Three new curates ordained at St Patrick’s Ballymena recently were Rev. Isobel Hawthorne-Steele, Rev. Dennis Christie and Rev. Alan McAlister. St. Patrick’s Parish Church, Ballymena was packed for the Service of Ordination of Priests in the Connor Diocese on Sunday September 4, 2016.
At the service, the Rev Dennis Christie was ordained to serve as curate in the Parish of Ballymena and Ballyclug having first completed his internship in the Parish of Muckamore.
A native of Limavady, Dennis has been living in Moira for the last 11 years. He is married to Jennifer, who works as an Administrator of the Church Mission Society (C.M.S) and couple have three children, Abby, (13), David, (11) and Jonathan, (8).
Dennis came to faith in Jesus as Saviour when he started to attend the local Church of Ireland Parish in Moira and became a member of a ‘home group’ there.
He says: “From that time on I felt a call into the ministry but didn’t follow it up for a few years as I wanted to be sure that this was from God and not of myself.”
Before entering full-time ministry, Dennis worked as a Traffic Engineer for Arup.
He admits to being ‘very excited’ about what God has in store for him in Ballymena and Ballyclug:
“I am looking forward to being part of a team which already comprises of the Rector, Rev. Mark McConnell and Rev. John McClure, and to getting involved in the ministry at St. Patrick’s, St. Columba’s and Ballyclug”, smiles Dennis.
Outside Church, Dennis enjoys cricket and played the sport to a reasonable level for Limavady. He also likes walking and spending time with his family.
The three new Curates ordained at St Patrick’s Ballymena will begin their new ministries in Ballymena, Antrim and Belfast.
Also ordained on Sunday night were Rev Aaron McAlister to serve as curate in All Saints’ in Antrim and Rev Isobel Hawthorne-Steel to serve as curate in St Paul and St Barnabas, Belfast.
Their ordination was conducted by the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, who also preached.
For more information on what’s happening in the Anglican Diocese of Connor, log on to their website here.
