President 2011

Rev. Ian D. Henderson

Rev. Ian D. Henderson was born in 1946 in Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim. He began his primary education at the Model School in Carrickfergus. When his father was transferred by the Yorkshire Insurance Co. in Belfast, where he worked, to Dublin in 1953, Rev. Henderson's education was continued at Wesley College, Dublin and Trinity College.

On completion of a B.A. degree at Trinity, he worked for a year in Trinity College Library while candidating for the Methodist ministry. He was accepted as a candidate for the ministry in 1970 and studied at Edgehill College, Belfast from 1970-1973, simultaneously taking a B.D. degree at Queen's University.

He has been stationed on the following Circuits: Dublin Central Mission 1973-1975, Cavan & Longford 1975-1980, Wicklow, Arklow & Avoca 1980-1984, West Cork 1984-1991, North Connacht 1991-1999 and Donegal, Ballintra & Inver since 1999.

He has served as Secretary of three District Synods, Midlands & Southern 1988-1991, Lakelands 1992-1995 and North West 1999-2000. He has also served as District Superintendent of the Lakelands District 1995-1999 and of the North West District 2000-2003 and 2010-2011 when he will take up the office of President at the Conference in June 2011. In 1999 he was elected as Journal Secretary of Conference and in 2005 took over as Senior Assistant Secretary of Conference.

He has written a number of local histories of Methodist Churches, which include Gorey, Dunmanway, Bandon, Ardara, Inver and Donegal. Other publications include "The Methodist Conference in Ireland", "The Wesleys in Bandon", "John Wesley in Sligo", and "How Methodism Came to Ireland". Further publications include two books of prayers and three volumes of hymns. He has also done extensive research on the Primitive Wesleyan Connexion in Ireland, which has not been published.

In 1975 he married Rosalind Keatinge, a granddaughter of Rev. Robert T. Booth who was a medical doctor and Methodist minister (1897-1912), who served as a Mission Partner in Hankow in China. They have one daughter, who is a special needs and Montessori teacher.