Introduction: Time for the Hard Work
David Porter

Comment: Introducing ECONI
Alwyn Thomson

< Past Issues Archive

INTRODUCING ECONI
So what is ECONI anyway? A new holiday destination in the Greek Isles? Something to do with Europe? And just how do you pronounce it?

ECONI is Evangelical Contribution On Northern Ireland.

ECONI is people.

People from Northern Ireland:

a society that for 25 years has witnesses community conflict and political turmoil

a society divided by competing national allegiances and differing cultural identities

a society marked by Christian profession yet gripped by fear and paralysed by sectarianism

a society struggling towards the light of peace

People who as evangelical Christians hold that:

the Bible is supremely authoritative and trustworthy

the death and resurrection of Jesus lies at the heart of the Christian gospel

it is necessary to come to a living and personal faith in Jesus Christ

faith has implications for all of life

People who want to make a contribution to overcoming the divisions of our society from the perspective of evangelical Christian faith.

ECONI arose out of a concern among a number of evangelical Christians that the witness of the people of God had suffered because of their failure to speak with a biblical voice. Too many responded instead in fear and suspicion. Yet in the situation in our society Christians had a God given obligation to witness to the reality of the Kingdom of God and to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

ECONI's witness began with the publication in 1988 of For God and His Glory Alone which set out ten biblical principles pertinent to the situation in Northern Ireland. Intended as a one off, the response to the booklet was such that a decision was taken to develop these ten principles in a series of Action Packs.

Alongside a programme of publications ECONI also organised a series of conferences, initiated an annual ECONI Sunday in November, responded publicly to key political developments such as the ceasefires and the Frameworks document, facilitated encounters between political representatives and a largely evangelical audience though the Christian Citizenship Forum, provided speakers to address churches, conferences and seminars, met privately and publicly with a wide range of political, religious and community groups, presented the ECONI message through a series of roadshows around the province.

The scope of ECONI's activities led to a decision being taken in 1995 to establish ECONI as a Charitable Trust, with David Porter, who had been serving as part time Development Officer, took up that post full time in July of that year.

Since then we have had two ceasefires. Yet we are still a long way from peace, and further still from the Christian vision of what society should be. While that vision remains unfulfilled, ECONI still has a vital role to play as a witness to the Kingdom of God and the Lordship of Christ in Northern Ireland.

Alwyn Thomson - ECONI's Research Officer