Dr Murray carried out civic, community and church engagements, preached at the services of four congregations and met with the ministers who serve in the Presbytery’s 19 congregations.
Education was also an important focus and Dr Murray took the assembly in Woodburn Primary School in Carrickfergus and met with sixth formers in Larne High School, where he participated in a Q&A session. He also visited Larne’s Roddensvale School.
Furthermore, Dr Murray received a briefing from Ledcom in Larne and met some of the companies in the Willowbank Business Park. He was also received by Alderman Beth Adger, Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, and meet with a number of the area's MLAs.
Dr Murray said: “It was a great opportunity to see the work that congregations are doing on the ground in their local communities, and get a feel for this part of east Antrim.”
5. Moderator Visits
As part of his tour Dr Murray met with a number of MLAs to encourage them in their work. He met Danny Donnelly MLA (pictured) and Cheryl Brownlee MLA at Access Employment Limited (AEL) in Larne, and also heard from AEL’s head of business, Jackie Reid, (also pictured) about its work supporting young adults with additional needs in training and employability skills. Photo: Submitted
6. Moderator Visits
Dr Richard Murray also visited the Larne Foodbank and praised those who support it and the work that it does. The Moderator is pictured with the Foodbank’s Catherine Lynas. Photo: Submitted
7. Moderator Visits
During his week-long tour, Dr Richard Murray met with the ministers who serve in the Presbytery’s 19 congregations, to encourage them and pray together. Pictured at one of the meetings are (left to right) Rev Ben Preston minister of Craigy Hill Presbyterian Church, Rev Ben Johnston, Gardenmore Presbyterian, the Moderator and Rev Dr Colin McClure of First Larne Presbyterian, Martin Delaney, assistant to Craigy Hill’s minister, and Rev Peter Bovill of Islandmagee Presbyterian Church. Photo: Submitted
8. Moderator Visits
Dr Richard Murray spent time at Ledcom, the enterprise centre for Larne and Ballyclare. At Ledcom’s Willowbank Business Park in Larne, he received a detailed briefing on the local economy and a number of local initiatives. He and Dr McClure are pictured with chief executive Ken Nelson MBE and business and marketing executive, Catherine Anderson. During their visit saw the cutting-edge technology of Raptor Photonics, heard from renewable energy developer RES and social enterprise, The Mae Murray Foundation. Photo: Submitted