Rev. William James McConnell B.A.
The Rev. W. J.
McConnell, was inducted into the united congregation at a service on the 12th
November 1919. In 1924, Mr. McConnell suffered a severe breakdown in his
health, due to War injuries, and with no improvements in his health Mr.
McConnell was forced to retire as minister of the congregation on 15th June
1925. He went to live in Belfast, where in 1931 he again took up the
ministry and served as a minister in the new Church at Stormont, where he stayed
until 1936. He died on 15th February 1956.
Rev. Thomas Hastings Witherow B.A.
The son of the Rev.
William and Mrs Witherow. His father was successively minister of First
Donaghadee, First Killyleagh and Westbourne Belfast. He was educated at Campbell
College 1902, Academical Institution Belfast 1909, graduated Queens University
1912, Magee College 1914, and became a student for the ministry under the care
of the Belfast Presbytery. On outbreak of War in 1914, he received a Commission
in The Ulster Division, and until May 1918 served with that Division during the
hard fighting. Before Armistice in 1918, he was given a permanent Commission in
the Indian Army and took part, with his regiment, in the fighting against the
Bolshevists in Russian Turkestan in 1919. In 1920 he was engaged on active
service in connection with the Afghan War and received the Afghanistan Medal in
1920, he also served in Persia and on the North-West Frontier of India. In
January 1923, he resigned his Commission and was placed on the retired list,
being permitted to retain his rank of Captain. Having resumed his studies, he
was licensed by Belfast Presbytery on 16th May 1923 and became assistant
minister in First Derry the same year. He was ordained as minister of the
congregation on 3rd. February 1926. In 1948, Mr Witherow married Miss Olive
Wilson B.A., in St. John’s, Malone, Belfast. In 1963, he was Moderator of the
Synod of Armagh and Down. He retired from active ministry on 30th April 1963 and
went to reside in Bangor and in the late 1970’s moved to Newcastle. He died on
1st September 1989, in his 99th year.
Rev. John Hendly Rankin B.A.
Son of George and
Mrs. Rankin of Moneymore. After his early education at Moneymore Primary School,
he entered Rainey Endowed School, Magherafelt. In pursuit of his ambition, to
become a minister of the Church, he entered Magee College, Derry, and Trinity
College, Dublin, and having completed his courses at these Colleges he entered
upon his theological course at Assembly’s College, Belfast. Licensed by the
Presbytery of Tyrone on 6th December 1945, he became for one year an assistant
in Crumlin Road, Belfast, in 1946, and was ordained in Loughaghery on 7th Mary
1947. During the latter part of the Second World War, Mr. Rankin served with the Y.M.C.A., in England and North-West Europe. Shortly after his ordination in
Loughaghery, he married Miss Dorothy A. Russell, of Belfast, on 14th August
1947. He was Installed here on 18th September 1963. In 1979 he was Moderator of
the Synod of Armagh and Down. Mr Rankin retired from active ministerial duties
on 1st November 1988. He died on 27th November 1993, and
is buried in the graveyard attached to the Upper Meeting House.
Rev. Robert Ian Alexander Allely, B.A., B.D.
Installed on 16th
March 1990 – son of Bob and Doreen Allely, he was born in Tralee, Co. Kerry, on
31st January 1947.
After his early education at the local Church of Ireland
National School (1951 – 1958), he entered Bandon Grammar School, County Cork, as
a Boarder, from 1958-61 when the family moved to Gorey, County Wexford (his
father was promoted to Manager of a local Bank). Moving to Sandford Park School,
Dublin in 1961, he passed the Intermediate Certificate with honours in 1962 and
Trinity Matriculation in June 1964. Particularly keen on all sports he
represented the School at Rugby, Hockey, Cricket, Athletics and Golf. Playing
for Leinster Inter-provincial Schools Hockey Team and played for Dublin YMCA
from age 15.
On leaving school he entered the banking profession and
worked all over the Republic of Ireland. Played rugby for Athlone and Sligo and
Hockey for Belfast YMCA and Pembroke Wanderers. Represented Leinster at hockey
and played cricket for Leinster CC and Ardamine Ramblers (County Wexford). He
also engaged a little in Rallying (driving a Woolsey Hornet) and singing in a
band!
Transferred by the Bank to Belfast in June 1968 he joined
Belfast YMCA Hockey and Cricket Clubs and became a member of Knock Golf Club and
also Kirkliston Castle Golf Club.
After his arrival in Belfast he was Converted to the Lord at
a meeting in the YMCA Wellington Hall, Belfast at which Stuart Briscoe was the
preacher. He joined Fitzroy Presbyterian Church where Rev Roy Alexander was the
minister.
