Moderator preaches 'more relevant' message

Alasdair Dunlop: Incoming Moderator wants more relevant preaching

The incoming Moderator of the Presbyterian Church has said its message needs to be updated to reflect current problems of people.

Reverend Alasdair Dunlop was elected to succeed Dr Trevor Morrow on Tuesday night. Mr Dunlop will be installed as Moderator on 4 June.

Born in north Belfast, he has served as a minister in Portglenone, Co Antrim and has been minister at Knock, east Belfast, since 1983.

He is the son of former Moderator Dr James Dunlop who held the post during the 1960s.

Mr Dunlop is a former convenor of the Presbyterian Church's Inter Church Relations Board, which encourages contacts Roman Catholics and other faiths.

He is currently chairman of Interserve Ireland, an inter-denominational body that supports Christian missionaries overseas.

The congregation there has recently completed a refurbishment and renovation programme and formed teams to develop areas such as worship, young people's programmes and better communication with the surrounding community.

The Moderator designate said he hoped to make the church more open and accessible.

"We need to communicate our message more clearly.

"We need to use more modern methods of communications - we've been trying to do that with audio visuals.

"I think we also need to have more relevant teaching and preaching in churches where we're actually dealing with the problems people are struggling with day by day rather than dealing with problems that are just of our own imagining," he said.