William Boyle
Due to the Coronavirus restrictions, William’s Ordination and Induction Service due to take place on Wednesday 18th March 2020 will not be as planned.
William was Ordained and Inducted by a Quorum of Presbyery and represtatives of the Kirk session plus members of his family
We hope to be able to celebrate with William and the congregation of Port Glasgow New Parish Church at some point in the future.
Moderator of Greenock & Paisley Presbytery Mr. Jack McHugh has given this prayer
Call to Prayer
Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ As we face the uncertainty surrounding the present coronavirus pandemic and the fact that we cannot see, feel or touch the problem it can lead us to become either sceptical about its seriousness or terrified of what it could do to us or our loved ones. There is no doubt we face the greatest test that our nation has faced since the end of the Second World War. It proves once again that we really do not have all the answers to life’s problems.
However even in the uncertainly and the need to listen carefully to the scientific and medical experts who are seeking to help our nation get through these difficult times. I believe there is One who does have all the answers and we can pray to Him.
I have no doubt that we have all been earnestly praying in these days, but I have been led to believe that although we cannot come together as a Presbytery we can still pray together. I would like to suggest that we as a Presbytery endeavour to set aside time each day at the same time if possible to pray about the present situation; and I would suggest 11.00a.m.
It may be that for some that is not possible, but let us pray every day at whatever time is suitable for each one of us.
Let us pray for doctors, nurses, scientists, emergency service workers and indeed all who would seek to respond in these difficult days. Pray for the vulnerable folk in society; let us pray for those who have had to self-isolate, and for folk who contract the virus that they will make a full recovery. Let us pray for families with children who are at home because our schools are closing, that they can cope with the need to keep the children interested and occupied.
Let us pray for our congregations and the folk in our Presbytery and nation. Pray for folk whose employment and income is adversely affected by not being able to work.
Pray for our politicians in Westminster and Holyrood that God will sustain them and inspire them with His Holy Spirit that their decisions will be in accordance with His will and purposes.
Let us all remember that God is Sovereign and that he has shown the depth his love for us by sending his Son Jesus into our world to be our Saviour and our Lord. He will not abandon us now in our time of need.
God Bless you all.
Jack McHugh
Letter from Karen 20 March 20
Reflection – How do we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land ?
Dear Friends
I, like so many of you, was looking forward to being present at William’s ordination and induction service in Port Glasgow New Parish Church on Wednesday evening. The service did take place with a few people from Presbytery, a few people from the congregation and William’s closest family. I know that some of you were able to share in the service by watching via facebook. I was glad that the service was able to take place and it was the right way to do it at this time, but watching along I cried and Wednesday being the day that school closures were announced, I continued to weep for all the things , big and small, in the lives of our family and friends, our congregation and community, our nation and world that are not happening the way we would have wanted them to happen, all the normal and special things of life that in some ways are being lost. And I continued to weep for all the things that are happening that we would never have imagined happening a few months or even days ago. We do indeed , find ourselves in a strange land. We wonder, when our worship gatherings are cancelled, how do we sing the Lord’s song ? I am sure that we will find a way of being the church, the people God calls us to be , but in these days we can also weep and cry out to God. The tradition of lament is expressed over and over again in the bible. In exile, God’s people sat down and wept. They cried out to the God of their ancestors to show them how to be God’s people in a foreign land.
Psalm 137:1 – 4
By the rivers of Babylon we sat down;
There we wept when we remembered Zion….
How can we sing a song to the Lord in a foreign land ?
Many of us today and at different points in the days to come, may need to sit down and weep. May we do so turning to, trusting in the God who catches tears and keeps lost things…. then may we find new ways of singing the Lord’s song in a strange land.
Please join me here on facebook in days to come and especially on Sun 22nd March at 7p.m. to join in a national time of prayer. Please keep in touch with family, friends and neighbour by phone . May the grace of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen
Yours
Karen
William gave us the the script below when was with us to complete the final stages of his training.
His training has been completed and on Sunday 16 February, he preached as Sole Nominee at Port Glasgow New Parish Church. He was accepted by an overwhelming majority of the Congregation.
The Service for his Ordination and Induction have been confirmed by Presbytery and will take place on Wednesday 18th March at 7.00.
We send him the best wishes of Westburn as he sets out in his new future.
Hello, my name is William Boyle and I’m currently training to be a Minister with the Church of Scotland. I have been training now since 2014 with the final stage of my training taking place here at Westburn Parish Church from August 2018 to October 2019.
I currently live in Greenock and my home congregation is St Margaret’s Parish Church on Finch Road. St Margaret’s has played a very big part in my life from a very young age, it is where I went through the Sunday School, Boys Brigade, became a Sunday school teacher, member and then an Elder. I have been truly blessed to be part of such an encouraging and supportive congregation.
My previous career before becoming a student Minister was in retail management. I worked in Safeway for three years and then Tesco for ten. My experience of retail especially management gave me the opportunity to meet people, plan and organize, manage a team, speak in front of a room full people at management meetings for example and sometimes deal with conflict situations. My time in retail helped prepare me for what was to come in the future.
In 2014 I attended the Church of Scotland Vocations conference held in Tulliallan Police College which allows you to find out more about Ministry. From there I went on a placement with the congregation of Langbank linked with Port Glasgow St Andrews and then attended the churches National Assessment process in Dundee where I was accepted as a ministry candidate. Going through this process affirmed my calling to Ministry and led me to make a big decision, which was to leave my job in retail management and focus solely on my calling.
The next stage was to attend University. I completed a BA Honors degree at the University of the Highlands and Islands. You need to complete a degree to train as a Minister. While at University you also join a congregation on placement where you spend ten hours per week working alongside the congregation and Minister. My placements have been at Old Gourock and Ashton Parish Church and Paisley Sherwood Greenlaw. I also spent 10 weeks in the summer working with the chaplaincy team at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
The final stage of the process is a 15-month full time probationary placement which is what I am doing here at Westburn Parish Church. In August this year I will attend my final review and from that can apply to a congregation and preach as sole nominee leading to my induction and ordination as a Minister of Word and Sacrament.
I have really enjoyed working my way through this process and thank God for this opportunity to serve him and his church. If you think ministry could be for you, then please speak to myself, your Minister or visit: http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/serve/vocations or contact me directly at WBOYLE@churchofscotland.org.uk
With every blessing
William Boyle
Student Minister