The Rev. Scott Thayer, chaplain of Bethany College, traveled to the
Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Northern Ireland on Nov. 1-16 with a
group of eight clergy from the upper Ohio River Valley.
This trip was part of a three-year-long study opportunity with
the Institute for Clergy Excellence.
Sponsored in part by a grant from
the Lilly Endowment, Inc., the group is studying alternative
expressions of Christian faith that are emerging outside the
institutional church. They met with numerous groups and individuals in
Ireland, Scotland and Northern Ireland to determine the degree of
religious involvement of people in those countries, especially young
adults. Some of the most fruitful conversations occurred in pubs, hotel
lobbies, and on the streets. The group also visited a number of
historical sites that were important in the founding of the
Presbyterian Church and the Disciples of Christ, including Edinburgh,
Glasgow and Ahorey.
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