Archdeacon Mark is installed in Dromore Cathedral
Warmest congratulations to the Ven Mark Harvey who, following his appointment as Archdeacon of Dromore, has been installed in Dromore Cathedral. The Very Revd Geoff Wilson, Dean of Dromore, led the service and installed the new archdeacon.
Mark and Joanne’s daughter Lydia led the worship band and Shankill Parish Choir directed by Carl McCambley, sang an anthem and led the hymns. Revd Rodney Blair, the curate in Shankill, led the intercessions.
Mark’s invited preacher was our former bishop, the Rt Revd Harold Miller who also led the congregation in a short act of remembrance for a former rector of Dromore Cathedral, The Ven Billy Neill, who died recently.
In a sermon full of affectionate humour, Bishop Harold said that archdeacons are not easily categorised but that when he was asked to preach he went straight to the new archdeacon’s namesake in the Bible – John Mark – as an example.
He noted that, like our new archdeacon, John Mark was mentored well by family and key leaders. He was also a missional servant, and an archdeacon means a head servant.
The biblical John Mark is often remembered for being ‘the deserter’ but he was not to be defined by one mistake. Indeed that mistake was used by God in the growth of the church. Similarly, Bishop Harold urged all of us and particularly those in ministry to move on from our mistakes and allow God to redeem them.
Finally, John Mark ended well, producing the Gospel of Mark, in a good relationship with Paul, and dying for the faith. He even became Bishop of Alexandria according to tradition!
Bishop Harold charged Archdeacon Mark to also ‘end well’ and commended him as “a person of integrity – a humble, missional servant leader”.
The role
Mark was appointed on 1 October 2023 and is released from parish ministry for two days each week in order to carry out diocesan work. As well as taking on the administrative and pastoral tasks that come with the role of archdeacon, Bishop David has charged Mark with enabling parishes that have been on a trajectory of decline to be rejuvenated, and to transition from decline to growth. Mark has considerable experience in growing churches and has worked in different parish settings – inner city, urban and rural.
The Ven Mark Harvey
Mark, who is originally from Belfast, grew up in a rectory. First sensing a call to ministry at the age of 17, he was ordained in 1993 for the curacy of St Columba’s, Portadown in Armagh diocese, and from 1996–2001 was rector of Monaghan in the diocese of Clogher. He spent four years on the staff of CMS Ireland, and in 2005 became rector of St Mary’s, Ballybeen. He was instituted as rector of Shankill, Lurgan, in June 2017.
Mark has served the diocese as Director of Ordinands, as a Clerical Honorary Secretary of Diocesan Council, and as Area Dean of Loughview. He has also been a member of both Diocesan Council and General Synod for over 20 years. He is married to Joanne, and they have one daughter, Lydia. Prior to ordination, he worked as a primary school teacher in Bangor.
