Today, the eve of Synod, members of the Diocesan House of Clergy gathered for a retreat on the shores of the Arabian Gulf in Manama, Bahrain.
Taking as its theme that of Synod, the retreat focus was A Golden Jubilee—Reflection on faith in Cyprus and the Gulf.
The day was structured around three sessions—The Past, The Present and The Future—in a programme skilfully moderated throughout by Elisabeth Botha, Managing Director of Purple Papaya Events & Advertising.
The retreat opened with prayer, led by House of Clergy chair the Reverend George Vidiakin, who set the tone for the day with a reading from Psalm 77, drawing attention to the psalmist’s call to remember and reflect upon the mighty works of the Lord throughout history.
The first session looked at the historical context of faith in the region, with particular attention to Bahrain. Guest speaker Yousuf Salahuddin, a Bahraini scholar and historian, offered a rich and informative presentation on the religious history of the island, its dominant faith of Islam, and the historical connections between Islam, Christianity and other religious traditions.
Mr Salahuddin described Bahrain as “a safe haven for Christianity” in the Gulf, tracing the Christian presence on the island of Muharraq back to the 4th century AD, when Nestorian Christian communities arrived and may even have established a diocese. Archaeological evidence, including the ruins believed to be a bishop’s residence in Muharraq, bears witness to this early Christian heritage.
The second session turned to the realities of pastoral ministry today, especially ministry exercised in times of crisis. The speaker was the Reverend Trevor Howard, Interim Pastor of Saar Fellowship Bahrain and executive vice-chair of Churches in Communities International. Taking 1 Kings 19 as his Biblical text, Revd Trevor reflected on the figure of Elijah, who finds himself exhausted, fearful and overwhelmed.
Drawing on this passage, Revd Trevor spoke of despair and burnout, and offered a biblically grounded reflection on how clergy might recognise, address and respond to such experience. His contribution resonated deeply with many present, providing both theological insight and pastoral encouragement.
Following lunch, the retreat continued with its third session, The Future, in the form of an intergenerational conversation with four special guests—students from Al Raja School. Together with clergy participants, the students explored a series of challenging questions. How do social media, modern lifestyles and global influences test faith today? Is the world becoming more spiritual or less, and why? What is most inspiring and most challenging about faith today? What particular challenges might young people of faith face in a rapidly changing society?
The discussion, moderated by Wendy Jones—a teacher at St Christopher’s School—highlighted the importance of community and commitment, moral values, forgiveness, honesty and freedom of expression as essential elements of living faith in the contemporary world.
The retreat, which was held at the Novotel Al Dana Resort, concluded with individual feedback and a closing prayer led by Revd Trevor.
