Coleraine man is new pastor

A Coleraine man has been installed as pastor of the church his uncle founded in 1982.
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Robert McCollum was installed as pastor in Lisburn Reformed Presbyterian Church via Zoom due to pandemic restrictions.

Located on the Nettlehill Road on the north side of Lisburn, the church was founded in 1982 by Prof Robert McCollum, who retired from the work in 2018.

Robert said: “I am a Coleraine man born and bred. Raised on a dairy farm with five brothers and sisters, I had a great upbringing. Without doubt, the most central thing in my life is my faith in Jesus Christ.

Robert McCollum with his  Emma and children, Jonah (7), Toby (5) and Flynn (2)Robert McCollum with his  Emma and children, Jonah (7), Toby (5) and Flynn (2)
Robert McCollum with his Emma and children, Jonah (7), Toby (5) and Flynn (2)

“Having been brought up going to church and learning about God, I became a Christian when I was eleven, entrusting my life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Since then, there have been plenty of ups and downs in my life, but God has been the great constant, always good.

“After school I studied Music at Queen’s, before then training to be a Post-Primary Music teacher. Following that I spent four years in the Reformed Theological College, Belfast, and in 2012, I became a pastor, serving the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Newtownards.”

After a few years in Co. Down, Robert received a call from the Lisburn congregation.

“Having weighed up all the factors, at the start of December, I accepted Lisburn’s call, and we had the mad experience of moving house exactly a week before Christmas Day!”

On the subject of Covid-19, Robert said: “Covid-19 has impacted all of us in all sorts of ways, and I’m not even sure if we have really properly felt the full impact of it yet.

“Sadly, there are many who have lost loved ones due, at least in part, to this illness. That will have been a very difficult loss.

“Indeed, for anyone who has been bereaved in the last year, whether due to Covid or not, the grieving process has been especially difficult.

“There have been enormous implications upon people socially. There are some of us and it has been over a year now since we shook hands with another person, or we hugged a friend or member of our extended family. That has been enormously difficult.

“My great hope is to bring a message of comfort and healing to people who are hurting and broken. I may not have all the answers, but I can point to the one who does, Jesus Christ,” he concluded.

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