appointed Director of the Church of Ireland Centre at Dublin City University.
She succeeds Canon Professor Anne Lodge whose term of office has come to an end after 10 years in the role.

Dr Wilkinson’s term of office begins today (Tuesday September 1) and her appointment has been welcomed by the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd John McDowell, and the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson. They also thanked Professor Lodge for her contribution to the Church of Ireland Centre, the 10th anniversary of which was celebrated yesterday.

In a statement the Archbishops said: “As Professor Anne Lodge steps down as Director of the Church of Ireland Centre at Dublin City University we wish to thank her for her unique contribution in that role. In her pioneering role Professor Lodge has embedded the Centre in the life of DCU and has consolidated its position within the school sector which it serves. We are very grateful to Professor Lodge for her diligence, scholarship and professionalism.

“We wish also to welcome Dr Jacqui Wilkinson into the role of Director of the Centre. Jacqui will be known to many within the Primary Education sector in the Republic of Ireland not least through her work on the Follow Me Patron’s Programme for Religious Education and through her lecturing at the Centre over the past number of years.

“The Centre is at the core of teacher formation within the Reformed Traditions in Ireland and plays a vital role in maintaining and passing on our ethos. In addition the Centre’s specialism in Small School teaching across every tradition is another valued aspect of our contribution to the common good in many rural communities across Ireland.

“This is an exciting time for Jacqui, for the Centre and for the education community and we pray for her and wish her well as she begins her new role today”.

On behalf of the General Synod Board of Education, Dr Ken Fennelly commended both Dr Wilkinson and Professor Lodge for their commitment to the Church of Ireland Centre and to education. “On behalf of the Board of Education I would like to thank Anne for her dedication in charting the pathway for the Church of Ireland Centre in DCU’s Institute of Education and for her leadership in its first decade. I wish Jacqui well as she takes on this role and look forward to working with her in the coming years,” he said.

Dr Jacqui Wilkinson

Before becoming a lecturer in the DCU Institute of Education in the subject area of Religious Education, Dr Jacqui Wilkinson taught in a variety of school settings. She lectured in the Church of Ireland College of Education from 2010
until the date of its incorporation into DCU 10 years ago.

As part of her position she co–ordinates and delivers the Church of Ireland Religious Education Certificate to students studying for the BEd degree and to teachers employed in Church of Ireland schools. She is the editor and author of Follow Me, the primary school Religious Education programme taught in schools under the patronage of the Church of Ireland, Methodist Church and ,
Presbyterian Church.

Commenting on her appointment she said: “I am delighted to be the new Director of the Church of Ireland Centre and to lead the Centre into its next decade. As a CICE graduate, this is for me a very personal and special moment in my career.

“I thank Canon Professor Anne Lodge for her collegiality and leadership over the past ten years and I look forward to working with Laura O’Sullivan, coordinator of school placement and other colleagues as we connect with students through their BEd degree studies and support and serve the network of primary schools linked with the Church of Ireland Centre.

“The Church of Ireland Centre is well established in the DCU Institute of Education and there are many opportunities for creative engagement with colleagues in the Institute of Education and the wider university in the years ahead”.

Professor Anne Lodge

Revd Canon Professor Anne Lodge was the first Director of the Church of Ireland Centre in the DCU Institute of Education, having been the Principal of the Church of Ireland College of Education for seven years before that. The CIC was established under the legal agreement between DCU and CICE enabling the incorporation of the latter into the University on October 1 2016.

Anne played a key role along with other institutional leaders in the incorporation of three Colleges of Education in the Dublin region into DCU. She now reverts to being a member of the School of Policy and Practice in the DCU Institute of Education and will continue to work as a Professor at the university while also serving as incoming Canon Treasurer and Priest Scholar in Christ Church Cathedral Dublin.

Speaking on her final day as Director yesterday Professor Lodge said: “It has been a privilege to serve both as Director and prior to that as Principal and to be part of the provision of teacher education for primary schools under Church of Ireland, Methodist,
Presbyterian and Society of Friends schools. I have given 17 years to this work and, without question, it has been a life–changing experience. Parts of it were challenging but much of it was joyful. I am so very grateful to all those who worked and learned alongside me – all my colleagues, our students and graduates, our school networks at primary and post–primary levels, and all the individuals and institutions who are woven together in the partnerships into which we are embedded. I warmly wish Dr Jacqui Wilkinson every blessing on her journey as she takes the Centre forward.”

You can learn more about the Church of Ireland centre here: www.dcu.ie/church-of-ireland-centre



https://dublin.anglican.org/news/2026/09/01/new-director-appointed-to-church?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

30/08/2026

The Rector paid his first visit of the term to Gartan National School recently.

We are so lucky to have this amazing school at the heart of our Community and to have such a privileged role in its day-to-day life.