ON his recent tour of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s (PCI) Presbytery of Derry and Donegal, Presbyterian Moderator, Right Reverend Dr Trevor Gribben, spent some of his time with a group of people he described as ‘the backbone of Irish Presbyterianism’ – farmers and their families.

Every Moderator undertakes four tours of PCI’s 19 regional presbyteries during their year in office. “Each tour is different and organised by the Presbytery, but begins and ends with services of worship. There are also mid-week meetings and meetings with ministers. Having just finished my first one, I want to thank my colleagues in the Presbytery of Derry and Donegal for organising a thoughtful, busy and productive week, which gave me a real insight in to our church in the northwest,” Dr Gribben said.

“It really was an opportunity to encourage and to say ‘thank you’ to those who pastor, lead and serve in our Presbyterian congregations in this part of the island. At the same time, I wanted to thank those in the wider community who keep us safe, teach and encourage our children and young people, treat us when we are unwell, and provide food for our tables.”

During his visit, Dr Gribben was able to preach on his theme for the year ‘Hope and a future in Jesus’, in different congregations in Donegal and south of the border, with one of the days dedicated to meeting local farmers.

“One particularly rainy day had a very strong farming theme, which began at Raphoe Livestock Mart, looking at the stock and talking to farmers from across the northwest and further afield before the sale started. I also visited a sheep farm and two dairy farms,” Dr Gribben said.

“At every visit it was great to meet Presbyterians who were involved in farming, their local communities and our congregations in east Donegal. While I wouldn’t be the first Moderator to say it, our rural congregations, largely made up of farmers and their families, are the backbone of Irish Presbyterianism.”

Dr Gribben continued: “At a time when farmers are often criticised, I think that we need to remember that across this island they not only put food on our tables, but look after our beautiful land.”

One farm Dr Gribben visited used had a rotary milking parlour which can milk 40 cows at a time. Another had a breeding flock of some 600 ewes and had been farmed by the same family for five generations.

“Sitting round the kitchen table and chatting was a special time and a highlight for me. At another farm, we were joined by some 40 farmers from neighbouring farms.”

“It was good to talk, listen, encourage and pray for those who work the land to put food on our tables and provide jobs. It was a cold day too, but as we met in a shed on the farm the ladies from our local congregations warmed us, not only with tea and traybakes, but with their own warm hospitality.”

Dr Gribben also talked with some farmers about areas of concern. “Over lunch with farmers from both sides of the border, I heard their concerns around inheritance tax, which is coming to the UK. Farmers in Donegal were also concerned that the Irish government might do the same. A move that could severely affect the futures and viability of many farms.”

The Moderator concluded by saying: “My visit to Derry and Donegal will stay in the memory for a long time. One reason for making it so memorable was a unique gift I was given – a shepherd’s crook, handmade in hazel. On it a small plate says, ‘Donegal Farmers 2025’. A very special gift that will find a home in the Moderator’s Room in Assembly Buildings in Belfast,” Dr Gribben said.

During his visit to the Presbytery, he also visited Aurivo Killygordon. “This was a fascinating tour where we had a look round and heard of Aurivo’s commitment to providing local jobs and supporting dairy farmers from the Donegal area and further afield,” Dr Gribben said.