Young musicians taking centre stage at Belfast gathering

Our Ireland division will showcase the talent of its young musicians at a special gathering in Belfast this weekend.  

We are celebrating 137 years of mission work in Ireland and to mark the milestone, around 500 Salvationists and supporters of The Salvation Army will gather in the city for a three-day congress, which runs from Friday March 24 to Sunday March 26.  

Taking centre stage at the Growing for Growth Congress will be young Salvation Army musicians from across Ireland, who will perform in a series of events aimed at celebrating and promoting the future of the church and charity.   

One of the highlights of the weekend is will be the Belfast-based Kids Alive band, which is made up mostly Chinese and Zimbabwean families who attend our Belfast Citadel community church. The band features around 60 children of all musical abilities and will close the congress weekend on Sunday night at the Spires Conference and Exhibition Centre.

Before then though, congress-goers can join in with our youth worship band as they lead a Friday night worship event at Belfast Temple community church.  

On the Saturday evening our youth band and youth chorus will lead a praise concert at the Spires Conference and Exhibition Centre. The theme of this event is ‘growing for growth’ and will look at how the work of The Salvation Army is developing in Ireland.  

On Sunday, Commissioners Clive and Marianne Adams, the leaders of the Salvation Army in the UK and Republic of Ireland, will lead a morning worship service at the Spires, followed by a march of witness through the city centre in the afternoon.  Commissioner Clive Adams said: “The Salvation Army in Ireland has so many things to celebrate and be thankful to God for. My wife and I are looking forward to being part of the weekend and celebrating the important role that the Salvation Army plays in communities around the country.  

“The theme of this Ireland Congress is growing for growth, which is appropriate given the number of our young people who will be, quite literally, taking centre stage.”   Major Elwyn Harries, leader of the Salvation Army’s Ireland Division, said: “These are exciting days for us as we see God at work throughout the whole of Ireland. We will be celebrating all He has done and seeking His blessing on all that’s yet to come.”