Several years ago, it was just a dream of the local church body in Cork, Ireland to have their own building in which to worship and minister to the community. Now that dream is a reality! On May 13, 2017, the Cork SDA Church held a very special worship service in the first-ever Seventh-day Adventist worship center in Cork city. After more than a year of renovations, several moves, and working through a mountain of legal red tape, the Cork SDA Church body finally has a place of its own to call home.

Let me give you a bit of history about how this dream began. In 2008, my husband Jeff and I were asked to oversee a small group of immigrant believers that was meeting on Sabbaths in a rented community hall in the city of Cork. Upstairs, during the small group Bible study time, a gymnastics class met, making it very difficult to hear the teacher. During a vision-planning meeting with the group, Jeff asked where they would like to see themselves in five years and what would they like to accomplish. One of the items on the list was to own their own building.

Because the community hall was less than ideal, Jeff began looking for a different location. We were able to arrange to use a church owned by another Christian denomination. Since they worshiped on Sunday, it worked out well for us to rent it on Sabbaths. We also began renting it twice a month for a community outreach supper club. The only problem was that several times a year the church we rented from would hold weekend conferences, and we would have to meet on Sabbath in our homes. During this time, the group became organized into a company.

After about a year or so, Jeff found an industrial building we could rent seven days a week for the same price we were paying for only Sabbaths at the church. After a few months of renovating, we completed classrooms, a kitchen/fellowship room, a sanctuary and an area for a community-outreach bookshop.

By now, the group had grown to over 50 worshippers each week and was established as an official church. Now we could use our building not only for Sabbath services but also community supper clubs, Pathfinders, prayer meetings, Bible studies and cooking schools. It became a ministry center for not only the immigrant worshippers, but also for Irish community members who became involved in the various ministries through friendship evangelism.

The church sanctuary was on the second floor, and one of the members had a daughter who used a wheelchair, so we began looking for a building with ground-level access. A local Jewish friend suggested to Jeff that he talk with the leader of the Cork synagogue. The synagogue membership was dwindling, and he thought the building might go up for sale. Jeff met with the leader, Fred Rosehill. Fred was delighted at the idea that the building could continue to be a place of Sabbath worship, but it took many months before the other Jewish members warmed to the idea. They hated to sell the building that had been a synagogue since 1917. It was finally agreed that they would sell the building to the Seventh-day Adventist Church without ever putting it on the market.

Fred knew that this historic transaction would be one of his last responsibilities. He had a terminal disease that would soon take his life. His dying wish was that the synagogue would remain a place of worship.

As the Jewish community made their intentions known, the local news published a feature story about the closure of the synagogue. Local interest was stirred, and people wondered what would happen to the historic building, which sits on a prime piece of real estate on one of the main thoroughfares in the city, just down the road from a local college.

In October 2015, the synagogue was decommissioned. All furniture, decorations, scrolls, the ark, and the eternal flame were removed before the building was officially sold. It was understood that the building would require renovation. The roof had been leaking for some time. The walls were damp, the plaster cracked, the wood paneling rotted, and the electrical, plumbing and heating would require major updating. An elevator would need to be installed to allow wheelchair access to the upper floor. Also, the building was on the historic registry, so certain things could not be changed.

Almost immediately after the church obtained the building, demolition began. Church members and Irish friends from the community worked together to tear out the old rotten paneling, wood flooring and carpet to prepare for the remodel.

During this remodeling time, Jeff and I decided it was time for our family to return to the States to take care of educational and medical needs. We hoped to finish the work on the church before we left, but due to unexpected delays, we had to leave Ireland before the project was completed. Leaving was one of the hardest things we have ever done, but we knew God was in charge of the project, and He is faithful.

Six months after our departure from Ireland, God called another pastor to lead the Cork SDA Church through the completion of this project. Pastor Lawrence Johnson and his wife agreed to answer the call. They were both very familiar with the work of AFM, having worked as AFM missionaries in the past. In them, God answered our prayers abundantly more than we could ever have asked or imagined!

