Minister of Drumreagh in running to become next Moderator of Presbyterian Church in Ireland

Of the five ministers who are up for consideration this year – four serve in congregations in Northern Ireland and one serves in the Republic of Ireland, while another is based in Belfast, serving PCI in a position outside of parish ministry.

When the PCI’s 19 regional presbyteries meet across Ireland next week to consider who will be the Church’s next Moderator, PCI’s highest office, there will be one of the largest fields of ministers to choose from in recent years, including Rev Richard Murray.

Born in 1965, Mr Murray has been the minister of Drumreagh Presbyterian Church in PCI’s Presbytery of Route since 2016. He was ordained as minister of Hilltown and Clonduff Presbyterian Churches, near Rathfriland in County Down in 1997, having spent three years as assistant minister in Terrace Row Presbyterian Church in Coleraine, as part of his ministerial training. Before coming to Drumreagh, Mr Murray was installed as minister of Connor Presbyterian Church, County Antrim, in 2005.

The other ministers, who have agreed to have their names go forward for consideration, are Rev Trevor Gribben, Clerk of the General Assembly and General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland; Rev Richard Kerr, minister of Templepatrick Presbyterian Church; Rev Gary McDowell, minister of Greystones Presbyterian Church in County Wicklow and Rev Mairisíne Stanfield, minister of First Presbyterian Church, Bangor.

Each of PCI’s presbyteries is made up of ministers and elders from congregations in the presbytery’s area. They are responsible for overseeing local congregations within their bounds, while undertaking other important tasks. By convention, at the February meetings – which take place at different locations across Ireland - they select the person who becomes Moderator-Designate, who will then be proposed to the General Assembly as Moderator in June.

If Mr Murray succeeds the current Moderator, Right Rev Dr Sam Mawhinney, he will become the 179th person to hold the Church’s highest office since PCI was founded in 1840 and will serve until the 2025 General Assembly.