The Rev Jackie McNair has been appointed as the new minister of Ballynahinch Methodist Church in Co. Down.
A native of Letterkenny, the Rev McNair was appointed to the Lagan Valley & South Down Circuit at a conference in Belfast last month.
He has previously served in Dublin and Limerick as a school chaplain.
Looking ahead to his new role, he said he is looking forward to getting to know the people and the place of Ballynahinch and serving the community. He said his work will also focus on social justice issues.
“I’ve always been very passionate about social justice and about pastoral care, so for me, they lie fairly high up my agenda in trying to serve people and to serve God,” he told Circuit Communications Coordinator Tom Millar.
Minister Rev. McNair is married to a Wicklow woman, Andrea, and is a proud grandfather, with family all around Ireland.
His journey of faith began at a young age in Letterkenny, he said.
“Faith and God have always been part of my life, from a very young boy attending the Gospel hall in Letterkenny to investigating different churches and trying to search to find God.”
He studied Theology and Biblical studies in college. “For me, my journey has been about trying to understand who God is and why God has taken the time to reach out to me.”
Watch the interview here: