Watch Presbyterian Moderator elect Rev John Kirkpatrick explain his vision for year in office

He also relates how his faith journey began after heckling a Presbyterian minister as a teenager at a youth event.

Speaking in an online press conference this morning, Rev John Kirkpatrick, 65, opened up about the “stigma” of growing up in a one parent family.

He said the stigma was so great that his sister avoided claiming the free school meals she was entitled to because the meal tickets were a different colour and would have highlighted their family situation.

Rev Kirkpatrick has been minister of Portrush Presbyterian for nearly 30 years, having served in the holiday town since 1993.

Asked to clarify the situation around his childhood, Rev Kirkpatrick spoke frankly.

“My father was a Presbyterian minister and he left my mother and went away with another person when I was three years of age,” he said. “And I had another story to deal with there, which is the story of forgiveness which is a whole other story.

“I didn’t meet my father until I was 40 years of age but thankfully I did and that was okay. I honour and respect my father and it was a learning for me as well.”

Having already touched on the relevance of church in an increasingly secular age and relating to the community on LGBT issues, he reflected that “some of these other issues we have talked about as well are informed in my heart by living through a life that is not simple, living through a life that has a lot of mess in it”.

He said such a life is “not just religious, it is not glossed over, so that has been helpful in my story but not easy. But it has given me an empathy, maybe, with other people.”

He related how his faith journey began while at agricultural college and being invited to a youth event when he was 19.

Now a motorcycle racing chaplain, he said that he had left a group of guys on their motorbikes in Broughshane to attend the Christian event, which he said was “a culture shock”.

He began to heckle the preacher, a Presbyterian minister, but soon the feeling descended on him: “I was not making fun of this man - I was making fun of God”.

So began a journey of faith which last several years until it became very personal to him.

Nowadays he is still deeply involved in the motorcycling world. He maintains a love of motocross and motorcycle racing and since 1994, has been Race Chaplain to the Motor Cycle Union of Ireland. The motorcycling world has an admirable sense of community and is “authentic” he says.

Rev Kirpatrick related how he had actually been ready to retire this year but believed God directly guided him to take up the role of moderator.

Pressed on declining church membership in a secular age, he said that he welcomed the process in that it reduced nominal membership and pressed those inside and outside the church to think carefully about their beliefs.

He also related how Presbyterian membership in large parts of the Republic of Ireland is increasing. This he put down to “open” and “developing” churches adopting new formats to reduce barriers, community, a growing interest from people with “no faith”, a focus on hospitality and more emphasis on Jesus Christ as opposed to Presbyterianism.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry

Editor