Roy new pastor at Lurgan Elim

Roy lives in Dromore and has been in the ministry since 1986, first with Faith Mission and more recently with the Elim Pentecostal Church.

He told the ‘MAIL’: “I’m still settling in. The people of Lurgan have been very friendly and very welcoming.”

Roy comes to Lurgan from his previous church on the Beersbridge Road in East Belfast.

He has also been based in Caledon, Portadown, Carryduff and Lisburn during his years in the ministry.

Roy said: “When I was saved I went to the Faith Mission Bible College in Edinburgh. I finished in 1986. I did a year working with Faith Mission then came to Elim.”

The 47-year-old was born in Luton although his parents are from Monaghan.

He said: “My family were more sort of Presbyterian/Church of Ireland. When I was 13 we moved back to Monaghan that’s where I got converted.

“All my ministry has been with Faith Mission and Elim. I’m also on the Irish Leadership Team for Elim which has pastoral responsibility.”

As well as taking care of church admin and paying home and hospital visits, Roy spends his time during the week preparing for Sunday services.

He said: “I try to make sermons as topical as possible. I believe in practical Christianity.

“I want my sermons to be of help to people in the environment in which we live.”

Of the ups and downs of being a pastor Roy said: “You can have high highs, but lows lows. One morning you can be in the hospital where a new baby has been born and that afternoon you can be in a house that has recently been visited by death.”

Roy and his wife Hilary have been married for 21 years. They have three children - Cherith (17), Ben (12), and Annie (7).

He commented: “Most of my spare time is built around family. Myself and Hilary, who is Vice Principal at Harmony Hill in Lisburn, both have intense jobs so we try to spend as much time as we possibly can with our kids.”