Capt Colin Taylor is introduced in Dromara and Garvaghy
Bishop Harold has introduced Captain Colin Taylor as Evangelist in Charge in the Parish of Dromara and Garvaghy in the Diocese of Dromore. The service took place in St John’s Church, Dromara, today, 26 February 2014 and the preacher was Revd Canon Kathleen Brown MBE, a former rector of St Paul and St Barnabas, Belfast.
Colin is in his thirty–eighth year of ministry as a Church Army Evangelist and is married to Eleanor a former teacher. He began work as a 19 year old with the Church Army in residential hostels in Manchester and London before entering Church Army College which at that time was in Blackheath, south west London.
On commissioning Colin first worked as an assistant missioner in the Blackburn Diocese and then after a year moved to work in the Diocese of Down and Dromore as an itinerant evangelist undertaking missions, work in schools and work amongst teenagers.
Colin worked in a variety of parishes and in 1983 he and Eleanor moved to Comber Parish where he was part–time parish evangelist alongside an on–going role in the Diocese. In 1986 Colin and Eleanor moved to the parish of St Clement, Belfast, where he undertook a similar role.
From 1990 onwards Colin studied for a Youth and Community work degree in Jordanstown. From 1994 he was Youth Worker in Charge in the Bangor YMCA and later worked in the City of Belfast YMCA in a variety of roles, eventually becoming Youth and Community Director.
In 2006 Colin took on the role of Evangelism Resource Officer for the Church Army in Ireland and Scotland. The role involved the pastoral care, support and management of Church Army Evangelists and engagement with the wider church on Evangelism and Fresh Expressions of Church.
After this post was made redundant in 2013, Colin has engaged in a “patchwork” of ministry as Diocesan Curate in Down and Dromore, along with preaching, teaching, providing pastoral care in vacant parishes and delivering youth work and other training in a number of churches.
Over the last period he has felt the call to parish ministry and is delighted that the Bishop of Down and Dromore has given this opportunity to minister in the parishes of Dromara and Garvaghy.
He says: “It seems to be very much the ‘right’ place to go and while many people ask ‘and just where is Dromara?’ we will no doubt get used to the village very quickly. Moving to the country is a big challenge for a ‘city boy’ but there are so many opportunities.
“Although we are sad to leave St Clement’s, our parish family of 28 years, God is very much in this and it is a ‘Here am I Lord, send me’ moment for both myself and Eleanor.”
Pictured below: L–R Revd Canon Brown, Capt Colin Taylor and Bishop Harold. Joined also by Archdeacon Roderic West and Registrar, Revd Canon Simon Doogan.