President of The Methodist Church in Ireland 2009

THE REV DONALD P. KER BA, BD, MTh

President of The Methodist Church in Ireland: Rev Donald P Ker

The new President of the Methodist Church in Ireland is the Rev. Donald P. Ker BA, BD, MTh. Designated at the Annual Conference of 2008 held in Londonderry, Mr. Ker is currently the Church's General Secretary.

Donald is the youngest of three sons born to the Rev. Ernest and Mrs. Mary Ker. He received his primary and secondary education at Methodist College Belfast. His university career began at Trinity College Dublin where he graduated with a BA in Classics. He also holds an honours Batchelor of Divinity and a Master of Theology degrees from Queen's University, Belfast. His theological training for the Methodist Church in Ireland was at Edgehill Theological College, Belfast.

The President served as a Circuit minister for two separate periods, one in Bray Co. Wicklow, the other as Superintendent Minister of the Belfast Central Mission. It was from this appointment that he was elected as Secretary of Conference and General Secretary of the Methodist Church in Ireland at the Conference of 2007.

The larger part of Donald Ker's ministry has been in the field of academia. He has been the Methodist Chaplain to the Universities and Colleges of Dublin as well as Queen's University Belfast. In 1991 he was appointed Senior Tutor in Edgehill Theological College where his main teaching subject and research interest was in the area of New Testament. For a period he served as Director of Studies in the Institute of Theology in Queen's University Belfast. He has also held membership of many of the Methodist Church's senior Committees.

The Rev. Donald Ker is married to Sandra and they have four adult children all of whom are married. Among his leisure interests, he lists "Classic Cars at the budget end of the market!"

Mr. Ker is following in the Presidential foot-steps of both his grandfather and father who were also Presidents of the Methodist Church in Ireland, His grandfather in 1926 and his father 50 years ago in 1959.

The Service of Installation, at which the President of Ireland HE Mary McAleese was present, was held in St. Paul's Parish Church, Glenageary, Co. Dublin on Thursday 4th June 2009.