The Church Of Ireland
Press Release

Entitled Profiles of Faith, the video was produced by Derry based Westway films, and incorporates frank discussions by four Christians from very different walks of life, exploring daily challenges to their faith and how they confront them.

The Bishop of Meath and Kildare, The Most Reverend Richard Clarke, outlined the inspiration for the video commission:

"We live in an increasingly complex world, and must expect that any real faith will display a similar complexity. Profiles of Faith has been designed to encourage people, inside and outside the Church and on the edges of the Church, to be open and honest about their faith and their doubts and to ask the questions that any person who thinks at all must ask.

"We believe the video will help, by providing a means for open discussion for church groups throughout Ireland. But we hope that its influence may stretch well beyond those confines."

Through genuine testimonies by real people, the video addresses issues of common concern to a broad spectrum of believers. Four individuals - a journalist, a nurse in training for ordained ministry, a teacher who is also a foster mother, and a Bishop - provide very candid accounts of the challenges in faith that they have encountered.

Through the mouths of these people, Profiles of Faith tackles a number of up front issues, including the ebb and flow of faith, the honesty of the Church, the role of faith and preaching in a world preoccupied with information technologies, the rebellion of youth and the need to care in order to feel love.

Profiles of Faith will be launched this Friday in St Annes Cathedral, Belfast and copies will be distributed to all parishes by the end of February 2000.

Profiles of Faith was produced by Derry-based Westway Films for The Central Communications Board of the Standing Committee of the Church of Ireland.

It was funded by the Priorities Fund, the General Synod Royalties Fund and the Representative Church Body.