Our History and Community. 2 A Note about the Meaning of Corrymeela 4 The Corrymeela Site 4 Holy Places - The Croí 5 The Building 5 The Cross of

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1 Our Histry and Cmmunity. 2 A Nte abut the Meaning f Crrymeela 4 The Crrymeela Site 4 Hly Places - The Crí 5 The Building 5 The Crss f Nails 6 Why a Statement f Cmmitment? 7 STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT 8 Becming a Member f the Crrymeela Cmmunity 9 Pastral Care fr Members 11 The Rle f Cuncil, Cmmunity Meetings and General Meetings 12 Whistle Blwing Plicy 13!1

2 Our Histry and Cmmunity. Ray Davey was the funder and first cmmunity leader f Crrymeela. During Wrld War II he jined the YMCA t prvide spiritual and physical supprt fr trps. Ray was captured by the Germans and was a prisner f war in Italy and then clse t Dresden, Germany when it was bmbed by the Allies. The bmbing f Dresden affected Ray deeply, underscring the futility and destructiveness f all cnflict. While a prisner, Ray thught abut building cmmunity amidst cnflict. After the war, he was appinted the first Presbyterian Dean f Residence at Queen's University. He was an engaging and cmmitted chaplain and his events created a sense f cmmunity and gathering. Ray became cncerned at the tensins that were brewing during the 60s and wished t establish a place f gathering, an pen village where all peple f gd will culd cme tgether and learn t live in cmmunity. In 1965, it became knwn that a site utside Ballycastle was up fr sale - a site that had an ld Dutch-style hliday huse n it. This Ballycastle prperty was purchased by Ray and the students fr 7,000 in early The mney was raised within 10 days. The current site was fficially pened n Oct 'Crrymeela' was already the name f the area when the cmmunity purchased the prperty. The wrd Crrymeela can be interpreted in different ways - "Hill f Harmny", "Hill f Hneysuckle", and "Lumpy Crssrads" are three f the pssible interpretatins. Frm its first days, Crrymeela has been a place f gathering, wrk, faith and discussin; bringing peple f different backgrunds, different plitical and religius beliefs and different identities tgether. We believe that there is strength in gathering and that,when we can be with each ther in cmmitment, n difference is great enugh t break us. In the early days f Crrymeela, hundreds f vlunteers gave up their hlidays, weekends and summer breaks t hst events, seminars, camps and cnferences. In time, sme staff were emplyed wh ran the site at Crrymeela and ran prgrammes in the wider cmmunity. Crrymeela has always had a strng cmbinatin f three aspects - peple wh, like the early funders, had their wn careers but wh dedicated many many!2

3 hurs t the wrk. Additinally there were thse wh had the time t vlunteer fr lnger perids f time n site. And full time staff whse skill, expertise and leadership gave shape t the permanent wrk f Crrymeela. We are hnured t cntinue this traditin. Nw, 50 years after we began we have almst 40 full time staff, we have a chrt f 15 year-lng vlunteers and many many ther vlunteers wh cme fr shrter perids f time. Many f ur vlunteers have been wrking n the site fr decades, generusly giving time and service t the wrk. The Cmmunity f Crrymeela has grwn t, with 150 members, 50 assciate members and thusands f friends arund the glbe. Tgether we make cmmitments t be engaged with ur wrld, its tensin, faith and ptential. We are teachers, writers, peple lking fr wrk, retired peple, we are yung, middle aged and ld, we are peple f dctrine and peple f questin. We are peple wh seek t engage with the differences f ur wrld. We are peple wh disagree with each ther n matters f religin, plitics and ecnmics. We are peple wh wish t name ur wn cmplicity in the fractures that damage ur scieties and places. We are peple f dedicatin and cmmitment. We are peple f prayers, practices, curisity and questining. We are peple f truthtelling and hpe. We are Crrymeela. And yu are always welcme.!3

