Meet deacon intern Robert Smyth
I have been married to Pamela for 27 years and, along with our daughters Hannah (21) and Katie (20), we have been life–long members of St. Elizabeth’s, Dundonald. Pamela works for Crosslinks mission society, Hannah is a ministry apprentice at St. Elizabeth’s and Katie is hoping to commence a ministry apprenticeship at St. John’s, Hampstead in early September.
I taught percussion at the City of Belfast School of Music and have a keen interest in playing any kind of drums or percussion. I play golf badly and also more recently have enjoyed going on long cycle rides.
I came to personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as a teenager when the gospel was explained to me at a Scripture Union camp. I realised there was nothing I could do myself but ‘repent and believe the good news,’ and accept the free gift of eternal life through the cross of Christ. One of God’s great promises is, ‘in his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you (1 Peter 1:3–4).’ This is a great reminder that God is gracious, he offers new life through the Cross and the sure and certain hope of our eternal inheritance, no matter what life throws at us.
What a wonderful message to proclaim which has been entrusted to all of God’s people to pass on. In one sense every Christian is called to be a minister of the word and to tell others about the living hope that is found only in Jesus Christ.
I am very much looking forward to my Deacon internship at Christ Church, Kilkeel.