Guest speaker’s story of Ruth’s journey to joy

Throughout 2015 various events have been organised, and there is an open invitation to hear the intriguing story of Ruth, in the address ‘From heartache to joy’. Guest preacher will be Rev Andrew Quigley, from Coleraine, who taught for seven years in Raphoe Royal School and has been minister in Airdrie, Scotland, for the past 20 years. He is a compelling speaker with many international engagements.

His address is on the famine which caused a man from Bethlehem, his wife Naomi and their two sons to move to the neighbouring country of Moab. The sons married local women but sadly, the father and the two sons all died. Ruth, the young Moabite widow, out of love for her widowed Israelite mother-in-law, abandoned her own culture, declaring, “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”

Though she was destitute and needing to rely on the kindness of others, Ruth’s disposition and character captured the attention of Boaz, a close relative of her deceased husband. Ruth would become a fore bearer of King David and ancestor of Christ. A fascinating story of redemption and grace.

Pastor Andrew Quigley and his wife, Heather, have six children. Having studied microelectronics and communications engineering at university in Northern Ireland, he worked as the Housemaster of a boarding school in Ireland and studied at the RP Theological College in Belfast before entering the ministry. He has been the minister of the Airdrie Reformed Presbyterian Church for 20 years.

Mr Quigley serves within the RP Church of Scotland in the following ways: Teacher of Preaching and Pastoral Theology at the Scottish RP Seminary, Presbytery Clerk, Editor of the RPCS Good News Magazine, and Director of the Reformation Tours ministry. He is an adjunct professor at Geneva College and serves as Director of Geneva’s Semester in Scotland program. He also serves as Chair of the Advisory Committee of the RP Global Alliance.