Life

Rev Dr Laurence Graham installed as Methodist leader

The Rev Dr Laurence Graham is the new President of the Methodist Church in Ireland
The Rev Dr Laurence Graham is the new President of the Methodist Church in Ireland The Rev Dr Laurence Graham is the new President of the Methodist Church in Ireland

THE new President of the Methodist Church in Ireland is the Rev Dr Laurence Graham.

At 48, Dr Graham is the youngest minister to be elected to the denomination's most senior office.

He is currently serving as the Superintendent minister of the Dublin Central Mission, and has ministered almost exclusively in the Republic, including in Longford, Cork and Killarney, where he was involved in planting new congregations.

Dr Graham has deep family connections with full-time Christian work: his father Winston is a past President of the Methodist Church as well as its General Secretary, his grandfather was also a Methodist minister, and one uncle is a Church of Ireland rector and another a minister of the Church of Scotland.

Educated at Dalriada School in Ballymoney and Belfast Royal Academy, Dr Graham went on to study agriculture at university.

Before starting his theological studies, he served in Haiti as a mission partner, working as an agriculturist.

During a coup d'etat in 1991 he was moved from Haiti to Antigua to work on a church-based agricultural project.

Dr Graham is married to Karen and they have two children, Hope and Paul; their first child, Samuel, died in early infancy.

The theme for his year in office is 'The Rhythm of Grace', which he sees as an encouragement to renewal and mission across Ireland and beyond.

Dr Graham was installed as President last night, and the Methodist Church's annual meeting of 115 lay people and 115 clergy - called the Conference - is meeting at Trinity Methodist Church in Lisburn.

It concludes on Sunday with a service of ordination on Sunday June 19 in Fisherwick Presbyterian Church at 7pm.