Your chance to find out what life is like as a Presbyterian minister

The church currently has over 500 congregations, served by just over 300 ministers, and is encouraged by interest in the free event on Saturday.

Reverend Principal Gordon Campbell, who heads up the college, said that 40 individuals had already signed up.

He said: “The Ministry Taster Day will be a valuable opportunity for women and men to discern and explore the call of God upon their lives and consider whether their discipleship may be leading them to ordained ministry in PCI. If you are interested in exploring the Lord’s will for your life, learning more about ministry training, or feel that the Lord may call you to serve Him in this way in the future, I would really encourage you to come along.”

Two first year students will be taking part, sharing their experiences and talking to potential future ministers.

Francine Magill lives in Newtownards and worships at Scrabo Presbyterian.

The mother-of-three, who is part of the senior management team at Malone Integrated College, said: “From a young age He gave me a desire to know more about Him. I enjoyed discovering who God was in Sunday school, holiday bible clubs, GB, and school, and what He had done for me. As soon as I was old enough I began to share this with children and young people in church and at camps.”

She continued, “I became an RE teacher, which I was for 26 years, because I wanted to help young people explore the ‘big questions’ in life, but it was while I was at Focusfest, a ministry event for women, that I had a strong conviction that God wanted to speak to me about how He wanted me to become a minister.”

Sam Scott came from a Congregational Church background in Ballymena, moving to PCI when he became a men’s outreach worker in Eglinton Presbyterian in Belfast.

He said: “Growing up I have been very fortunate to have been given lots of support and opportunities to get involved with service, leadership, and Bible teaching, throughout my church life.

“I remember going into my final year at Queen’s and thinking, ‘I’d like to work for the church in some capacity, but after something else’.

“That ‘something else’ didn’t materialise, and it was after reading a piece of scripture that God often speaks to me through, that I realised that I definitely wanted to go for ministry and He was calling me to it. After a two-year Cornhill Training Course of Bible study and preaching, a number of doors opened, one after another, with God leading me to Union.”

If you wish to attend on Saturday, email Rev Prof David Leach – [email protected]

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