4 A Nte abut the Meaning f Crrymeela Crrymeela is ften translated frm the riginal Irish as the hill f harmny r hill f sweetness. But there is anther and mre prbable translatin. The name cmes frm a neighburing twnland, Crrymellagh, in the parish f Culfeightrin. Culfeightrin means in Irish the crner f the stranger. Crrymellagh means the lumpy crssing place. Perhaps this etymlgy is mre apt fr us: a place where differing grups, strangers t each ther, are ffered the pprtunity t crss ver int anther space. And the crssing is lumpy, nt easy, full f pitfalls. The Crrymeela Site In early 1965 it became knwn that the Hliday Fellwship Centre, with its 1930s wden Dutch-barn style building, near Ballycastle was up fr sale. The grup arund Ray Davey decided t purchase it and this was cmpleted in June The fficial pening was n the 30 th f Octber 1965, perfrmed by pastr Tulli Vinay, Leader f the Agape Cmmunity in Italy. This building lasted until 1997 when it was replaced by the current building. There is smething spectacular abut the site - it is, in a certain way, a thelgy f place. We are blessed with such a place - with views t Kenbane, Rathlin and the Mull f Kintyre cming dwn like a ribbn f Sctland. It is a gathering place where the islands f Britain and Ireland are in clse view f each ther, abut 15 miles acrss at the clsest pint. Whether it is cludy r clear, sunny r strmy, the site ffers an immediacy t the elements. T be at Crrymeela is t be clse t the wrld, and in being clse t the wrld, we believe that we can becme clse t each thers stries - spken and unspken.!4

5 Hly Places - The Crí On the site we have a space f wrship called The Crí. Crí is the Irish wrd fr heart. As Ray Davey has said This place is rightly called An Crí the heart. Indeed it is heart-shaped. Here we can take time t listen t the great heartbeat in a sciety where there are s many vilent and destructive beats, here we can take time t listen t the Heartbeat that guides, inspires and unites us all tgether. The Crí is an pen place. It is nt fr any particular grup r traditin but fr all. It is fr thse wh try t fllw Christ and thse wh have nt reached that stage, but want t be here. It is a place f reflectin and challenge, where Bnheffer s questin is ften asked: What des it mean t fllw Christ tday? It is a place f celebratin and hpe. There are times f laughter and jy with sngs and music and drama, prclaiming the unity f Gd s creatin and the ttality f life tgether. Smetimes it is a place f sadness and tears, where the bereaved and brken find hpe and strength. The Building The architect, Nrman Hawthrne, said the fllwing abut the building: My attempt has been t make the building becme landscape but with bvius qutatins frm sme f the mst ancient Christian surces, as fr example the Skelig Michael settlement ff the cast f Kerry. Peace is a theme in the building and the wrd is picked ut frm the prayer n the handle f the dr as ne enters. The circle has been used everywhere a symbl f the unity which peple gathered in a ring t achieve. The dme ver the circular wrship area reinfrces this unity and is anther reference t traditinal spatial mtifs.!5

6 The stained glass windw in the small Crí The Descent f the Spirit was designed by Neil Shawcrss. Elizabeth Andrews designed bth the lettering n the entrance and The Tree f Life mural. The brnze St Francis and the Birds is by Jhn Behan and is a reference t a Seamus Heaney pem. The Crí was pened n June 16, 1979 and the Lndn Crrymeela Venture raised mst f the mney t build it. The building was renvated in the autumn f 2008 with mst f the mney cming frm a legacy by Mrs Wright, mther f Frank Wright, a well-lved cmmunity member wh died in Frm a pem by Reggie Askew spken at the pening in 1979 The Crí is like an ear, A great intricate ear t catch prayers in. It is a trumpet wund rund Int a winding hrn fr sunding praise Fr heralding gd news. The Crss f Nails Fllwing the destructin f Cventry s medieval Cathedral in 1940 a charred crss was erected behind the altar amid the ruins and later the inscriptin Father Frgive was made n the stnewrk. Three f the rf nails were put tgether int the frm f a crss (the Crss f Nails) and this later became the symbl fr an internatinal mvement f healing and recnciliatin at first between Dresden and Cventry tw cities destryed by bmbing but later extending t a wrldwide netwrk f Crss f Nails Centres. Crrymeela became a Crss f Nails Centre in September 1971 and the first Cventry Huse was largely funded by the Cventry Cathedral Crss f Nails Netwrk under the inspiratin f Prvst Williams and Cann Hrace Dammers. It was pened in 1976.!6

