New minister for Garryduff and Dunloy installed

The installation was held at Garryduff church and was attended by the Moderator of the Route Presbytery, Rev. Iain McNie along with the Clerk, Rev. Noel McClean, Rev. John Stanbridge, Rev. Tom Lukce and Rev. Kenneth Henderson.

A native of Ballymena, Rodney grew up in Ballyloughan Presbyterian Church under the ministry of Dr. Joseph Fell and later, Rev, David Brice.

He came to know Jesus as his personal Saviour as an eight-year-old one Sunday following a message from his Sunday School Teacher, Mr. Woodcock.

A past pupil of Dunclug Primary School, Rodney later attended Cambridge House Grammar School and Queen’s University where he studied Zoology.

Subsequently, Rodney trained as a CEF Missionary in Mid-Ulster before going to work for the organisation in South Dublin.

At the call of God, Rodney then entered Union Theological College and has spent the last four years at West Church completing his assistantship.

Looking back on his time with the Old Ballymoney Road fellowship, Rodney said: “It has been great getting to know the people and I have particularly enjoyed door-to-door evangelism.”

“I have also loved the one-off children’s clubs and the ‘Centurion’ men’s fellowship. It is good to get men together for prayer”, he stated.

Rodney and his wife, E’imear have also appreciated how the people of West Church have taken their two children, Michael, (8) and five-year-old, Megan, who has special needs, to their hearts.

Through his assistantship, Rodney feels her has learned much about preaching, visitation, dealing with difficult situations and as already mentioned, door to door evangelism.

This will undoubtedly be very helpful to him as he enters the pulpits at Dunloy and Garryduff, the latter numbering 208 families and the former, 58.

At the time of his call, Rodney said: “I am excited but I feel a degree of trepidation too because in my people’s eyes, ‘the buck’ will stop with me. But I am looking forward to getting there and being able to preach week after week. I am also excited about meeting the people and visiting them.”

“In my own strength I understand that I would not have a hope but I will trust in God believing that he can do anything. I believe that he has brought us to this point and that Garryduff and Dunloy are the places to which we should be going. We are 100% sure of that”, he concluded.