Moderator on local tour

Having been elected Moderator in June, at the all-Ireland denomination’s General Assembly, each Moderator undertakes four Presbytery Tours. Dr Kirkpatrick’s tour of Route is his second and comes hot on the heels of his weeklong overseas tour of Hungary and Ukraine.

Accompanied by his wife Joan, each Presbytery Tour is an important opportunity for a Moderator to get ‘out and about’ and meet with and encourage ministers from across the Presbytery. They are also times to see first-hand and acknowledge the work of local congregations.

Dr Kirkpatrick began his tour on a Sunday when he preached twice in the morning, opening his tour in Dunloy Presbyterian Church. He then returned to his first congregation, Garryduff, to preach. In the evening he was at Drumreagh Presbyterian Church in Bendooragh near Ballymoney. He also spoke at a special mid-week service at Mosside Presbyterian and lead worship at Bushvale Presbyterian Church and Dervock Presbyterian Church.

Clerk of Route Presbytery, Rev Noel McClean, Minister Emeritus of First Kilraughts Presbyterian near Stranocum, explained that the tour was the first to be undertaken by a Moderator since 2017.

“Dr Kirkpatrick was indeed a member of our historic Presbytery when he was minister of the congregation in Garryduff from 1987 until 1993.

“The name ‘Route’ is an unusual one, and is derived from the ancient territory Dalriada, which was occupied by the descendants of Riada, a chieftain who lived in the 3rd century, from which Route is derived. During his tour the Moderator visited a number of our churches, to encourage ministers and manse families as well as seeing some of the local industry, the work of Foodbanks and Christians Against Poverty in Ballymoney, especially in these dire economic times.

"There was a visit to Riding for the Disabled and Dr Kirkpatrick also paid a visit to Dalriada Hospital and a number of schools.”

There is always a strong focus placed on education during a Presbytery Tour and the Moderator had an opportunity to visit Pinkerton Primary School and Dalriada School in Ballymoney and Ballycastle High.

“This part of the world is very familiar to me, as way back in 1987 I was called to be the minister of Garryduff Presbyterian, my first congregation, where Joan and I spent six happy years before moving on to Portrush,” Dr Kirkpatrick said.

“As I have said before, people sometimes forget that the church isn’t just for Sundays and what we often don’t see is the endless and tireless amount of work done out in the community to help others.

"In these hard-pressed times we want to be available to people, as we are a Church where the Grace of God is at work in us, and though us, so that we might be a blessing to others in serving the community where we can make Jesus known. This is why Presbytery Tours are important parts of a Moderator’s year in office as they enable each of us to see that first-hand.”