In October 1971, he married Isobel Bristow and set up home in
Templepatrick. During 1973 he was promoted to Assistant Manager which
necessitated moving house to Belfast, where they became members of Strand
congregation, and it was here that their children Peter (born 1974) and Susan
(born 1976) were baptised. He was appointed to the staff of the Irish Mission in
1980, as the Superintendent’s Assistant and was commissioned in Strand
Presbyterian Church (The first Irish Mission staff member to be commissioned).
He felt the call to the ministry in 1981 and was accepted as
a student by the East Belfast Presbytery in 1982. Starting his studies in 1982
at the University of Ulster (Jordanstown), he graduated in 1985 with an honours
B.A. degree in Geography & History. During this period he served as Summer
Assistant in Donegal, Carnlough and Belfast. Entering Queen’s University,
Belfast in 1985 he graduated with a B.D. in 1988. During this period he served
as a Summer Assistant in Donegal again and was appointed Assistant Minister in
Knock congregation in 1987 and was ordained by East Belfast Presbytery in
January 1989. He continued to play hockey and cricket at senior level and golf
as often as possible, retiring from hockey and cricket at the ripe old age of
50!
Mr Allely resigned in June 1997, moving to Dungannon and
then Craigavon and Vinecash in 2004.
Rev. Daniel Rankin, B.D.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland on Easter Tuesday, 19th April 1960, Rev Daniel
Rankin is one of a number of Scottish ministers within the Presbyterian
Church in Ireland.
Rev Daniel Rankin was educated at Kingsridge
Senior Secondary School, Glasgow. After obtaining three “A” levels he
joined the Post Office as a Clerk. It was while studying for his “A”
levels that he felt God’s call to full time service. Principal Geoffrey
Grogan from Bible Training Institute, Glasgow suggested Daniel should
find secular employment for a couple of years. If after two years he
still felt God’s call then an application to Bible College would be
appropriate.
So, in September 1980 Mr Rankin left Glasgow
to attend Lebanon Missionary Bible College, Berwick-on-Tweed. This was
to be three years of blessing and significant change. It was while at
Bible College he met Lorraine Clarke, an ex-RUC Officer from Belfast.
Danny and Loraine married on 2nd July 1982 after their second year.
During their final year they applied to WEC International. They hoped to
become Church Planters in Thailand. Graduation came in July 1983,
Lorraine received a Diploma of Missionary Training, while Danny received
a Dip. Th. from Cambridge University.
The Rankin’s spent the next number of years in
Thailand. During this time David and Dawn were born. While in Thailand
they worked alongside the national church reaching out to villages were
the Gospel had never been preached. These were hard difficult days and
yet they experienced God’s blessing time and time again.
The end of 1989 saw them back in Belfast again
for a year of deputation. As the year closed it became clear to Danny
that he should apply for the ministry of the Presbyterian Church. So he
resigned from WEC International and began the long application process.
During this time he worked as a bank official with the Ulster Bank.
It was during his studies that Stephen, their
third child was born. As part of his preparation for ministry Danny was
placed as assistant in McQuiston Memorial, Belfast. He graduated in June
1996 receiving B.D. He continued to work in McQuiston until his
installation in Markethill on 8th May 1998. On 21st January 2009 he
resigned and was installed in Strand Presbyterian Church, East Belfast.
Rev David J. Irvine, B.Sc(Hons), M.Div, Dip.Min.
Rev David Irvine was installed as minister of
First and Second Markethill Presbyterian Church on Friday, 8th January
2010. He was formerly minister of Albany, Brigh and 1st Stewartstown
congregations in the Presbytery of Tyrone, where he served from 1st
September 2004 to 7th January 2010.
David was born in Enniskillen on 30th September
1962, second son of George and Anna Irvine. He grew up in the congregation
of Cavanleck, near Fivemiletown, where he was ordained as an Elder in
1989. After education he worked as an accountant in practice and then
spent several years working as a financial director of a manufacturing
company.
On 2nd August 1986 he married Pauline, daughter
of Rev and Mrs Arthur Curry. The wedding service was conducted by the
bride's father in Warrenpoint Presbyterian Church.
Sensing God's call to the Presbyterian ministry
David was accepted as a student for the ministry in 1999 and commenced
training at Union Theological College, Belfast the following year. He
graduated with a Master of Divinity (with distinction) from QUB in
December 2003. Serving his assistantship in Dungannon Presbyterian Church
under Rev Bob Allely, a former minister of Markethill.
David and Pauline have five children: Matthew
(born 1991), Naomi (born 1993), James (born 1995), Lois (born 1999) and Philip (born 2001).
