Methodist minister enjoying his new surroundings

THE Methodist Church in Ballymoney has a new minister - Rev Greg Alexander.

Rev Alexander took up the reins from Philip Corrigan in July and is revelling in his new surroundings, overseeing both Ballymoney and Coleraine.

The 44-year-old has been much travelled in his career.

His last post was in Sydenham, east Belfast and before that he worked in other areas of the city.

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But Rev Alexander could quite easily have taken another career path.

As a teenager he said he harboured no ambition to preach the gospel and when he left school the green-fingered clergyman worked at Greenmount Agricultural College.

Three years later - at the age of 19 - he was saved and his attention immediately turned to carrying out God’s work.

“I started to think ‘could I be a missionary?’” he said.

“In the end I never was but I started on a journey.

“To be talking to others about God was related to being a Christian I believed, to serve, to give something back.

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“My minister at the time encouraged me to go to Bible college in England and I went initially to do a one year course and ended up staying for five years.

“I travelled all over England doing missions.

“While I was there there came a moment when I thought that if I didn’t go back to Northern Ireland at that time I’d be in England for the rest of my life, and I wanted to come back.”

Under the Methodist system, ministers can be posted anywhere in Ireland, and Rev Alexander was delighted when told he would be working at the north coast.

Since moving to Coleraine he has enjoyed countless hours of his favourite pursuit in his downtime - taking in the local scenery while out walking.

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Wife Shirley - who spent a lot of her life in Dublin - has also been able to enjoy her hobby locally - bird-watching.

The two met in England and Shirley’s father was also a Methodist minister.

Rev Alexander’s post to Ballymoney and Coleraine brings him closer to where he was brought up too.

He is originally from Londonderry, leaving home at the age of 16 to take up the job at Greenmount.

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Asked about his impressions of his new surroundings - particularly Ballymoney - he replied:

“Ballymoney is great, I like it,” he said.

“It is a good wee church and the people are very warm. There is a great family atmosphere.

“It is a lovely part of the world.”

Services at Ballymoney Methodist Church take place on Sundays at 9.45am.

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