Meet new Diocesan Bible Teacher/Catechist, Paul Hynes
Paul Hynes is one of 11 Diocesan Bible Teachers/Catechist commissioned by Bishop David on Sunday 30 March in Holy Trinity, Banbridge. He is a parishioner of Shankill Parish Lurgan.
I was raised in a family that would often attend church however my parents did not have a personal relationship with the Lord until many years later. I started attending Shankill Parish Church in 1989 and this has been my home parish ever since. I’ve been involved in different roles and later went on to study Theology at Queen’s. This gave me a great grounding and even deeper love for the Lord and a desire to share my faith especially after a mission trip to Bolivia with SAMS.
Over the years I have been involved in my parish in different ways such as worship, Sunday School, youth work, Alpha and Bible studies but at the back of my mind I had always felt that there was some other role that the Lord wanted me to do. My background in Theology has given me a keen desire to share the Gospel and the Bible with others but I wasn’t sure how. I had initially explored ordination but felt that this wasn’t the role the Lord wanted for me. I came across the Diocesan Bible Teacher/Catechist course when I wasn’t expecting it, and my interest was piqued. I wondered if this was what I was supposed to do, so after a lot of prayer, consulting with family and trusted friends, I decided to apply for the course with my rector’s support and was accepted.
The course itself has been a great experience, I have met people from all over the Diocese and from all backgrounds but the one thing that has united us is our love for the Lord and the desire to spread His Word. The course itself has involved a lot of reading, studying, and finally preaching (the scary bit!) but all the time it has been a powerful incentive to get to know the Bible and what we believe as Christians at a deeper and more personal level and my faith has certainly been enriched by it.
I am excited to see where this leads me. My rector has plans and I will enjoy leading others in my parish. The Lord will guide me and I’m looking forward to sharing and exploring the Bible with others. With Him all things are possible!
Might this be your calling too? The course will run again in autumn 2025. Find out more in our Training Section HERE.
