New church post for former town man

Rev Lockhart had been the rector in Cloughfern Parish, in Newtownabbey, for 15 years.

He succeeds the Very Rev Stephen Forde who is now Dean of Belfast.

He was instituted rector of the Grouped Parishes by the Ven George Davison, Commissary to the Bishop of Connor. The preacher for the service was Re. William Henry, Maze Presbyterian Church.

Commenting on his new appointment, Rev Lockhart said: “I am looking forward to new surroundings and to getting to know people in Larne and Inver and Glynn and Raloo.”

David grew up in Shankill Parish, Lurgan, where his father Norman Lockhart, Dean of Dromore, was rector.

He studied at Queen’s University in Belfast, graduating with a BSc in chemistry, and it was during his student days when he was very involved in the Church of Ireland Centre at Queen’s that he felt a calling to the ministry.

After graduating, David went to Dublin to study theology.

He was ordained 25 years last June. Following a curacy in St Mary’s, Crumlin Road, Belfast, he spent several years as rector of St Stephen’s and St Luke’s in Belfast before his move to Cloughfern. He was North Belfast Rural Dean for five years.

David is married to Beverley and they have three teenage children, Naomi, Jonathan and Hannah.