Houston McKelvey's funeral hears from archbishop that he was ‘a bit of a legend and unique’
There was a large turnout of Church of Ireland clergy at the funeral of Houston McKelvey today.
The service was held at a packed Agherton Parish in Portstewart, the church that he attended in retirement.
The Very Rev Dr RSJ Houston McKelvey was a former dean of Belfast, and regular contributor to the Saturday News Letter ‘Thought for the Week’ column.
The sermon was given by the Venerable Dr Stephen McBridge, Archdeacon of Connor, who said: “Archbishop John McDowell contacted me on Thursday to let me know about Houston. He had hoped to be here today, but is representing the Church of Ireland at the consecration of the Archbishop of Canterbury. His words were, ‘a bit of a legend really and unique. There aren’t many left like him’. So true.”
Dr McKelvey was in the 1980s the advisor to the Church of Ireland General Synod Board of Education, and helped develop the Religious Education curriculum. He was key to developing the church’s safeguarding policy.
Dr McBride said: “As we all know, Houston had the ability at times to express himself rather robustly and I admired him for that. Too often at committee level, people sit back and wait for the Houstons of this world to do the hard yards and say the difficult things and then at the end the silent spectators do a bit of back slapping and say you spoke well.”
He also said: “Today we surround with our love and prayers Roberta, son John who is now a senior Nato official in Belgium and whose academic and professional development gave your Dad immense pride, and also to John and Catherine who made Houston Pappy to Patrick and Rory.
“Of all the accolades and achievements of which he had every right to be proud of being pappy was at the pinnacle of them all.”
A lesson was read by his old friend Rev Canon Robin Lavery, and another by another friend from student days, Brother David Jardine, of the Anglican Franciscan order.
The blessing was given by Right Rev George Davison, bishop of Connor. Dr McKelvey died suddenly last Thursday.
Click here to read the full obituary for Houston McKelvey.