Encouraging, equipping and inspiring Christians to engage with the issues shaping life in Northern Ireland today.
ABOUT US
Welcome to Contemporary Christianity
Our vision is to help both Christian people and wider society in Northern Ireland (and elsewhere) ‘think through’ many of the contemporary issues we face, and to do so from our best understanding of Holy Scripture.
We do not claim to have the answers to issues, which are complex and may be easier to avoid; yet we are committing to working in partnership with others where that is mutually beneficial. We want to draw on the wisdom, expertise and experience of people and organisations in many different spheres of life.
We also will greatly value constructive comment and feedback from you as you browse our website which has a wealth of material from the former ECONI (Evangelical Contribution on Northern Ireland), alongside contributions from more recent times. We are also committed to commissioning new material. Each of our regular PS… blogs is posted on the website.
Therefore, we offer you a warm welcome and an invitation to engage together with us in both articles and the forthcoming podcasts.
Welcome to the Contemporary Christianity website, which will be further expanded in the months ahead.
Our history
Contemporary Christianity is the successor to Evangelical Contribution on Northern Ireland (ECONI, 1988 – 2005) and the Centre for Contemporary Christianity in Ireland (2005-2010). ECONI emerged against the background of our community division and political violence in Northern Ireland, when a group of evangelical Christians argued for a new response. Their conviction was that faithful witness must take seriously the biblical command to make peace and do justice. Where loyalty to political and cultural identities had obscured loyalty to Jesus Christ, Christians needed to rediscover what it meant to live for God and his glory alone. We have always sought to look honestly at our own community, leading us to ask tough questions and acknowledge sectarian attitudes and practices. But while the challenges of building a peaceful and inclusive society locally remain, the bigger challenge now facing us is the reality of wider change in society.
Our Blogs
Our main blog is the P.S. blog, and is shown below. We also have the “In Conversation With…” and Catherwood Lectures blogs, which you can view in our Blogs page.
P.S.
P.S. is an email and web-based blog format issued regularly by Contemporary Christianity.
I can’t… the only thing I can do!
We are fooling ourselves if we think that Facebook posts, or even press-releases, make a significant difference in many situations, apart from making ourselves feel good.
The Paramountcy of Conscience
But what do we mean by conscience? It is a word that is used liberally, but contrary to modern understanding, is not writing, thinking, speaking, or acting according to one’s own best judgment.
A Statement on Recent Events
We join with others across Northern Ireland in unreservedly condemning the recent racist violence in Ballymena and beyond.
Keep up to date
What's on
View our events and activities being held.
News
Keep up to date with our newsletter.
Support
Get in contact with us.
Meet our board members
Norman Hamilton
Chairman
Norman retired a few years ago to the sunny climes of Ballymena after having been the minister of Ballysillan Presbyterian Church in North Belfast for over 25 years. His hobbies are gardening, walking and photography, all of which he does with more enthusiasm than skill. He is married to Evelyn and their daughter Julie is a maths lecturer.
Stephen Adams
Hon. Sec
Stephen worked in Health and Care management until 2009. Since then he has volunteered as a part-time volunteer and is involve d in several other Christian organisations. He enjoys hill walking, simple gardening, easy DIY, walking in Crete and is always up for a conversation over a meal.
Cathy Bollaert
Cathy is originally from South Africa and is committed to promoting reconciliation and human flourishing in societies emerging from conflict. She is a PhD graduate from the Transitional Justice Institute at Ulster University. Currently she works as the research and curriculum development officer at Youthlink:NI.
Jonny Currie
Jonny works for the community sector in East Belfast and attends Movilla Abbey Church in Newtownards. He is married to Lisa and they have three children.
For information on our Privacy Policy, click here