Rev. Mark Loughridge
In 2001 he came to Letterkenny to plant a church and to pastor a church in Milford. Here’s a little about him from a newspaper interview:
1. What is your favourite way of relaxing?
Reading a good book, swimming, or walking with my wife.
2. Who are your favourite writers?
Non-religious books – Robert Ludlum, Dorothy Sayers
Christian writers – John Piper, DA Carson
3. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Heaven – no sin, no pain, no sadness, just pure happiness in the presence of God.
4. What historical figure do you most identify with?
Peter the apostle – a man who, although deeply flawed, loved to serve his Saviour.
5. Which living person do you most admire?
My mother, who copes uncomplainingly with Multiple Sclerosis.
6. Who are your real-life heroes?
Christians who are persecuted for their faith
7. What is your most obvious characteristic?
Some people would say my handshake, or my long stride. As for a less obvious characteristic – I lost the sight in my right eye through a sporting injury.
8. What is your greatest fear?
That people whom I care for will not accept God’s offer of forgiveness, and will end up in Hell.
9. What is the trait you most dislike in others?
Lying & self-seeking vulgarity. You can hardly watch TV, go to the cinema, read a newspaper, or listen to pop music without there being some form of crudeness, mostly for publicity.
10. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Persuading my wife to marry me!
11. Where would you like to live?
Thailand – I love Thai food
12. Who has been the greatest influence on you?
Jesus Christ, my Saviour.
13. What do you like most about your job?
Seeing people grasp the message of the Bible, and watching it transform their lives.
14. How would you like to die?
Looking forward to Heaven
Rev. Nick Jones
1. Where are you from?
I grew up in England but met and married a Dub called Dorothy in 2009 and it wasn’t long until she had us and our two children in Ireland!
2. What’s your favourite food?
Irish steak and chips
3. What do you like about Donegal?
I love the beauty of the place, the mountains, the sunsets, the rainbows, the lakes and especially the sea. Before we moved here, we used to love coming on holiday here, as a family we have loved Glenveagh, Horn Head, and all the beautiful beaches! I love surfing, windsurfing and stand-up-paddle boarding, so Donegal is just an amazing place to be!
4. What’s your earliest childhood memory?
Probably of playing in my mum’s bright yellow Renault 4, letting the handbrake off and ending up in the main road and needing a rescue!
5. Have you always wanted to be a minister?
No! As a teenager I played bass guitar in a couple of bands and was convinced we were going to make it! When we didn’t, I tried teaching water sports, worked as a gardener, then as a lawyer for a couple of years before sensing God calling me to become a minister.
6. How did that come about?
It really happened about the same time as I became a Christian. Someone invited my parents to church when I was very young, and so I grew up hearing about Jesus from a young age. I probably would have called myself a Christian from young age, but when I was 14 something happened that turned everything upside down. My mum’s cancer returned and she died within a year. I was so angry with God, how could he let this happen? For about 8 years I went away from Him, getting into all sorts of trouble.
In 2002, I was asked to teach windsurfing on a Christian camp in Romania. I agreed to go because I had nothing else to do, loved windsurfing and had never been to Romania! Little did I know that would be the beginning of a much bigger journey. For years I had wrestled with the question of how a loving God could allow my mum to die in her 40s. In Romania I started to come to understand that God had given his own Son to die in my place for all the times I had rebelled against Him. Once I realised this, I could no longer question His love. This was the best news in the world, and I wanted to help others hear about this.
7. Have things been easy since then?
Not really, we’ve had plenty of joys, but we’ve faced a fair few challenges. Our daughter was born 2 months early and needed life-saving surgery, and our son suffers with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. My wife’s sister also died in the last couple of years, and we’ve lost other family and friends.
That sounds really tough, do you ever find yourself tempted to question God’s love or be angry with him?
In 2010, I remember thinking we were going to lose our daughter. My wife and I read Psalm 121 in the hospital, and rather than being angry with God, we knew He was watching over us, and we knew that He was loving. We didn’t know if our daughter would live, but we did trust and know that God would do what was best for us. It’s not to say that doubts never enter my mind, but when they do I just have to remind myself of the Son of God who loved me and gave his life for me to free me from my sins. He was won an eternity of joy for all who trust Him, that normally helps me through the difficulties.
8. What will you be doing in Milford?
I have the enormous privilege of serving God and His people in a place we love! I look forward to getting to know people in the town and surrounding area, I will be serving in both Milford and Letterkenny Reformed Presbyterian churches.
9. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Beautiful peeling waves, and successfully catching them! But that’s only temporary, what I truly long for is being with the Lord and His people in the new creation with no more sickness, disability, suffering and death. As Psalm 16 puts it “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy.”