Church of Ireland and Methodist Chaplaincy, Belfast

rdf:langString Church of Ireland and Methodist Chaplaincy, Belfast

rdf:langString The Church of Ireland and Methodist Chaplaincy Belfast is a jointly-backed Christian mission, currently based at Queen's University Belfast. The status of the most popular Christian traditions at Queen's is unusual, as the four so-called mainline traditions (Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Methodist) each own and operate property adjacent to the central university campus, whilst maintaining full independence. This situation is unique within the British Isles. The Church of Ireland and Methodist Chaplaincy is notable as it contains residential accommodation for around fifty students, in effect creating a large Christian community on the campus. The original Anglican student centre was established by the Church of Ireland in 1955, although the first chaplain was appointed as early as 1849. The corresponding Methodist student centre was opened in 1973. In 2012, a local covenant partnership was signed with the Methodist Church in Ireland to create a joint chaplaincy. In 2021, a charitable company was formally incorporated with the two parent denominations as members. As well as several notable alumni, many chaplains have proceeded to hold influential positions within their respective denominations.