New pastor and family in Brannockstown Baptist community

Brannockstown Baptist Church has welcomed a new pastor and his family to join the church. Rich Blayney, his wife Steph and their three young children, are not Kildare born and bred, but have arrived from Coleraine near the north coast of Northern Ireland.

Over the past two years the family was invited to visit the church several times, leading to a longer term invitation! They moved into the manse next to the picturesque church building in August, just in time to settle down before a new term at school and at the church.

At a community welcome party organised by the church in early September Rich joked that the family, who have also lived in the north east of England, feel that they’ve come a long way inland, but that Co Kildare is a beautiful part of the country and one that they’re very excited to explore. He also explained that they left a settled life up north to join the church because the Christian message of peace with God and new life through Jesus is real and true, so it’s a privilege to explore that message with the church and to share it with the community here.

To that end, the church is hosting two special services in September, on the 11th and 18th, asking ‘Aren’t all religions basically the same?’ and ‘Did Jesus really rise from the dead?’. As always, everyone is welcome, Sundays at 11am, and the church can be found online and on Facebook.

Rich and Steph are pictured outside the church, built by John La Touche of Harristown and opened in 1882.