Buckna’s Ivan ‘honoured’ to be elected as Moderator

Talking to the TIMES after his election last Tuesday night, Rev. Patterson said: “I was born near Buckna in the townland of Drumack. My parents lived there and I was baptised in Buckna Church and the family were lifelong members of the congregation.”

He continued: “For most of my life the minister was the Rev M C McCullough and for a short time the Rev T Cuming.    I was taught the faith well by dedicated Sunday School teachers and ministers and they were all significant in my coming to faith. There were others in the congregation who set before us a godly life.”

The young Ivan received his compulsory education at Rocavan Primary School and Ballymena Intermediate School

Again, he is keen to highlight the impact that some of his teachers played as he took his first steps with God.

Rev. Patterson goes on: “I have very happy memories of my school days and in particular, one of my primary School teachers, Miss Nessie Wilson, who had a huge influence on my life. The minister for a considerable part of my life was Mr McCullough and he too had a profound influence on my development.”

After leaving Ballymena Technical College, the future Moderator worked as a television repair man while continuing to serve the Lord in his local Church. He taught in the Sunday School and was a Boys’ Brigade Officer as well as being a member of the Choir and the Church Committee.

However, the Lord had further plans for Ivan’s life. These led him to continue his studies to gain admission to Queen’s University.

After graduating in Semitic Studies he completed his training for the Presbyterian Ministry at Union Theological College gaining a Masters in Theology in 1979 and also studied for a short time at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Rev. Patterson continues: “I left Buckna in 1980 after I was licensed to preach the Gospel and became Assistant Minister in First Bangor Presbyterian Church, although I believe part of me never left the Braid district.”

Subsequently, Ivan became minister of the Bushvale congregation near Ballymoney in 1982.

1991 saw him called to Newcastle Presbyterian Church, where he was served for the last twenty years.

Throughout his ministry Mr Patterson has taken particular interest in youth work and overseas mission. He served a convener of the Presbyterian Church’s Youth Board between 1989 and 1993 and was the first chairman of Youth Link, a body set up by the Presbyterian, Methodist, Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic Churches to provide support and training for youth leaders and community relations experiences for young people.

He has also travelled to Kenya, Nepal and India to see church work there and has a particular interest in Romania, establishing a twinning arrangement between his church in Newcastle and a congregation of the Hungarian Reformed Church in Hodos, Romania.

Rev. Patterson describes his ministry as ‘conservatively biblical with a strong evangelical outlook’, adding: “I get great satisfaction from helping people and would love them to become more knowledgeable about the God of the Bible and the implication of that for their lives.”

“We cannot expect people to come and find us so we have to be open to be found. That means being active in our communities, making our Christian voice heard and having confidence in Christ to share our faith through being involved in what is going on outside the walls of our church as well as inside”, he added.

In addition to his ministry in Newcastle, the Moderator-Designate is also clerk of the Iveagh Presbytery. He is married to Maureen and has one married son, Stephen, a daughter-in-law, Morag and two grandsons.

Looking ahead to his new responsibilities, Rev. Patterson said: “It’s a huge honour to be asked by the church to be Moderator and I pray that I will be worthy of the trust that has been placed in me.”