A NEW minister has been appointed at Lyle Kirk in Greenock after a two-year search for the right person.

The congregation voted almost unanimously in favour of calling Reverend Owen Derrick as leader of their flock on Sunday.

Mr Derrick, who was born and brought up in Greenock, was elected by 202 votes to one.

He told the Telegraph: “I feel wonderful. It’s an exciting opportunity — it’s like coming home.

“It’s almost like a dream come true. Growing up here as a little boy, I attended the Mid Kirk and always dreamed about becoming a minister.

“I never realised 50 years later I would be doing so in my home town.”

He said he has received a warm welcome from the congregation and is looking forward to doing more outreach work.

Mr Derrick, 55, said: “They are such a gracious group of people and I’m looking forward to working with them.

“They have real heart for the ministry they’re doing here at Lyle Kirk.”

The minister moved to Perth in 1986 to work as a computer analyst before leaving for America in 1999.

He continued his career in IT but returned to Scotland last year as an ordained minister having become a preacher in the Lutheran tradition.

Mr Derrick said: “I felt in my heart it was time to come home.”

He said: “I left Greenock 30 years ago and the town has changed a bit but in some ways it hasn’t. It still has the same old wonderful character.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to Greenockian life.”

The minister is married to Dianne, an American, and they have an adopted daughter Elianne and four adult children and three granddaughters between 
them.

Lyle Kirk is the result of a merger between three congregations, Old West Kirk, Finnart St Paul’s and Ardgowan Parish, in 2011.

Mr Derrick says a such a big congregation creates opportunities and challenges but the opportunities to do more mission and outreach work outweighed the challenges.

He said: “I want to infect the community with the love of God to show people that message that brings hope to where people think there’s none.”

He will be inducted to his new charge after finishing a short familiarisation course with another minister at St Mark’s Church, Oldhall, in Paisley.

He is expected to be inducted to his new charge at the end of February or beginning of March.