Sectarian communities remain the reality in Northern Ireland, according to a report accepted on Tuesday by the Presbyterian general assembly in Belfast.
The report, which was prepared by Rev Tony Davidson, said that the "hurt and pain of many people affected by the Troubles" continued, while "not only is there no agreement in the public space about what happened during the Troubles, there is also no consensus about how we can go about finding a shared history".
“Recent conversations around what happened one hundred years ago in 1916 have further highlighted the lack of agreement in this regard,” the report said.
The general assembly agreed to a proposed research project that would address the question: “How did Presbyterians respond to the Troubles?”
The project would identify what the Presbyterian community did well and where “we failed to be faithful peacemakers”.
It would also ensure “the experiences of Presbyterians from the border areas and those in the Republic of Ireland are included” in considerations of the Troubles.
It was also agreed a book on the subject would be completed with 18 months.
The general assembly also approved resolutions reaffirming the Presbyterian church’s position that “human life begins at conception and that from that moment the human embryo should be treated in a manner in accordance with full human dignity.
“It reiterated its opposition to abortion on demand for purely social reasons, or as a means of birth control.”
It also recognised that “while the termination of pregnancy may be morally preferable to any alternative when continuation of the pregnancy would involve a serious risk to the life of the mother, the most stringent safeguards should be provided to prevent abuse”.
New Moderator
The new Presbyterian Moderator, Rev Dr Frank Sellar, served for 17 years as minister at Dublin's Adelaide Road Church, until 2007.
Born in Ballymoney, Co Antrim, and brought up in Coleraine, Co Derry, he attended Queen's University in Belfast.
In a recent interview he explained how he came to serve in the Republic.
He said that as a young man he prayed: "Lord, I'm willing to go to Africa, I'm willing to go to India, do anything, go anywhere you want me to go as long as it's not the south of Ireland.
“I remember as clear as can be the response that came back to that prayer: ‘If you’re not willing to go to the south of Ireland, I cannot use you in Africa, I cannot use you in India.’”
