The President and Lay Leader have written to Her Majesty
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Credit: Jacob King/PA Wire/PA Images.
Over this weekend as many celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee we thank God for the Queen’s faithful service and deep faith in God.
The President and Lay Leader have written to Her Majesty as follows to convey their congratulations, good wishes and prayers of the Methodist people in Ireland.
Madam,
With our humble duty, we have the honour to convey to Your Majesty the congratulations, good wishes and prayers of the people, clergy and staff of the Methodist Church in Ireland to you on the occasion of your Platinum Jubilee.
Our church, which covers the entire island of Ireland, is very much aware that, within your reign, the people of our island have moved from polarisation to peace, that your state visit to Ireland and President Higgins's to the UK marked milestones in the relations between our nations, and that your example of dignity and public service has inspired as many outside of your realm as within.
As a church, we are also grateful to you for the focus you have placed on faith - both as a concept and as your daily lived experience - as a force for good in public and private life and we look forward to continuing our ecumenical and inter-faith relations with other churches with renewed vigour in the spirit of your ongoing example
We also admire and pay tribute to your devotion to your family - not only biological, but national, Commonwealth and church - and acknowledge the bittersweetness that must exist with celebrating such a momentously long reign in tandem with remembering your beloved late father whose passing precipitated that reign.
We wish Your Majesty and your family every happiness on this Jubilee and continued blessings hereafter, and be assured always of the prayerful thoughts of the Methodist people in Ireland.
We have the honour to be, Madam,
Your Majesty's humble servants,
Rev Dr Sahr Yambasu
President of THE METHODIST CHURCH IN IRELAND
Ms. Hazel Loney