When Pastor Lawrence contacted Jeff, inviting him to the grand opening of the newly completed church, our hearts overflowed with gratitude and praise to God for what He had done.

Just a few weeks after we purchased Jeff’s plane ticket, a friend and former supporter asked if I would also be attending the dedication service. When Jeff told him I hadn’t planned to go, our friend offered to provide the funds for my plane ticket as well. God is so good! It was a once-in-a-lifetime dream come true. When I returned to the States, I never thought I would see my dear Irish friends and church family again, this side of heaven.

The special weekend finally arrived, and Jeff and I were reunited with our dear friends, neighbors and church family. As we drove into Innishannon, so many memories flooded our minds. We were able to spend Friday evening with our former Bible study group in our old house where the Lighthouse Counseling team continues to minister. While we were enjoying sweet fellowship, the Cork Church held a special prayer service for the weekend’s activities and beyond.

Sabbath morning, as we walked into the newly refurbished church, we knew we were on holy ground. We were amazed by the simple elegance of the building. There is an original skylight, which floods the sanctuary with light that reflects off of the freshly painted white walls. We knew that the Holy Spirit was also filling the place with light. We felt the joy of being reunited with our church family. It was as if we were experiencing a taste of heaven as we greeted our dear ones again. For the dedication service, the church was filled nearly to capacity. Some attendees were members, others were Irish friends of ours who were curious to see the new building, and others were former members who had moved away. The music was powerful as we praised God for His provision.

In his sermon, Jeff asked the question, “What now?” The acquisition of the building was not the end, but the beginning of a new chapter of ministry to the people of Cork. God has positioned the new church in a location that is perfect for foot traffic. With the college just down the road, there will be many opportunities to minister to community needs.

Sunday morning was the official ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Deputy Lord Mayor of the city of Cork, who verbalized the blessing of diversity and open-mindedness in a city that once was primarily of one denomination. Members of the design team and local contractors were also present, as well as representatives from the Jewish community, and the Irish Mission President, Dan Serb. Elder Serb challenged us all to make a difference in the here and now, to take light into the community with peace, love and compassion. As a synagogue, the building had been closed to the public. But now its doors are open to welcome everyone and answer their questions.

As we unveiled the plaque of dedication as a Seventh-day Adventist Ministry Center, a woman who was passing by came in to have a look and to take some pictures for a friend who was interested in the Jewish community in Cork and its history. The woman was so happy to be able to come inside this historic building and share her pictures with her friend. Even during the renovation process, numerous curious people came in off the street to have a look.

I know that God will use this church to reveal His glory to the people of Cork City and beyond. Isaiah 60:1, 2 says, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.”

The night before we left Ireland, the Lighthouse team invited all of our Irish friends and church family over for a gathering like we’d had each Thanksgiving when we were working there. Pastor Lawrence and his family came as well. It was a perfect chance to introduce him to our dear friends. Before the meal, everyone gathered in the kitchen and shared how they knew Jeff and me. It brought tears to our eyes to hear how God had connected our hearts to so many in so many different ways. After the meal, the evening transitioned to an Irish “sing song.” Our friends sang traditional Irish songs and hymns. We sang until we were hoarse. No one wanted the evening to end. One of our Irish friends said to us as he was leaving, “Now we’ve given ye an Irish wake. That’s what we did when people were going away, and we didn’t know if we would see them again. Now you don’t get anymore Irish than that!”
Though God has called our family to a new field of ministry, we feel so blessed to have been a part of His work in ministering to His people in Ireland. We will always remember this “heavenly” reunion with our dear ones.

Please join us in praying for Pastor Johnson and his wife as they lead the ministry in Cork as well as their other two churches. We also ask you to pray for the Murphy family as they prepare to continue the outreach we began through the Lighthouse Counseling office.

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