Stephen bids First Ballymena ‘Goodbye’

He obeyed God’s call to Union Theological College in 2007 and has served in the Ballymena Presbytery for the last three years.

Stephen recalled that he got saved in his early 30s: “I was born and raised in the Church of Ireland. I believed for years that I was a Christian because I went to church every Sunday and I suppose I drifted away from Church for a while but in my latter years I felt drawn to Main Street Presbyterian Church in Garvagh. I had never been in a Presbyterian church in my life but I went there and I wasn’t long there before I got saved and the rest is history.”

After completing his Religious Studies A-Level at Union in 2007, Stephen went on to achieve his Bachelor of Divinity and Diploma in Ministry there. As is customary with students of the Presbyterian Ministry, he worked at First Ballymena part-time during his final year at college before continuing a full-time assistantship at the Meetinghouse Lane fellowship.

Paying tribute to ‘a great and wonderful people, Stephen said: “They have taken us in to the family of the Church and we have been very much part of it since we came. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time and we have made a lot of good close friends in that short time.”

Talking about his impending move to Guildford and Tullylish in the Presbytery of Iveagh, Stephen said: “I am excited about the move, yes. Of course there is a bit of trepidation, you are stepping up to a new role with more responsibility and yes there will be some things that you are expected to do that you haven’t already done or can’t do as an Assistant but God has equipped us so far and we trust that He will in the future.”