7 Why a Statement f Cmmitment? All language is pwerful - and language has the capacity t create meaning as well as create divisin. Fr at Crrymeela we knw that any language abut cmmitment must be demnstrated in the quality f ur lve fr each ther, ur dedicatin t a way f life and ur engagement with ur wrld. We ffer ur cmmitment t each ther, befre Gd, n an annual basis. We d this t keep urselves t a centre - a centre f cmmitment and lve, engagement and recnciliatin, cmmitted t curisity and questining. Our cmmitment is less a dctrinal statement fr us and mre an acknwledgement f the sacred stry arund which we are based. Peple jin Crrymeela fr many reasns. Fr sme, Crrymeela was an experience f inclusin and cmmunity that was transfrmative and s we became members. Fr thers, it was the thelgical cmmitment t a particular way f being in the wrld. Fr still thers, the cmmitment t Crrymeela cmes as a result f being invlved in the wrk, and believing that the wrk is imprtant. When we say the Cmmitment we are saying that we wish t be part f a cmmunity that hlds these things at its centre. Further, when we say the Cmmitment, we are als making a speech-act; it is nt just wrds: we are prmising that actins ensue.!7

8 STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT The Cmmunity was funded in 1965 by the Rev Ray Davey and makes the fllwing cmmitment tgether: As a cmmunity f Christians drawn frm many traditins, we AFFIRM ur faith in the recnciling pwer f Gd in Jesus Christ; CELEBRATE the prmise f life; CONFESS ur wn respnsibility fr the destructive cnflicts in ur sciety; BELIEVE that we have been called t seek a deeper understanding f ur faith; SURRENDER urselves t the spirit f Jesus t vercme ur wn divisins and make urselves instruments f His peace; COMMIT urselves t wrk fr a sciety whse pririties are justice, mutual respect, the participatin f all, cncern fr the vulnerable and the stranger, stewardship f resurces, and care fr Creatin; AGREE t pray regularly fr each ther, t jin in the wrship f the cmmunity, t give time t the life and wrk f the cmmunity, t care fr and supprt each ther, t live ut ur cmmitment in ur daily lives, t give, accrding t ur ability, t the funds f the cmmunity;* And WISH, thrugh the pwer f the Spirit, t walk the way f the Gspel tgether. *Members are asked t cntribute between 4% and 10% f their net dispsable incme. The current target, fr membership cntributins, is 76,000 per annum.!8

9 Becming a Member f the Crrymeela Cmmunity A. Intrductin 1. We need t have a wide spectrum f age, backgrund and denminatin in the membership if we are t be a credible sign f recnciliatin. We als need t cntinually renew urselves by having new members. 2. During the year members are invited t put frward fr prvisinal membership persns wh a) Have the realistic pssibility f invlvement in the activities f Crrymeela e.g. at the varius Crrymeela centres, cell grups, etc. b) Have a realistic pssibility f being in relatinship with cmmunity members, i.e. they need t be able t attend cmmunity meetings n a regular basis. c) Agree t the Crrymeela Cmmitment The year f prvisinal membership is when these things can be explred and discerned n all sides. 3. There may be persns yu knw wh express an interest in membership but it is nt apprpriate at this stage t put them frward as prvisinal members. Encurage them t a) Get invlved in Crrymeela s that they have sme realistic knwledge and experience f the wrk, eths and visin f the Cmmunity. b) Talk t Cmmunity members. c) Talk t the Leader wh can, if apprpriate, arrange fr names t be put frward. 4. The Leader is the cntact pint fr general discussins abut membership.!9

