In ‘A Noble calling’ Mark Simpson thought that having known the minister of First Holywood Presbyterian Church for two decades there was little to discover, but only recently found out that the incoming moderator is a ‘fanatical Tottenham Hotspurs supporter’.
In the interview Dr. McNeely talks about his family upbringing in Crossgar, County Down, his faith and association with his boyhood church in the village, Lissara Presbyterian. “I can’t remember a time when I didn’t believe in God. Church was very central to our family life. I was challenged through Boys’ Brigade camps regarding my commitment to Christ. I can remember at the age of 17 making a positive commitment to follow Christ,” he said.
In Mark Simpson’s article the Moderator-Designate talks about a range of topics from social media to same sex marriage, the Pope’s proposed visit to Ireland in 2018 to the current political deadlock in Northern Ireland and other issues in between.
Asked what he hoped to achieve in his year in office, Dr. McNeely said, “My primary desire is to be able to serve Christ and the Presbyterian Church in Ireland to the best of my ability…” He also said that he hoped to promote the idea of ‘Everyday Discipleship’, which is the theme of the Special Assembly in August and a the focus of is Address to the General Assembly’s Opening Night.
In the article Mark Simpson also discovers which person has had the biggest influence on his life and the biblical character who features most in his preaching. And in a twist of history – according to a 101-year-old aunt - how he might not have been eligible to be the next Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland if it wasn’t for his grandmother.
You can read the full article here.
Dr. McNeely will be officially nominated to the General Assembly and installed as Moderator on the evening of 5th June. The ceremony is open to the public and will be broadcast live on Radio Ulster 1341 Medium Wave from 7pm. The installation and most of the other public sessions will be streamed live via this website. You can also follow a live Twitter feed @pciassembly using the hashtag #PCIGA17 for all public sessions. With most of the Assembly’s business open to the public, business will commence at 9.30am on Tuesday, 6th June and will close on Friday, 9th June.
For information and resources about this year's General Assembly: The Blue Book, individual reports, supplementary reports, daily business, minutes, previews and reviews of each day's proceedings, visit our General Assembly 2017 resources section here.