Diocesan News05 Dec 08

Institution of new Rector for Greyabbey, Kircubbin, Ballyphilip and Ardquin

The Revd Gillian Withers was instituted as Rector of the grouped Parishes of Greyabbey and Kircubbin with Ballyphilip and Ardquin by the Rt Revd Harold Miller on Thursday 4th December. The institution took place in St Saviour’s Parish Church in the historic village of Greyabbey, close to the ruins of the Ancient Cistercian Abbey with representatives from all four churches in the grouped parishes taking part.

Visitors also included representatives from other churches in the area, as well as from Gillian’s former parishes of Mossley, Bangor and St Columba’s, Knock. The worship was led by St Columba’s worship group (pictured) and the preacher was the Revd Canon Neil Cutcliffe, Rector of Mossley.

Gillian succeeds the Revd Richard Seymour-Whitely, former Rector of Greyabbey and Kircubbin who moved to become Rector of Galloon in the Diocese of Clogher in early 2006 and the Revd Michael Houston, former Rector of Ballyphilip and Ardquin who moved to St Andrew's Church, Kyrenia, Cyprus in the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, part of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East in 2007. 

The new Rector is a former Music Teacher in Methodist College, Belfast and was ordained into the Non-Stipendiary Ministry of the Church of Ireland  in 1997. Initially she served as Non-Stipendiary Minister in Mossley Parish, before moving to St Comgall’s in Bangor as Curate Assistant in 2003 and then as Vicar of St Columba’s Knock in 2005.