Rev John appointed to new parish

The Rev John McClure, Curate Assistant of the Parish of Ballymena and Ballyclug, has been appointed as Incumbent of the Grouped Parishes of Muckamore, Killead and Gartree.
By The Newsroom
Published 28th Apr 2017, 10:28 BST
Updated 9th May 2017, 20:21 BST
Rev John McClure.Rev John McClure.
Rev John McClure.

A native of Lurgan, John is married to Margot and they have two grown-up daughters, Stephanie and Rachel.

John was ordained in the Non-Stipendary Ministry in 2007.

He served curacies in the Parish of Skerry, Rathcavan and Newtowcrommelin (Broughshane) and the Parish of St Michael, Belfast, before switching to Stipendary Ministry and moving to Ballymena Parish three years ago.

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His first job was with Michelin Tyres in Mallusk where he worked for 11 years.

He later spent 15 years with the Police at Belfast International Airport.

Before ordination, John was Deputation Secretary with Irish Church Missions, and in this role focused on helping people with social issues including drugs and alcohol dependency.

He supported families who had lost a loved one through suicide and set up groups in Northern Ireland to deal with suicide related issues.

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John was a member of the former Connor Training Council and currently serves on Connor Diocesan Council.

His interests include walking, golf and ‘watching all sports.’

A Service of Institution will take place in St Jude’s Church, Muckamore, on Wednesday, June 28 at 8pm.

“This is a good time to move,” said John.

“It will give us a chance to settle in before activities all begin again in September.

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“It is a challenge as there is a lot of outreach work going on in the area, and I am looking forward to visiting people and reaching out to the community. That is what I most enjoy.”

* The Church of Ireland is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion which has 70 million members in 164 countries.

The Diocese of Connor, in the Province of Armagh, is one of 12 dioceses on the island of Ireland. Although small geographically, covering County Antrim and part of County Londonderry, Connor is one of the busiest and most populated dioceses in the Church of Ireland.

Covering 1,700 square miles, it encompasses the urban sprawl of north and west Belfast and the stunning rural landscape of the Antrim coast. A total of 77 parishes, unions or groups carry out a vibrant Christian ministry.

Related topics:BelfastBallymena