I grew up and was baptized into the Covenant family of Cuningham Memorial Presbyterian Church, Cullybackey and attended the organisations there. I was a Sunday School teacher, Youth Club leader, Youth Fellowship leader, Scout Leader and took part in our choir and praise group. I owe my home church much for their spiritual upbringing. Being from Cullybackey means that the Ulster Scots Dervock dialect is not too hard for me to adjust to.
However, the most important thing about my home congregation is that it was through the faithful preaching of my minister and the faithful witness of the leaders of the organisations there that Christ in His grace saved me. As a young boy, I knew that Christ was my only hope and my only salvation. From an early age, I could affirm the words of that great 19th century Preacher, C.H.Spurgeon who said “I have a strong appetite for Heaven!” I am grateful to my home congregation, for not only presenting the fullness of the Gospel to me at an early age, but also encouraging me in my Christian walk and feeding me with God’s Word.
After completing my secondary education at Slemish College, in Ballymena, I read History and Politics at Queen’s University Belfast with a graduate Diploma in youth ministry and was accepted to study for a P.G.C.E to teach. However, I felt the call of God when still at school to enter the Gospel ministry of Word and Sacrament in our Church. Although I applied at the earliest opportunity that I could, I still tried to deny the Lord’s call. It is not normal for someone to go straight from university into Union College, in fact, a former moderator, the Very Rev. Dr. John Dixon, wrote to me to encourage me that I should continue because it was how he entered the Gospel ministry. After much prayer and much seeking of God’s word, I remember feeling too young to apply for a role with such responsibility and so the morning my form was due for submission I lifted my bible and my reading for that particular day was Jeremiah 1. Jeremiah is reminded of how God can use the young to accomplish great things for Him and so I applied and was accepted and I quickly came to realise that where God guides, He provides. Since then, I have completed placements in 2nd Randalstown, 1st Ballyeaston, 1st Antrim and Carryduff Presbyterian Churches.
I come to Dervock Presbyterian Church after a three and a half year assistantship in Carryduff. After three years under a good boss and being molded by the congregation there, the good people of Dervock obviously think I’m ready to lead and pastor them.
I have had the opportunity and privilege of being able to take God’s word and the message of salvation to the North Coast when I participated in Portballintrae CSSM and on teams to France, Hungary, Guatemala, Romania and Malawi. I have led teams with missional organisations such as PCI, Latinlink and OMS. I am chairman for the David Gordon Memorial Hospital partnership in Livingstonia, Malawi. I have a heart for our own country and I am involved every summer with outreach within our own denomination and have taken holiday bible clubs and teenage activities with PCI in Conlig, Ballyeaston, Faughanvale, Bailieborough, Magherafelt, Magherahamlet , Spa, Arklow, Wicklow, Donaghadee, Bellaghy, Knockloughrim and Letterkenny. As well as enjoying outreach teams I also enjoy music; I sing Bass in a few choirs, I play the piano, organ, violin and cello (not to a great standard), I enjoy meeting friends and travelling. No doubt my adventures in Peru, India, Guatemala, Hungary, Israel… will come out in many of my addresses.
Above all else, my desire is to make Jesus Christ better known in the Dervock area. If you haven’t been to church for a while, why not join us? We meet every Lord’s Day at 12noon. I have just finished an 8 week series on the small Old Testament book of Esther. Through that we observed that God is a God of providence. He had a plan for Esther and the Jews, even today, 2400 years later, He has a plan for you and for me. We are now working for 8 weeks through the New Testament book of Jude. We don’t do anything awkward or mind-blowing. We simply meet together to sing to God’s praise, to read God’s Word and listen to it being preached, we talk to God in prayer and we enjoy fellowship with each other. Through our tithing we give to the work of God’s Kingdom in Dervock and to faithful missionaries. We have a space each Lord’s Day and it’s for you and your family. We’d love to see you!
If you see me down the street, in the coffee shop, in the school or wherever, please say hi!
Every blessing,
Rev. Scott W. Moore