Our New Pastor

I am an Ayrshire boy, born and bred in the heart of the Burns country, so as a youngster, I was out and about with my mother, singing duets of Burns more popular songs. When I was 16, I had a life changing encounter with Jesus in my local C of S and, developing a love for Christ, I experienced a new desire to use my life to serve others. I survived a degree in Geography at Glasgow University and started working with the C of S in drug and alcohol rehab centres. This was a baptism of fire but also a time of seeing God rescuing addicts from the insanity of addiction and remaking them into dynamic followers of Christ. Fiona joined me in this work and after 6 years of joint ministry we were married in 1988. During this period God taught us his ways, our faith grew stronger, our gifts were developed, our understanding of the human heart deepened, and our joy overflowed as we saw the great things God was doing. There was a mini revival as one after another men and women in the rehab found Christ and experienced a new freedom to live for God. I completed a couple of years of theology training (night school) at the Bible Teaching Institute in Glasgow and began to appreciate the ways of the Lord more fully. Later, I did a social work degree and served as Director of Care services for Bethany Christian Trust. Later still, I completed a masters in social work