Monday, October 22, 2012

Grub’s up as Christian fellowship celebrates with feast

http://www.graceireland.com/images/logo.gifA Christian community with almost 1,000 members celebrated an international feast in Cork yesterday with 70 dishes on offer.

Crubeens from Cork were on offer side by side with Hungarian goulash and a raw herring Dutch speciality at the Grace Christian Church gathering at Turners Cross.

A sister church to Olympic champion boxer Katie Taylor’s style of worship, the Grace Christian group has a membership in Cork of more than 800.

Their annual international feast celebrates the diverse geographic origins of many of its members.

Founder member, Pastor Tom Burke, promised "26 nations represented in 70 dishes presented from among our membership, so really the international feast is a celebration of that. It’s a good social event that is open to the public and everything there is for free".

The contemporary, informal Church began with 11 members 15 years ago.

"It’s basically a local community, we are Christians who meet together and follow the Lord. We see men and women as equal and our leadership is voted in by secret ballot.

"It’s a contemporary church with a casual style, there wasn’t a whole lot in Cork like that when we started," Pastor Burke said.

He describes the church services, which take place on Sunday’s at 10am and 12 as "a bit rock and roll".

"Not many people know about the life and vibrancy we celebrate here, we are kind of hidden away," he said.

Hence the international feast, which features dishes from among the congregation, which is predominantly Irish, but includes members from Asia and Africa, North and South America, Europe and Australia.

Members, decked out in native dress in a hall decorated with flags and bunting, promised to ‘set hearts across the rebel county free’ through yesterday’s international feast event.

Celebrations took place at Deerpark School Hall on St Patrick’s road in Turners Cross, where Grace Christians meet for worship every weekend.