GALA RECEPTION FOR RETIRING DROMARA MINISTER
AFTER nine years as minister of 2nd Dromara Presbyterian Church, the Reverend David Porter will bid a fond farewell to his congregation this weekend.
The 62-year-old minister, who said he has met countless people from all walks of life during his 34-year ministry, was described this week as "one of the best".
The church's Clerk of Session Herbie Chambers paid tribute to Rev Porter.
He said, "The work he has done here in Dromara is incredible - he just seems to have that ability to motivate people and get things done.
"And that work was throughout the entire community - he didn't limit himself to his own flock.
"Whoever follows him will have big shoes to fill."
Rev Porter, who is married to wife Norma, said he has mixed feelings about retiring.
He said, "I am looking forward to retirement but I am also going to miss Dromara because I have always been a very active minister.
"I had hoped to stay on in Dromara until the age of 65 but have had to retire on health grounds unfortunately."
Originally from Belfast, Rev Porter worked as an electrician for ten years before becoming ordained as a minister within the Baptist Church in Downpatrick but made a move to the Presbyterian Church five years later.
Having worked in Eglish, Newmills and Newtownards, Rev Porter became minister in Dromara in 2001.
(FOR MORE ON SECOND DROMARA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SEE THE CHURCH FOCUS FEATURE IN THIS WEEK'S LEADER). Since then the church has undergone massive refurbishment, something of which Rev Porter said he is very proud.
He said, “We undertook a whole drive to modernise the inside of the church so we installed powerpoint and new seats to make the place more comfortable for the congregation.”
The work, which cost in the region of 168,000, was carried out by many volunteers from within the community - something Rev Porter said is typical of the Dromara community.
“The people I have worked with over the past nine years are so generous and giving of their time when it comes to any work that needs done concerning the church including helping me out on occasion,” Rev Porter told the Leader.
“I have had great support during my time here.”
Of his 34 years within the church Rev Porter, who has one identical twin brother Thomas, said he has many fond memories, including the changes and improvement schemes he has been a part of throughout his ministry.
“I am happy that I can look back and say there was some positive change or improvement in each church during my time there,” he said.
“An especially proud achievement was the establishment of the Movilla Church in Newtownards where we started out with a green field and ended up with a church,” Rev Porter said.
“We literally started from scratch with our first service in a portacabin and by the time I left Newtownards there was a congregation of about 250 families.”
Although Rev Porter has numerous fond memories of his ministry there are some more poignant occasions which he says he simply will not forget.
He said, “I have performed many funerals during my time as a minister and, while all have been sad occasions, some have been particularly difficult.
“As a minister you cannot show emotion in the same way as if you were attending the funeral yourself and so it is sometimes a real challenge to keep that composure especially in cases where you are maybe burying a stillborn child or someone who has taken their own life.”
While serving as a minister in Eglish and Castlecaulfield in County Tyrone Rev Porter had experience with some of the worst periods in Northern Ireland’s history.
“I had to break the news to the parents of a man who had served part-time in the UDR and had been blown-up in a booby-trapped vehicle,” he said.
“The young lad’s mother said she knew there was bad news coming when she saw my face as I walked up their drive towards the house.
“It was an awful experience.”
Looking to the future Rev Porter, a father-of-four and grandfather to five, said he is excited by the prospect of spending more time with his family.
“My son Andrew lives in Canada and my only daughter Sharon lives in Scotland so it will be nice to have more time to travel over and visit them, as well as my other two sons Stephen and David who live in Northern Ireland.
“One thing about the ministry is the fact you really don’t have as much time to spend with your family so I will relish the free time my wife and I will now have. My wife Norma has been a great support to me down through the years,” he said.
“She will be missed just as much if not more than me by the people of Dromara considering all the good work she has done here, including her work with the Presbyterian Women’s Group.”
Rev Porter, who plans to move to Coleraine, will officially retire at the end of the month with a gala celebration of his time in Dromara on Friday January 29.
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Weather for Dromore
Saturday 04 February 2012
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