Holidaymakers and members of the congregation packed Newcastle
Presbyterian Church for morning worship on Sunday 20th July when
the guest preacher was The Rt Rev Dr Donald Patton, Moderator of
the General Assembly. Dr Patton is pictured (right) with the
minister, the Rev Ivan Patterson and former moderator, The Very
Rev Dr Howard Cromie, Minister Emeritus of Railway Street
Presbyterian Church, Lisburn, who now lives in Newcastle.
Dr. Patton (57) has been minister of Old Church Randalstown for
the last 6 years. Born in Warrenpoint on 30th May 1950, he spent
his early years in Londonderry before his father�s work took the
family to Portadown. A member of Armagh Road Presbyterian Church
he attended Portadown College and later graduated from Queen�s
University Belfast with a BSSc in 1971 and BD in 1974. In 1993
he was awarded a PhD, also from Queen�s. After ordination as
assistant in Trinity Bangor in 1975 he became minister of First
Dromore in 1977 and after six years was called to Greystone
Road, Antrim. In 1988 he became minister of Lowe Memorial
Presbyterian Church in Finaghy before moving to OC Randalstown
in 2002.
Dr. Patton is a keen historian and was convenor of the
Presbyterian Historical Society from 1990 until 1996. He has
written a short history of First Dromore Presbyterian Church and
edited a number of other books on church history.
He is married to Florence and has two sons, two daughters and a
grandson. Dr. Patton took up office as Moderator in succession
to Dr. John Finlay at the opening session of the 2008 General
Assembly on Monday 2nd June.
21/07/2008
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