Dedicated clergyman retiring after three decades in Omagh

By Wesley Atchison

A WELL-known Omagh cleric who has served faithfully in the district for the past three decades is retiring at the end of the year.

Reverend Robert Herron has been minister of Trinity, Omagh, and Gillygooley Presbyterian Churches since 1993.

Prior to that, he had been minister of Strabane Presbyterian Church where he was installed in 1985, having been ordained two years earlier and started his ministry as assistant in Trinity, Bangor.

Outside his ministry, Mr Herron has had a keen interest in education over many years, and received an OBE for his service in this field in 2015.

Following presentation of gifts and warm tributes from his two current congregations, Mr Herron said this week that he had enjoyed his ministry in Omagh, and added that ‘people had been open, accepting and supportive’.

He also said that he experienced Omagh as a place where people do their best to work alongside one another and that was also true of the clergy.

Mr Herron is a native of Comber, County Down, where he continued to live until a few years after his marriage.

The cleric and his wife, Sheena, have been married for more than 40 years, with three grown-up children and two grandchildren.

Mrs Herron, a former teacher, is a gifted musician, and over the years has made a significant contribution to the music and worship of Trinity and Gillygooley congregations and the wider community.

TRIBUTES

At a festive season function following the annual carol service in Trinity Presbyterian Church on Sunday, clerk of session, Claire McElhinney, paid fitting tribute to Mr Herron.

She said, “While the excitement and busyness of Christmas is upon us, today there is sadness at Trinity as we say farewell to our minister and his wife.”

She went on, “The Herron family’s arrival amongst us was an exciting time for the congregation – a young minister and wife and three children under 10 – it had been quite some time since the manse was home to a family, and it brought new life and sparkle to Trinity.

“However, your arrival here from Strabane brought the added challenge of you having two churches – one in the town and one in the countryside.

“Since I became Clerk of Session just over four years ago, I now have some knowledge of just how demanding and time-consuming the life of clergy has become.”

She continued, “Robert has given himself 100 per-cent to every duty as a minister that he was required to fulfil – he has the ability to be patient and gracious, and his understanding of how God would wish him to act in all circumstances has stood him in good stead when faced with a difficult or demanding situation.”

Mrs McElhinney praised Mr Herron’s very good knowledge of technology, and said he had availed of many state-of-the-art devices.

She shared a poem penned by a member of the congregation called ‘T’was The Week Before Christmas’ focusing on the departure of the minister and his wife.

She then presented gifts with the congregation’s best wishes and God’s blessings for a long, healthy and happy retirement in their new home in County Down.

Stanley Matthews, organist of 48 years at Trinity, paid tribute to Mrs Herron for her input into the music and choir.

PEACE

Raymond Smyth, clerk of session of Gillygooley Presbyterian Church, included in his tribute on behalf of that congregation that Mr Herron has been a steadfast and solid voice for peace and reconciliation over the years.

At a congregational lunch, he went on to say, “His faith and Christian example were obvious to us all, and he was a consistent and comforting voice, whose sermons challenged us to examine our roles in the church and society.

“He was always there to give wise counsel in difficult and sensitive times, and a person of great discretion and integrity who we could always depend on in our small and close-knit community.”

Mr Smyth also thanked Sheena for the support she had given to Robert and her work in relation to the music and choir in Gillygooley.

He added, “I know that I speak for everyone present when I thank you both for your long service to Gillygooley and we hope that you have a long and happy retirement.”

His wider church experience saw Mr Herron serve as the president of the Irish Council of Churches (2002-2004).

Everyone is aware of the current situation in war torn Israel-Palestine through our TV screens, and it has brought back memories to Mr Herron when he represented the Irish Churches in 2002 on a British/Irish fact-finding visit to the countries organised by Christian Aid.

He visited Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.

EDUCATION

On the education front, Mr Herron was appointed as a member of the Western Education and Library Board in 1997, became its chairperson in 2006 and was chairperson when it dissolved in 2015.

In 2012, he was appointed President of the Northern Ireland Association of Education and Library Boards, and held that role until 2015.

Since 2015, he has been a member of the Education Authority.

In 2008, he was appointed by the Minister of Education as chair of the Western Area Based Planning Group and has been a member of the Strule Shared Education Campus Project Board since 2009.

For 40 years, he has served on Boards of Governors of nursery, primary, post primary and special schools.

“At present, I chair the committee responsible for managing the Education Authority’s £2.4 billion budget, which without additional funding is inadequate to fund schools and services to pupils in NI and ensure staff in the education sector receive the salaries they deserve,” Mr Herron said.

With his ministry in Omagh swiftly drawing to a close, he said it was a strange experience to do things for the very last time.

Mr Herron added, “I thank the members of Trinity and Gillygooley congregations, representatives from Omagh Presbytery, schools, youth organisations, nursing homes, and other churches who have acknowledged my contribution in different ways and wish me well for my retirement.”

Mr Herron is looking forward to moving to his new home in the Holywood area of County Down, not far from where his life began.

He enjoys walking, and when it’s not raining, riding a motorcycle being the proud owner of a Triumph Bonneville T120.

“I am not sure how much I will use it in County Down when the train station is a five minute walk from our front door and I have free travel with my Senior SmartPass!” he quipped.

In the meantime, Mr Herron will conduct his final services as minister in Trinity and Gillygooley on Sunday, December 31 – which is likely to be a nostalgic occasion.