In setting the scene for the interview, Will recalls the old adage that “when you notice that policemen seem younger, you know you are also starting to get old…” It is a clear reference to the fact that at 50 years of age, Dr Henry will be the youngest Moderator in living memory, something he is quick to point out is ‘relative youth’.
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The article is called ‘Real gone kid’ a reference to the 1988 single by the Scottish band Deacon Blue, and the band’s anniversary concert that Dr Henry went to last year in Belfast’s Ulster Hall. It was a significant night, as the circumstances around it made it clear to him that allowing his name to go forward for selection in February as Moderator was the right thing to do.
As Dr Henry explains, “I realised I was sitting in almost exactly the same seat in the gallery that I had been in 30 years earlier at a youth event. At that event they spoke about people fully committing themselves to God in the future, wherever that takes you. Being reminded of that was reaffirming to me that sense of call.”
The sense of call on his life is evident throughout the article, as the husband of Nora and the father of three talks about his journey into the ministry and how “the thing that is really going to reach into people’s lives is Christians living authentically and passionately believing in Jesus. When people see that they recognise it…That’s the sort of message that I want to try and remind people about – that God is real and that we have something positive to say…”
You can read Will’s full article in this month’s Presbyterian Herald here.
Dr Henry’s installation service is open to the public and will be streamed live on this website. It will also be broadcast live on BBC Radio Ulster 1341 Medium Wave tomorrow from 7pm. Along with the Tuesday’s Communion Service at 11.45am, Wednesday’s worship service at 12.15pm and evening celebration at 7.45pm, Thursdays worship service at 2.45pm and the vast majority of business sessions and presentations, will be open to the public and streamed live via this website.
Photo: Dr Henry in his Maze congregation.
You can also follow a live Twitter feed @pciassembly using the hashtag #PCIGA19 for all the General Assembly's public sessions. You can find details of each days business here. All news stories, Reports and daily draft minutes, can be found in the General Assembly Overview here.
Business commences at 10.30 am on Tuesday. Proceedings will close on Friday, 7 June at 1.30pm.