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The historic congregation of Cregagh Presbyterian Church, East Belfast will get a visit from the moderator this weekend - but it's not the home grown Irish one! Instead, Dr Andrew McClellan, Moderator of the Church of Scotland, pays a visit to the Cregagh Road congregation as they conclude their Centenary celebrations, commencing with a dinner on Friday, 27th October 2000.
Dr McClellan, accompanied by wife Irene, travels to Belfast ahead of a Presbytery visit to Inverness this Sunday. He will not only join Cregagh members for dinner on Friday, but speak at a Centenary Conference on Saturday morning. The Conference is entitled "The Third Millennium Challenges the Church."
Links between Cregagh Church and the Scottish Moderator were initially developed during the early seventies, when current Cregagh minister, Rev Albert Sleith was an Assistant at Westbourne, Newtownards Road. During that period of political strife, Scottish ministers often visited Irish Presbyterians and Dr McClellan, then minister in Greenock, established a long term friendship with Rev Sleith. Over the years, Dr McClellan moved to Stirling, then on to St Andrews & St George's in Edinburgh city centre, maintaining strong links with the East Belfast church. This has resulted in many exchanges between Ulster and Scotland involving choirs, youth groups and other organisations associated with the two ministers.
Rev Sleith comments: "Andrew McClellan and I have known each other for years. During this year's General Assembly it was a real pleasure for both myself and Cregagh church to see him visit Ireland as Scottish Moderator. He visits Cregagh this weekend however, as a solid friend and we know that we look forward to what he has to tell us, as together we focus on the future of our common cause."
The Conference starts at 10am and will also feature a submission from Rev Dr Gordon Gray, minister of First Lisburn Presbyterian Church.
Issued by Martin McNeely, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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