On 5th November, we celebrated the ordination of four new priests and one deacon in our link diocese of Lahore in Pakistan. Among them was Revd Dave Mackie, who has been working with the church in Pakistan for the last eight years. Dave, his wife Mary and their family were previously members of St Clement’s, Higher Openshaw.
Dave and Mary, under the leadership of the Lahore Diocese, have recently been assigned to Lahore Cathedral and are preparing to start work among those affected by drug addiction in and around Lahore.
It was a joy for Manchester’s diocesan delegation to be in Pakistan last year when Dave was ordained as a deacon. Bishop Mark Ashcroft (then Bishop of Bolton) preached at the service and Revd Katie Reeves from Levenshulme led prayers. Dave’s ordination as priest by Bishop Nadeem marks the next step in our journey together.
Bishop Matthew Porter, Bishop of Bolton and chair of the Lahore Link group, said:
“I’m delighted that Dave has recently been ordained as a presbyter in the Church of God, serving in the Diocese of Lahore in Pakistan. Before his ordination I commended Dave to Bishop Nadeem, telling him that although I have only known Dave a little while, I understand him to be of godly character, with good leadership, missional and pastoral gifts, and that I know he is held in high regard in the Diocese of Manchester.”
Rt Rev Nadeem Kamran, Bishop of Lahore, comments, “I am delighted to share that the ordination service for Revd Dave took place on November 5th 2023 at the Lahore Cathedral Church of the Resurrection. The service was truly blessed, and everything went well. Revd Dave has been working at Lahore Cathedral for the last four months as a Curate and his wife Mary is taking the Sunday school classes at the English Congregation.”
Dave and his family are much in our prayers, as is the Diocese of Lahore with whom we are pleased to be linked.