Diocesan News
Birthday honours for Connor
Congratulations to three Connor parishioners who have been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Mr Jim Perry and Mr Roy Totten each receive an MBE, while Mrs Margaret Brown has been awarded a BEM.
Jim Perry, a member of St Patrick’s Parish, Ballymena, and Connor Diocesan Lay Reader, was awarded his Honour for Services to the Community in Ballymena.
He is Chair of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council and Chair of Ulster Supported Employment Ltd and an active member of Ballymena Rotary Club. He has also served on the Board of Governors of five local schools and has been involved in the ‘Ahoghill in Bloom’ team since its foundation 10 years ago. The village was last year awarded the Champion of Champions title in the prestigious Britain in Bloom competition for the UK and Ireland.
Jim is vice chairman of the Board of Ballymena Business Centre, and was recently appointed to the JTI Gallaher Trust, a £5 million legacy fund set up by the tobacco manufacturer in the wake of the closure of its Ballymena plant to support re–employment opportunities in the area.
Last year, he was appointed Her Majesty’s High Sheriff for the County of Antrim. He has recently been appointed Clerk to the Lieutenancy of Co Antrim.
A lifelong member of St Patrick’s, Jim was a bellringer for a number of years until he was appointed a Diocesan Lay Reader in 1985. Since then, he has conducted more than 1,000 services across the diocese. Jim also sits on the Permanent Commission for the Archdeaconry of Dalriada.
He said he was delighted to receive this Honour. “It is in recognition of services to my home town. I am very proud to come from Ballymena, it is a great place,” he said.
Roy Totten, a member of Glenavy Parish, was awarded an MBE for services to the Community in Northern Ireland. Roy was managing director of an engineering company before retirement, and has worked with many voluntary and community organisations over the years.
He was involved in youth work in his parish and ran youth camps for many years. He served on the Church of Ireland Youth Council and was chairman of the Summer Madness youth festival for 10 years.
Roy’s desire to help others led to his involvement in the counselling organisation Christian Guidelines, where he was a board member and eventually chairman.
He has served on the General Synod and Standing Committee of the Church of Ireland for many years and is a member of the Governing Council of the Church of Ireland Training College and Chairman of the Priorities Fund.
Roy is a member of Connor Diocesan Council and serves on St Anne’s Cathedral Board where he chairs the Outreach and Charitable Work sub–committee.
He was chairman of Church Army UK and Ireland for 10 years. “My chairmanship of Church Army was a time of challenge and a time of great reward,” Roy said. “I had the privilege of helping to support Church Army personnel who were working with people on the edge of society and I was personally challenged by seeing how they shared the love of God in actions and words.”
Roy also chaired the Church Army International Council for three years and is now an honorary Vice–President of Church Army.
He has a great love of sailing, is a past Vice–Commodore of Carrickfergus Sailing Club and is now a director of the Royal Yachting Association Northern Ireland.
Commenting on his award, Roy said: “It is a privilege to be able to help and encourage others and I would like to thank all those who work alongside me in doing this. It is a great honour to receive an MBE.”
Margaret Brown, organist with the Parishes of Ramoan and Culfeighrin, Ballycastle, has been awarded a BEM for Services to Music.
She has been involved in music all her life and still works with a number of choirs in the north Antrim area. Margaret was congratulated by her rector, the Rev David Ferguson, and members of the parish choir after the announcement of her award.
For further information please contact:
Diocesan Communications Officer, Connor
07766 103880
Mrs Karen Bushby
dco@connordiocese.org