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The Rev Gary Goodes
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The Rev Gary Goodes pictured with his
wife Dianne
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The Rev Gary Goodes pictured with his
wife Dianne and their family Melissa (16) and
Belinda (18) after his Installation last Thursday
evening (29th October) as the new minister of
Hillsborough Free Presbyterian Church.
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The Rev Gary Goodes, formerly minister of Portavogie Free
Presbyterian Church, was installed as the new minister of
Hillsborough Free Presbyterian Church at a Service of
Installation last Thursday evening (29th November). He succeeds
the Rev Dr Stanley Barnes who was installed in October 1972 and
retired from active ministry at the end of October after 35
years loyal service at Hillsborough.
Born in Fremantle, Western Australia, Mr Goodes is married to
Dianne and they have two daughters, Belinda (18) and Melissa
(16). He was a self-confessed atheist who never attended church
until the Lord gloriously saved him in 1986 through the witness
of a colleague at work. After receiving the call of God into the
Ministry in 1988, he left Australia and came to Northern Ireland
where he completed four years theological training at Whitefield
College Of The Bible, Gilford. He was licensed by the Presbytery
of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster and returned to
Australia where he was ordained to the ministry in 1993 and
became Minister of the Perth Free Presbyterian Church in the
capital city of Western Australia.
In 1999, while holidaying in Ulster with his family, Mr Goodes
received a call from the congregation of Trinity Free
Presbyterian Church in Portavogie to become their Minister. He
accepted the call and was installed in Portavogie in April 1999.
Since that time the Lord has abundantly blessed his labours
there. By 2001, the Jubilee year of the denomination, the
congregation had outgrown the original little church building,
which could only seat 128 people. The church was demolished and
a new one, built on the same site, was opened in March 2002. It
is a beautiful building able to seat 220 people and it is now
almost filled every Lord's Day. In 2007 the church also opened a
new one-acre car park with parking facility for over 100 cars.
Since his installation in 1999, Mr Goodes has had the joy of
seeing over one hundred people profess faith in Christ and the
congregation double in size.
At a Presbytery Meeting on Friday 2nd November 2007, Mr Goodes
accepted a call to become the new Minister of Hillsborough Free
Presbyterian Church. The church was filled to capacity as he
preached his final service at Portavogie on Sunday evening 25th
November. During the service he gave a word of personal
testimony and he is pleased to report that during the last three
weeks of his ministry at Portavogie, three more souls professed
faith in Christ.
In the last few weeks since Dr Barnes's retirement, the
Hillsborough congregation has been under the care of the Rev Dr
Fred Greenfield, minister of Dunmurry Free Presbyterian Church.
Dr Greenfield presided at the Service of Installation and
welcomed the large congregation. The Rev Samuel Murray
(Tandragee) opened the service with prayer; the Rev Trevor
Baxter (Ballynahinch) read the Scripture lesson; and the Rev
Philip Gardiner (Carrickfergus) preached the installation
sermon. The Rev Dr. John Douglas (Lisburn) posed the prescribed
questions to the Minister Elect and the Deputy Moderator, the
Rev Ron Johnstone, gave the charge to the Minister and
Congregation after which the new minister gave his interesting
testimony. Mr David Williamson MBE (Clerk of Session) brought
the formal proceedings to a conclusion as he gave Mr Goodes a
warm welcome to Hillsborough and the Rev David McLaughlin closed
in prayer and the benediction.
Patricia Hamilton presided at the organ and Ida McCready on
piano. The congregational hymns were 'To Jesus Every Day I Find
my Heart is Closer', 'Be Thou My Vision', 'I've Found a Friend
in Jesus' and 'To God be the glory, great things He has done'.
Following the service, supper was served by the ladies of the
church allowing the congregation to welcome their new minister
and his wife and family.
Mr Goodes preached his first sermon as the new minister of
Hillsborough last Sunday morning (3rd December). Currently
living in Portavogie, he hopes to move to the Hillsborough manse
in the next few weeks.
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At the Service of Installation
for the Rev Gary Goodes in
Hillsborough Free
Presbyterian Church last Thursday
evening (29th October) are L to R:
(seated) Rev Dr Stanley Barnes (now Senior
Minister), Rev Dr Fred Greenfield (Dunmurry), Rev
Gary Goodes, Rev Ron Johnstone (Deputy Moderator),
Rev Dr John Douglas and Mr David Williamson MBE
(Clerk of Session). (back row) Rev David
McLaughlin, Rev Trevor Baxter (Ballynahinch), Rev
Samuel Murray (Tandragee) and Rev Philip Gardiner
(Carrickfergus). |
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The new minister pictured with elders L to R:
(seated) Trevor Hewitt (Treasurer), Rev Gary Goodes,
David Williamson MBE (Clerk of Session) and Robert
Murphy. (back row) Harold McKibben, Billy Foster,
Desmond Wilson, Charlie Poots and Eric Spence.
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The new minister and his wife pictured with elders
and their wives: L to R: (seated) Dorothy McKibben,
Mabel Spence, Sadie Wilson, Emilene Williamson,
Dianne Goodes, Jean Hewitt and Myrtle Murphy. (back
row) Billy Foster, Harold McKibben, Eric Spence,
Desmond Wilson, David Williamson MBE (Clerk of
Session), Rev Gary Goodes, Trevor Hewitt
(Treasurer), Robert Murphy and Charlie Poots.
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30/11/2007
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