10 B. Prcedure 1. A Cmmunity Member prpses the name f the persn seeking t becme a prvisinal member by cntacting the leader (leader@crrymeela.rg). This shuld tell smething f the relatinship and invlvement the persn has with the Cmmunity and their understanding f ur visin/wrk /life. Names may be prpsed at any time during the calendar year up t 31 st August. It is requested that every persn becming a prvisinal member nte the dates fr their prvisinal year that are utlined n the dcument ( 2. On receipt f any prpsal, the Membership Secretary infrms the Leader wh will arrange t meet the persn interested in membership. 3. The Cmmunity Life Cmmittee cnsiders names at its meeting in early Octber. 4. On recmmendatin frm the Cmmunity Life Cmmittee and the Leader, the name f the prpsed prvisinal member is submitted t COUNCIL at its Octber meeting. 5. If apprved, the Membership Secretary f the Cmmunity Life Cmmittee cmmunicates with THE PROPOSER (wh at this time becmes the spnsr r recmmends anther member t fill this rle) abut their duties in relatin t the prvisinal member. The Cmmittee cntacts THE PERSON inviting them t becme a prvisinal member and explaining the purpse f this perid f time fr them. 6. The persn is INTRODUCED by the spnsr at the Dedicatin Service fllwing a psitive respnse t the invitatin. At this pint the PROVISIONAL YEAR BEGINS. 7. Twards the end f the prvisinal year, the persn MEETS WITH THE LEADER t cnsider full membership. 8. Full membership is undertaken at the next DEDICATION SERVICE when the Cmmunity accepts the persn int membership.!10

11 Pastral Care fr Members Frm the members cmmitment: We are a cmmunity f Christians drawn frm many traditins wh:... Agree t care fr and supprt each ther. The Cmmunity Life Cmmittee (CLC) recgnises that the mst imprtant frm f pastral care is thrugh the persnal relatinships between members. In this cntext the rle f cell grups is f particular imprtance. The CLC als recgnises the need fr a slightly mre frmal aspect t the pastral care and supprt f members. Thus, CLC acts as a pastral supprt grup alngside the supprt mechanisms that already exist amngst members and within cell grups. Members are already infrmed f news cncerning ther members via the news that ges ut regularly frm Pádraig. Alng with the usual respnses f members t such news items the CLC als respnds if necessary n behalf f the Cmmunity. Members shuld ntify Pádraig (r anyne frm Cmmunity Life Cmmittee) f any pastral cncerns. Pádraig is C-chair f the CLC and Philippa Ble is the Membership Secretary.!11

12 The Rle f Cuncil, Cmmunity Meetings and General Meetings The Rle f Cuncil The Cuncil is the gverning bdy f the Cmmunity and manages its affairs, and Cuncil members carry the legal respnsibility fr the Cmmunity s funds and prperty. Cuncil members are the Trustees f the Charity fr Charity Law purpses. Cmmunity Meetings Cmmunity Meetings are held at the spring and autumn cmmunity weekends and at ther times which Cuncil determines and are fr the purpses f: Infrmatin sharing Reprting Listening t members cncerns Getting feedback n Cuncil actins Helping in the frmulatin f plicies and pririties Cnsulting members n imprtant issues befre Cuncil takes a decisin Members are als entitled t summn Cmmunity meetings. General Meetings A General Meeting is a defined legal term and is called fr specified and limited purpses: T select and remve the Cuncil r part f it T cntrl the change in the Articles and Memrandum f Assciatin T hld the Cuncil t accunt at the AGM at which members receive the accunts and a written reprt n the Charity s activities. T elect and remve the Leader T cntrl changes in the Statement f Cmmitment T receive prvisinal members int membership!12

13 Only General Meetings are decisin-making meetings and these are called fr specific purpses. Members are entitled t summn General Meetings fr specified and limited purpses related t the abve. Whistle Blwing Plicy Crrymeela takes all miscnduct and malpractice seriusly. The Whistle Blwing Plicy sets ut a prcedure by which a persn can reprt any cncerns they may have. A cpy f the plicy can be btained frm the Belfast ffice (belfast@crrymeela.rg).!13