David looks forward to new challenge

David, who hails from Port Glasgow in Scotland took over the ministerial reigns from Major Graham Wood at the end of July.

The 37-year-old Scotsman comes to Northern Ireland via Wales have spent the last 11 years there.

He told the ‘MAIL’: “The community have been extremely nice and everyone at the church have made me very welcome.”

He explained how he came to replace Major Graham Wood who has moved to the Belfast Temple: “Ministers at Salvation Army are moved periodically, every five, seven or nine years.

“Graham and his wife Keira had been here for nine years. Graham was due a move and I was due a move.”

“Every minister will have a profile and every church will have a profile. What they try to do is match the church and a minister.

“I’ve spent the last 11 years in Wales. The first five years after my ordination were in Ammanford, then I moved to headquarters in Cardiff where I worked as Divisional Youth Officer and Divisional Candidate Officer.”

He added: “I would like to thank Graham for the consistent solid leadership he gave. He’s left everything in good order.

“It’s a case of building on the work Graham and his wife Keira did.

“We’re very different in terms of our ministry but our mission is the same.

“The mission of the Salvation Army is threefold - to save souls, grow saints and serve suffering humanity.

“How we do that evolves and changes. It’s about seeing how we can make our church relevant to the community of Lurgan and how we can help connect with people of the town.

“The church has a Facebook page and we’re currently working on a website and we’ll be looking at ways of recording our worship or streaming services live.”

David commented: “The priority of church life and being a minister is people. It’s always good to meet people in clubs and schools or people who meet in our building.”

David, chaplain with the Air Training Corps based at Portadown College, will also be contributing to the Salvation Army Band.

He said: “I play brass and piano and sing. Music plays a significant part in our worship so it goes hand in hand that many of our members are musical.

“Already I’m aware of the huge regard and respect that exists for the Salvation Army Band.”