Thousands in Paisley tribute
27/1/12 PACEMAKER BELFAST. The Rev. Ian Paisley poses with fellow clergy before the Special Farewell Service in his honour after 65 years of Ministry at the Martyrs Memorial Church, on the Ravenhill Road, Belfast. Picture CHARLES MCQUILLAN/PACEMAKER
THE son of the Rev Ian Paisley has paid tribute to his father, who has retired from full-time ministry after 65 years as a leading cleric in Northern Ireland.
More than 3,000 people turned out to a farewell service for Dr Paisley at his Belfast church, the Martyrs’ Memorial Church, on Friday night. There was standing room only.
The former DUP leader and First Minister of Northern Ireland, now aged 85, stepped down from elected politics last year – though is still a peer in the House of Lords – and is now concentrating on writing his memoirs.
Speaking to the News Letter last night, his son and successor as MP for his North Antrim Westminster seat, Ian Jr, spoke in glowing terms of his father’s send-off.
“It was a very proud event for us all as a family to celebrate 65 years’ service in the church and to mark his retirement,” Ian Jr said.
“Obviously it was a lovely service and everyone spoke extremely well, with many lovely tributes. It meant a lot to me as a member of his church and as his son. The pulpit of the Martyrs’ Memorial Church will forever be synonymous with the Rev Ian Paisley.”
He said that many DUP figures attended the event, including David Simpson, Sammy Wilson, Edwin Poots, Stephen Moutray and Paul Givan.
The Free Presbyterian Church traces its genesis to St Patrick’s Day, 1951, in the village of Crossgar, Co Down.
Its history records that elders of the local Presbyterian Church left that denomination when they had difficulty holding a gospel mission in the church hall.
“With the help of the Rev Ian Paisley, their guest evangelist, they formed the Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster,” the church’s history says. “From four congregations in that first year, the growth of the new church continued until its witness spread to all parts of Northern Ireland. The church was founded to faithfully preach and defend the gospel of Christ in an age of growing compromise and apostasy. That determination is still to be found in every Free Presbyterian Church.
“The church has now spread well beyond the boundary of Northern Ireland. Today there are over one hundred Free Presbyterian churches and extensions throughout the world; in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, the Irish Republic, Australia, Canada, USA, Germany, Jamaica and Spain with missionaries in many other places.”
The Free Presbyterian Church also has a world-wide radio ministry, “Let The Bible Speak”.
Ministers, missionaries and other Christian workers in the church are trained in the Whitefield College of the Bible in Banbridge, with extensions in Greenville, South Carolina, USA, and in Toronto, Canada.
Although having left full-time ministry, Dr Paisley is still expected to be preaching in response to invitations both at home and abroad.
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 20 C
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